Esquerra’s Najat Driouech: “No one has sought Vox's votes or approval for anything in this parliament; the only benefit they got from Parliament was to get the school fees paid for their parliamentary spokesperson’s children”

Esquerra Republicana, along with the parliamentary groups of the Spanish socialist PSC, centre-right Junts, leftist Comuns and radical-left CUP have again signed the anti-fascist accord they underwrote in the last legislature following the incursion of Vox in Parliament. As the five parties eventually committed in the electoral campaign, the agreement is intended to be a tool to block the passage of hate speech from the far right. “There is no good and bad far right, we cannot allow anyone to cover racism with our flag,” said Esquerra’s parliamentarian Najat Driouech at a press conference together with the other groups.

Ms Driouech believes that it is necessary to weave coalitions at various levels to prevent far-right discourse from advancing in society, and to also counter hate-speech as a political tool. Parliament must set a minimum political barrier in defence of rights and diversity. Indeed, 107 of 135 deputies have endorsed it with the presentation of the pact that was revived on Wednesday. “In the last parliament, Vox did not approve anything, no one sought their votes to push any initiative forward; the only benefit that Vox got from Parliament was to get the school fees paid for their parliamentary spokesperson’s children,” Ms Driouech he recalled, detailing how the pact has worked so far.

The re-endorsement of the anti-fascist undertaking also coincides with the reform of parliamentary procedure that is to be backed by a large majority in the coming days, and which alters the parliamentary ratios with the aim of progressing with an institutional declaration, for example. A qualified majority thus forms that is sufficient to establish a position by Parliament. Another step in this direction, expelling hate speech from the institutions, is that the parliamentary commissions established by law were formed on Wednesday, and neither Vox nor Aliança Catalana have been included in the committees regulating them during the current parliament.

Senators appointed by Parliament

In addition, the Board of Spokespersons agreed on Tuesday that the senators appointed by the Parliament should be selected applying the D’Hondt method. The method normally applied –that of the largest remainders– was opposed by Esquerra since it opened the door to a senator from the far right. That was the same argument made by Esquerra three years ago when proposing the Imperiali quota to the other groups for the first time, which also served to combat hate speech in the institutions.