Dra. Teresa Freixes
Teresa Freixes, Jean Monnet Chair ad personam, President of the international organization Citizens pro Europe, Vice-President of the civic platform Sociedad Civil Catalana, and Full Member and Vice-President of the Governing Board of the Royal European Academy of Doctors (READ), reflects on current Spanish and international political affairs in the articles “Long Live Cartagena,” “Puigdemont’s Immunity, the European Parliament and the CJEU,” and “Whitewashing,” published throughout December and early February in the specialized platform Artículo 14 and the digital newspaper The Objective.
In “Long Live Cartagena,” the expert compares what she considers a process of weakening institutions and the rule of law in Spain with nineteenth-century cantonalism. “We continue fragmenting public administration and transferring non-delegable powers to autonomous communities that increasingly resemble the constituent entities of a confederation, misleading citizens by presenting this as a progressive federal arrangement. Nothing could be further from the truth, since federalism is based on cooperation and collaboration, not on centrifugal transfers of power which, even in exceptional circumstances such as severe weather events or wildfires, have failed to receive the necessary attention from those who alone possess the capacity to respond effectively. ‘If they need something, let them ask for it’ appears to be the prevailing motto among those responsible for public policies that cannot be left to administrations lacking the capacity to address them independently,” she argues.
In “Puigdemont’s Immunity, the European Parliament and the CJEU,” the READ Vice-President analyzes the recent ruling of the Court of Justice of the European Union, which annulled the European Parliament’s decision to lift parliamentary immunity from Carles Puigdemont, Toni Comín, and Clara Ponsatí, noting that the decision has no practical effect since none of the three currently holds the status of Member of the European Parliament. “The ruling was not based on the substance of the case but on a procedural issue concerning guarantees, as the rapporteur appointed by the European Parliament belonged to the same political group as the party that had initiated the request, which allowed doubts to be raised regarding impartiality,” she explains.
Finally, in “Whitewashing,” the academic criticizes what she describes as a climate of impunity, arguing that the Government of Pedro Sánchez has enabled narratives suggesting that ETA should cease to be considered a terrorist organization. “One thing is a policy aimed at eradicating terrorism, and another is entering into the political dynamics of the successors of a terrorist organization in order to obtain concessions and to whitewash criminal acts, even to the point of proposing that ETA be removed from the European list of terrorist organizations. That such a proposal may come from Bildu may be understandable, although it should not be if the party truly identified with democratic values within the framework of the rule of law and respect for human rights. That it might be accepted by the Government and brought before the Council of Europe would not only be reprehensible but would reveal ulterior motives, as with many recent political agreements aimed at maintaining the Government in power, irrespective of the principles required by European regulations,” she concludes.
