Esquerra, with Basque EH Bildu and PNB, Galicia’s BNG, cross-regional Esquerra Confederal and Spanish socialist PSOE ask the bureau of the upper house to revoke the OK for far-right Political Network for Values to use premises

Esquerra Republicana, together with EH Bildu, PNB, Esquerra Confederal and PSOE, announced motions in the Senate for debate and approval by the Equality Commission of the upper house urging the far-right anti-abortion summit organized by Political Network for Values to be prevented. The parties introducing the motions also request modification of the guidelines for the use of the Senate rooms so that criteria respecting plurality and freedom of expression are established preventing promotion of regression of rights or their encroachment, as well as acts contrary to current legislation.

After learning that the Bureau of the Senate had authorized at its 17 July meeting, through a People’s Party majority, the use of a room of the upper house for the VI Transatlantic Summit, several Senate groups asked the bureau to reconsider the agreement and to revoke the authorization. All of these parties pointed out that the event was to be held by the Political Values ​​Network, an organization promoting restriction of sexual and reproductive rights linked to discriminatory hate-speech. The People’s Party majority in the chamber decided not to admit these requests, maintaining the authorization.

The approval for use of the Senate facilities by this organization for its Summit means the use of public resources, placing them at the disposal of a neoconservative lobby which shares its agenda with the negationist far-right, an agenda opposing women's rights, their sexual and reproductive health and voluntary termination of pregnancy, and which finances networks harassing women attending clinics for voluntary termination of pregnancy. This harassment is illegal.

Faced with this situation, and after seeing the rejection by the People’s Party majority in the Senate Bureau, all the signatory parties have decided to introduce the motion urging the Senate body to “withdraw the authorization for the use of a room and media and resources for the VI Transatlantic Summit, organized by the Political Network for Values ​​under the title ‘For freedom and life’, furthering an ideology clashing with current legislation and promoting exclusion and regression of women's sexual and reproductive rights and ability to make free choices about their own bodies.”

Preventing these situations in the future

The parliamentary groups likewise introduced another motion for debate and approval in the Equality Commission urging the Senate Bureau to modify the guidelines for the use of the Senate rooms. Considering that it is a legislative chamber, from the point of view of respect for plurality and freedom of expression, “under no circumstances should coverage and reception be given to the holding of acts or events that promote the regression of rights and acts contrary to the legislation in force.”

Furthermore, the motions’ introducers point out that authorization for use of public premises such as the Senate shall be made following criteria pursuant to law, especially regarding compliance to and guaranteeing women’s rights and all legislation guaranteeing sexual and reproductive rights, voluntary termination of pregnancy, and protection against sexist violence. Respect should likewise be shown for regulations regarding sexual diversity and LGBTI rights, especially those of trans people, as well as equal treatment and non-discrimination.