Speaker: Manfred WEBER (Germany — Christlich-Soziale Union in Bayern e.V.)
Political group: Group of the European People's Party (Christian Democrats)
Date: 2023-11-22
Debate: Threat to rule of law as a consequence of the governmental agreement in Spain (debate)

  Manfred Weber,  on behalf of the PPE Group. – Madam President, Commissioner, Mr Secretary, dear colleagues, I start with a quote: ‘The General Council of the Judiciary expresses its intense concern and desolation at the degradation, if not abolition, of the rule of law in Spain’. The General Council of the Judiciary a few days ago published this. Civil society in Spain is asking for mass demonstrations, hundreds of thousands are participating. The pictures on Sunday were very impressive.
And first of all, I have to say that here in this House, Socialists, Greens and The Left were not even ready to allow a debate, a simple debate about what’s happening in Spain in this moment of time. I have to say, the Socialists and the Left lost all credibility to defend the rule of law on the European level with such behaviour. The Left is silent in this House, but Europe is not. That’s why I add another quote of a socialist, of Felipe González – a socialist, a statesman who brought Spain into Europe. I quote: ‘This amnesty destroys society. It is not part of the Constitution. It can put an end to the Constitution’.
This is not a party issue. It’s about the rule of law. When corruption, violence and even terrorism goes unpunished, it breaks the rule of law. When people in Spain are no longer equal before the law, it breaks the rule of law. When misuse of public funds are not sanctions anymore, it breaks the rule of law. When people who are on the payroll of Vladimir Putin and do not respect the Constitution of Spain have the Spanish Government in their hand, it breaks the rule of law. And when there is a coalition text signed by the party leader, Sánchez, asking for a special committee of the parliament to check judgments of independent courts, then it’s fundamentally breaking the rule of law, dear friends.
Commissioner Reynders, the people in Spain are expecting a Europe that protects the rule of law. You have to give an answer to all the European flags among the demonstrators in Madrid. Sánchez is elected – no doubt about this. He will come to Strasbourg in December. He is Prime Minister. We respect the majority voted for him.
But the problem is you cannot promise not to do an amnesty until three days before the elections, and then you do it. You cannot be in power for five years saying to the people that an amnesty is not constitutional, and then you do it. That’s not acceptable. And as a Bavarian, let me also say that we have nowhere else in Europe with so many regional rights than in Catalonia, not even in Bavaria or in South Tyrol. So please stop separatism. We need more unity in Spain and we need more unity in Europe, dear friends.
There was an alternative, and that was the alternative showed by Alberto Núñez Feijóo. Whereas Alberto tried to negotiate with Sánchez until the end to keep Spain in the centre, to form a government of national unity, Sánchez chose the votes of separatists. Whereas Alberto wants to bring the country together, Sánchez prioritised his personal egoism, chose to split Spain, stays from now on in the hand of extremists and risks a new referendum in Catalonia.
Colleagues, the Spanish people have a Spanish and a European flag in their hand. Why? Because they believe that Europe is for freedom, democracy and the rule of law, and the EPP will never give up on defending these principles. Pavel defeated Babiš in the Czech Republic. Tusk defeated Kaczyński in Poland. In Portugal, our friends will defeat the corrupt socialist government and Luís Montenegro will become Prime Minister.
And in Spain, Feijóo will finally defeat Sánchez. Sooner or later, Feijóo will be the next Prime Minister of Spain, whether you like it or not. History is on his side. The rule of law always wins at the end. And while Sánchez will go down in history as the man who broke the rule of law, Feijóo will be remembered as a Prime Minister who stood for the future of Spain and saved the rule of law in Spain.