Penal measures against Parliament

As if she were reading a police affidavit, giving the defendant' full names, Spain's acting deputy PM, Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría today called for criminal proceedings on behalf of the State against the Catalan Parliament and for the first time named those who should be subject to proceedings. The list is part of the documentation that the state cabinet has submitted to the Constitutional Court (TC) to annul parliament's vote on the conclusions of the July 27 constituent commission and the officials of the parliament who made the vote possible.

In order to conceal the political nature of the move, the acting deputy PM cited house speaker Carme Forcadell for the “crime” of permitting the vote to be taken. Sáenz de Santamaría also mentioned house committee secretary Pere Sol and President of the Generalitat Carles Puigdemont.

The state attorney's office yesterday advised the government that the parliament had defied a previous ruling from the TC in permitting the vote.

At present the magistrates of the TC are on holiday and will be forced by the government's urgency to interrupt their vacations to return to Madrid where they will meet on Monday to discuss the issue.

Among its requests, the Rajoy government urged the high court to “suspend” and declare “null and void” the resolution 263/11 of July 27 and to act against Forcadell and other officers that were expressly prohibited to discuss or vote on any issue relevant to a series of items included in the initial ruling.

Penalties that could be imposed include disqualification from public office, as well as fines which range from €3,000 to €30,000. Sáez de Santamaría has asked the TC to investigate whether the vote warrants criminal proceedings.