Esquerra emphasizes the “joint participation” of the pro-independence parties in helping with the mission’s enquiries “despite obstruction by Spain”

A delegation from the Parliament of Catalonia’s Pegasus Inquiry Commission met today with a mission from their peers at the European Parliament. The leader of Esquerra’s parliamentary group and of the Parliamentary Commission, Josep Maria Jové, the party’s Deputy Secretary General and spokesperson for the Parliamentary Commission, Marta Vilalta, and Jordi Orobitg, the deputy spokesperson for the parliamentary group, participated on behalf of Esquerra Republicana.

“We are here to denounce the democratic scandal of Catalangate and the violation of fundamental rights suffered by pro-independence defenders,” declared Ms Vilalta before joining the meeting. “Unjustified espionage,” added the spokeswoman, “for the simple fact we defend a political project for Catalonia in the form of a Catalan Republic.”

Esquerra’s spokeswoman also put the spotlight on the “obstruction” by Spain of the investigations into the case of massive cyberespionage against the pro-independence movement. In this regard, Ms Vilalta criticized the “manoeuvrering” by the Spanish executive “to avoid the mission” of the European Parliament, including “changes to their agenda” or with the excuse of “a motion of no-confidence,” said the spokeswoman. “The Spanish government is not cooperating in the investigation” into Catalangate, stressed Mr Jové.

Ms Vilalta referred to the refusal by the Spanish executive to appear before the mission of the European Parliament as “yet another example” of the “poor democratic capacity” of the State and the lack of willingness to prevent a case like this “ever happening again.”

In addition, the spokeswoman recalled that “not only has the Spanish government not established a Commission of Inquiry in Congress but it has now refused to participate in that of the Parliament of Catalonia.” “They have scorned the Parliament and the people of Catalonia,” said Ms Vilalta.

She further highlighted that, despite “obstruction by the State,” the pro-independence organizations have “jointly participated” in the accusation, with representation from the different political parties and certain victims of the espionage, such as Catalan parliamentarians for Junts per Catalunya Albert Batet and Josep Rius, or Mr Jové.