That the European Parliament do the work that, in the words of the ERC, Junts and the CUP, the Spanish authorities do not seem to be willing to do about spying with Pegasus on independentistas. That “put light” on the Catalangate. This has been the main demand in the meeting this Monday in Madrid of the three formations to the European mission that investigates the use of this software in Spain.
To this consideration is added another that worries the independence movement. As much as in May 2022 the National Intelligence Center (CNI) itself recognized in Congress the espionage of 18 independentistas, with names and surnames, the deputies of ERC, Junts and the CUP have had to face, during their appearance before the Pegasus commission of the European Parliament, to the doubts of the representative of the PSC, Òscar Aparicio, and of the PP, Juan Ignacio Zoido, that such espionage existed. They have also questioned the validity of the report by the Canadian Citizen Lab and the impartiality of the organization, which discovered the intrusions in some sixty devices.
This fact has surprised so much that even the rapporteur for the European mission, the liberal Sophie In ‘t Veld, has recalled that said report also includes spying on personalities outside the independence movement.
In any case, the hour and a half meeting between the European mission and the representatives of the Catalan Chamber took place at the headquarters of the European Parliament in Madrid. Among the first were ERC, Junts, the CUP and En Comú Podem. The independentistas have asked the MEPs of the commission of inquiry to “put light” on Catalangate, since, according to what they say, the Spanish authorities have no intention of clarifying the case.
Along the same lines, they have demanded that they “take note of the boycott” of Moncloa, since in their opinion they have tried to prevent and dilute the European mission.
These petitions are based, according to the independentistas, because of the claim of the European Parliament investigation commission to meet with the Prime Minister, ministers, judges of the Supreme Court or directors of the CNI, nothing has remained. The visit coincided with the fact that in Madrid this Monday is a public holiday and with Vox’s motion of no confidence the following day, and the independence movement sees the intention of the Spanish government to make these dates coincide with the mission.
In addition, they reproach that the agenda for both days in Madrid is diluted. Only the Secretary of State for European Affairs, Pascual Navarro, or the Director of Security and Justice of the Ombudsman, Andrés Jiménez, will meet with the nine European deputies of the commission of inquiry. The rest of the meetings are with three journalists, members of the Parliament of Catalonia, three victims of the Catalangate –Pere Aragonès, Meritxell Serret and Ernest Maragall–, the Congress Defense Commission and three representatives of human rights associations.
Marta Vilata (ERC), Josep Rius (JxCat) and Montserrat Vinyets (CUP) came out at a press conference after the meeting to denounce it. For its part, the Government admits the low profile of its appearing parties, but justifies that the case is no longer political, because it is in the judicial sphere in the National Court, after presenting a complaint Pedro Sánchez, Fernando Grande-Marlaska and Margarita Robles, also spied on with Israeli software.
Be that as it may, Vilalta, Rius and Vinyets have expressed their satisfaction with the meeting with the European mission, assuring that they will not cease their efforts to denounce espionage. Junts has also announced that he will lobby during the presidency of Pedro Sánchez in the European Commission, starting in June.
