Thirty MEPs sign joint letter denouncing Spanish Defence Minister’s threats

Thirty MEPs from fourteen countries and representing different parliamentary groups, among whom are the chairmen of the conservative group and of the Greens, Syed Kamall and Philippe Lamberts, respectively, have signed a joint letter denouncing the statements made this week by Spanish Defence Minister Pedro Morenés, in which he alluded to a possible military intervention in Catalonia if the law is not respected. The MEPs warned that, in Europe, there is no place for this kind of threat, which they said is out of step with the EU’s democratic values ​​and principles.

This is the text of the letter:

‘Dear Mr Morenés, Spanish Minister of Defense,

We have seen with great preoccupation your statement regarding the intervention of the army in Catalonia. We know that in the first place you refused that this should be a possibility, but we see as deeply worring the fact that you conditioned the non-intervention to the fact ‘that everyone complies with its duty’ in a not-very-subtile reference to Catalan politicians.

We are conscious of the importance of the Catalan election for the future of Spain, but at the same time we believe that democratic challenges should be always answered with more democracy and never with the thinly veiled threat of violence.

This is why we call you to rectify your statement to make clear to all Europeans that the Spanish government will not make resort to the army or the police to attack a political movement that so far has proved to be civic, peaceful and democratic at all times.

We would also like to hear from (you?) and your government that whatever the result on the election of the Catalan election on 27th September you’ll respect and will not oppose the democratic will of the Catalan people. That would be the best and most European response.’

31 eurodiputats de 14 països signen una carta al ministre de defensa espanyol: rectifiqui les amenaces a Catalunya pic.twitter.com/vanMLjeAeg

— Ramon Tremosa (@ramontremosa) September 9, 2015

Parliamentary question addressed to the Commission

Meanwhile, MEPs Josep-Maria Terricabras (ERC), Ramon Tremosa (CDC), and Ernest Maragall (MES) have filed a parliamentary question before the European Commission with regards to Morenés’s statements. Morenés said that ‘if everyone fulfils their duty’ there will be no military intervention in Catalonia. In the question, the MEPs contend that Morenés’s remarks, which come three weeks before the Catalan parliamentary elections on 27 September, ‘are a veiled threat to the democratic will of the Catalan people’. Parliamentary questions are tools that can be used by members of Parliament to seek information or to press for action.