2 weeks Ago By Martina Alcobendas
Esquerra says to the Islamophobic attacks by the leader of the Catalan Alliance, Sílvia Orriols, against the Republican MP Najat Driouech. The mayor of Ripoll often takes advantage of her speeches in Parliament to launch barbs at Driouech for her religion (she is Muslim) and to wear the headscarf. Now, the Esquerra group has submitted a document requesting that the Commission of the Statute of Deputies open a case to determine whether, with her "derogatory expressions" against Driouech, she has violated the code of conduct for Catalan parliamentarians.
In speeches before the plenary session, Orriols has even said that Driouech should be "ashamed" to wear the headscarf. and has accused her up to seven times of promoting "misogyny" or "Islamic fundamentalism." "You can't denounce discrimination against women and at the same time allow the entry of a deputy who flaunts Islamic misogyny," Orriols went so far as to say.
One of the most notorious clashes ended with the president of the Generalitat (Catalan government), Salvador Illa, entering the fray: "Deputy Najat, who is not from my party, is a million times better than you. A million times better!" he retorted. The speaker of the Parliament, Josep Rull, has also called out Sílvia Orriols on more than one occasion for how she referred to the Republican.
In its statement, consulted by ARA, Esquerra focuses on Article 7 of the Code of Conduct, which establishes that all deputies "must at all times maintain respectful conduct" toward others and a "scrupulous and exemplary attitude in accordance with the principle of equality without discrimination." It also recalls that, according to Article 233 of the Rules of Procedure, they must maintain "order and decorum" during sessions and avoid disrupting the debate. Possible sanctions Now, the Committee on the Status of Members will initiate proceedings to investigate the alleged violation of the code of conduct and will draft a report.
What punishment could the mayor of Ripoll face if it is determined that she has violated the code? There are two options: a public reprimand, or a fine that can range from €600 to €12,000. One of the most high-profile cases of the last term, the proceedings against Member of Parliament Francisco de Dalmases (Juntos) for threatening a journalist from the FAQS, , and a warning. On the other hand, when it comes to overseeing the interventions of deputies, one of the obstacles is often the inviolability that the legal system recognizes for parliamentarians.
Precisely to analyze how to confront hate speech from the chamber, SC, Esquerra, Comuns, Junts, and the CUP have agreed to create and the "social and political" response that must be given. Another file This won't be the only case the Committee on the Status of Members will consider in the coming weeks. The Vox group has also requested that the Committee on the Status of Members analyze whether Laure Vega, of the CUP (Party of the People's Party), violated the code of conduct in a speech in which she mocked the riots in Salt over the eviction of the municipality's imam.
In a plenary session, the CUP member quoted a tweet from comedian Manel Vidal about the riots: "In Catalonia, throwing stones at the Mossos d'Esquadra (Catalan police) and burning containers is a cultural phenomenon. Congratulations to the Muslim community of Salt." The PP was the first to demand that the Parliament's committee investigate whether these statements could constitute a "hate crime" against the police.
But the governing body of the chamber stopped them, reminding them that if they want a case opened, they must request it from the Committee on the Status of Members. The Popular Party hasn't done so, but they're not ruling out following the same path that has already activated Vox..
