Overview
- The Deputies’ Conduct Commission concluded on Tuesday that Sílvia Orriols’ repeated public attacks on ERC deputy Najat Driouech amount to a “falta leve” and noted the behavior could be constitutive of a hate crime while asking the Mesa to inform groups they may refer the case to the Fiscalía.
- The commission also opened four new internal investigations into Vox parliamentarians, including a probe of Alberto Tarradas for insinuating Driouech could be deported.
- Responsibility for any sanction now lies with the Mesa of the Parlament, which can choose to take no action, issue a public admonition, or impose fines ranging from €600 to €12,000 under the current internal regime.
- PSC, Junts and ERC are reported to have an advanced proposal to reform the Parlament’s reglamento to better define and sanction xenophobia, sexism and dehumanizing speech and they are negotiating it with Comuns and the CUP.
- Parliamentary legal advice has warned there is limited scope for court action because of broad speech protections for elected officials so the dispute will test whether internal sanctions and the planned rule changes produce stronger accountability for MPs and real protections for targeted deputies.