Spain’s Sánchez blasts the political right in heated European Parliament standoff

In a debate intended to celebrate Spain’s achievements during its six-month rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union, Sánchez took aim at the leader of the European People’s Party, the German Christian-democrat Manfred Weber.

Weber is an outspoken critic of the controversial deal struck between Sánchez’s socialist party and Catalan separatist Junts per Catalunya party. The deal saw Junts offer seven of its votes in the Spanish parliament to make Sánchez prime minister, in exchange for an amnesty for the political leaders responsible for Catalonia’s failed attempt at secession from Spain in 2017.

Junts’ leader Carles Puigdemont, the exiled Catalan leader who organised the 2017 referendum on Catalonian independence and who will personally benefit from the amnesty, was also present at the debate in Strasbourg on Wednesday.

“It is not choosing to reunite and to overcome political dispute through politics that threatens democracy. Not at all. The real threat in Spain and in Europe is the rise of the far-right,” Sánchez said, defending his plans.

“The irresponsibility of the traditional right, which is opening the door to coalition governments (with the far-right) and taking on many of their extreme ideas: this is the real threat that hangs over the European project,” Sánchez went on.

“This reactionary duo weakens, Mr Weber, the European project,” he added.

Weber, whose political group harbours the Spanish conservative opposition, the Popular Party (PP), has consistently blasted Sánchez for flouting the rule of law and the separation of powers in Spain to absolve crimes, including embezzlement and maladministration, committed by Catalan leaders for political gains. 

He claimed Europe was “worried” about the amnesty and that the European Commission was “asking serious questions.” 

“In the coalition text you signed you promised to Puigdemont a special committee in the Spanish parliament to check judgement, a special committee on lawfare. That goes fundamentally against the rule of law, against the separation of power,” Weber said.

Spain’s justice minister Félix Bolaños claimed in late November that the EU executive had “zero concerns” about the political deal and the amnesty law. The EU’s justice chief Didier Reynders says the Commission will continue dialogue with the Spanish authorities before it issues a consolidated legal opinion on the amnesty bill and its compliance with EU law.

Weber also likened Sánchez’s actions to renowned rule of law violations under hard right governments in Poland and Hungary, for which Brussels has withheld EU cash.

“We will bring back rule of law to Poland, and we will also do the same in Spain,” Weber said, vowing to back Spain’s opposition leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo.

Sánchez accused Weber of forming uninformed opinions on Spain and dancing to the tune of the Popular party.

“I am truly happy that after twenty years in this chamber, you have started to take an interest in what happens in Spain,” Sánchez said to the jeers of the right-leaning groups in the chamber, prompting European Parliament President Roberta Metsola to call on members to “respect the dignity” of the chamber.

“But if you really wanted to help, my recommendation, Mr Weber, is that you first get to know our country and that you don’t just repeat the unfounded claims that the Spanish conservative party passes on to you,” he added.