#DefendCataloniaSaveEU
Dear Member of the European Parliament,
On the 9th of March 2021, following a Spanish Supreme Court request, the European Parliament waived the parliamentary immunity of three Catalan MEPs – Carles Puigdemont, Toni Comín, and Clara Ponsatí – with over 42% of MEPs voting against or abstaining. This represents a new example of Spain’s repressive actions against the Catalan people’s political and social representatives.
The mere fact that Spanish nationalist parties are over-represented in the European Parliament’s Committee on Legal Affairs that processed the request -including its Chair- and that the rapporteur of the case is a member of a sister party of Spanish far-right VOX, should be reason enough to question the legitimacy of a procedure used by the Spanish authorities to persecute political dissent.
Since autumn of 2017, the Spanish authorities have politically persecuted 3,300 peaceful activists and representatives associated with the Catalan independence movement. Spanish Courts have prevented three consecutive candidates from being invested as President of Catalonia through lawfare.
The Catalan people have always believed in the European project. However, the European institutions’ attitude since the referendum of October 2017 has been a constant source of disappointment for the Catalan people –of which a clear 52% supported pro-independence parties in the February 14th election– and above all, for all democrats.
We urge the EU institutions to correct Spain’s non-democratic attitude regarding Catalonia, which does not go in accordance with the European founding principles. The credibility and legitimacy of the European Union as an integrating project based on fundamental rights and principles is at stake.
Read the full manifesto here.
What can you do as a European Citizen to #DefendCataloniaSaveEU?
1 Address the European Parliament Citizen’s Enquiries Unit
We call on all of you, citizens from all EU countries, to address a message of concern on the issue to the Citizen’s Enquiries Unit (Ask EP) The protection of fundamental rights of all EU citizens is at stake
Copy the following text and choose a button!
To whom it may concern,
I am writing to you to express my concern over the issue of the Spanish state’s efforts to waive the parliamentary immunity of Catalan MEPs Carles Puigdemont, Antoni Comín and Clara Ponsatí.
These democratically elected representatives were forced into exile and took their seats after receiving the votes of over 1 million European citizens. The Spanish state is bending EU law in order to prosecute innocent members of the Catalan minority.
Such is the case of the former vice-president of the government of Catalonia, Mr. Oriol Junqueras, elected an MEP while in jail, who should have enjoyed parliamentary immunity since his election according to resolution C-502/19 of the EU Court of Justice. Yet he remains a political prisoner, sentenced for holding the referendum on Catalan self-determination on October 1st, 2017, as are 8 other Catalan civic and political leaders.
Respect for democracy and human rights are the pillars on which the EU is built. The protection of individuals and minorities, as well as the rights of peoples, are cardinal principles that must be protected.
The European Parliament must remain the safeguard for the rights of national minorities in Europe I call on the MEPs to reflect on the danger that the 9th of March 2021 waiver of parliamentary immunity of Catalan MEPs Carles Puigdemont, Antoni Comín and Clara Ponsat poses for the democratic representation of European citizens and the effects of this decision on the ability of the European Parliament to defend fundamental rights abroad. Democracy in the EU is at stake.
Thank you very much.
2 Send a tweet to the leaders of the European Parliament Political Groups
– Group of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) – Chairman – Manfred Weber
– Group of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) – Vice-Chair – Arnaud Danjean
– Group of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) – Vice-Chair – Sandra Kalniete
– Group of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) – Vice-Chair – Andrey Govatchev
– Group of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) – Vice-Chair – Esther De Lange
– Group of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) – Vice-Chair – Vangelis Meimarakis
– Group of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) – Vice-Chair – Siegfried Muresan
– Group of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) – Vice-Chair – Jan Olbrytch
– Group of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) – Vice-Chair – Paulo Rangel
– Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats – Vice-Chair – Eric Andrieu
– Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats – Vice-Chair – Marek Belka
– Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats – Vice-Chair – Simona Bonafè
– Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats – Vice-Chair – Biljana Borzan
– Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats – Vice-Chair – Ismail Bertug
– Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats – Vice-Chair – Heléne Fritzon
– Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats – Vice-Chair – Pedro Marques
– Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats – Vice-Chair – Kati Piri
– Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats – Vice-Chair – Rovana Plumb
– Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats – Treasurer – Eero Hinäluoma
– Renew Europe Group – President – Dacian Ciolos
– Renew Europe Group – First Vice-President – Malik Azmani
– Renew Europe Group – Vice-President – Iskra Mihaylova
– Renew Europe Group – Vice-President – Katalin Cseh
– Renew Europe Group – Vice-President – Frédérique Ries
– Renew Europe Group – Vice-President – Morten Lokkegaard
– Renew Europe Group – Vice-President – Dominique Riquet
– Renew Europe Group – Vice-President – Michal Simecka
– Renew Europe Group – Vice-President – Sylvie Brunet
– Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance – President – Ska Keller
– Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance – Vice-Chair – Philippe Lamberts
– Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance – Vice-Chair – Alice Bahn
– Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance – Vice-Chair – Gwendoline Delbos-Corfield
– Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance – Vice-Chair – Bas Eickhout
– Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance – Vice-Chair – Heidi Hautala
– Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance – Vice-Chair – Marcel Kolaja
– Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance – Vice-Chair – Kira Peter-Hansen
– Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance – Vice-Chair – Terry Reintke
– Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance – Vice-Chair – Ernest Urtasun
– Identity and Democracy Group – President – Marco Zanni
– Identity and Democracy Group – Vice-Chair- Nicolas Bay
– Identity and Democracy Group – Vice-Chair- Jörg Meuthen
– European Conservatives and Reformists Group – Co-Chairman – Raffaele Fitto
– European Conservatives and Reformists Group – Vice-Chair- Roberts Zile
– European Conservatives and Reformists Group – Vice-Chair- Assita Kanko
– European Conservatives and Reformists Group – Vice-Chair- Derk Jan Eppink
– European Conservatives and Reformists Group – Vice-Chair- Beata Szydlo
– European Conservatives and Reformists Group – Co-Treasurer- Kosma Zolotowski
– European Conservatives and Reformists Group – Co-Treasurer- Angel Dzhambazki
– Confederal Group of the European United Left – Nordic Green Left – Co-President – Manon Aubry
– Confederal Group of the European United Left – Nordic Green Left – Vice-President – Joao Ferreira
– Confederal Group of the European United Left – Nordic Green Left – Vice-President- Marisa Matias
