Diana Riba i Giner calls out the hypocrisy of the Spanish Rule of Law debate.

EFA MEP Diana Riba i Giner intervened in a plenary debate on the Protecting the Rule of Law against impunity in Spain.

The debate, promoted by the EPP Group, circled around the health of the Rule of law in Spain, discussing the recent developments in the Spanish government and decisions to reduce the charges of some Catalan Political Leaders. 
 
Riba i Giner MEP welcomed the debate as an opportunity to discuss the real threats to the Rule of law in Spain. 

"Do you want to address those issues that threaten the Rule of law? - Let's start with the judicial system, which transitioned from Francoism to democracy without reform, and which is controlled by easily identifiable surnames, is the weapon of choice of the extreme right," She said.

The Catalan MEP highlighted the prosecution of the activists and civil society in Spain, following the "Gag Law" that the Spanish PP implemented in 2015. Riba i Giner also took the opportunity to emphasise as well corruption history of the two biggest parties in Spain. 

"The criminalisation of the participation and mobilisation of civil society is possible due to a gag law that has still not been repealed".

"We could also put corruption on the table, but if I start with the two big parties, we would run out of time for the debate." She continued.

Diana Riba i Giner, EFA MEP, regretted that an opportunity to discuss the health democracy in Spain truly, was weaponised by an electoral debate, and she hoped the focus would remain on the European agenda. 

"We, therefore, welcome the fact that the rule of law in Spain is being placed at the centre of the European agenda, and we hope that the same determination that the right-wing (and not so right) have to promote electioneering debates here will be used to correct the many democratic deficiencies that have been dragging on for decades." She concluded