The Socialist Parliamentary Group has registered in the Congress of Deputies the request for the creation of a subcommittee with the aim of advancing the elaboration of a Basic legal statute for disappeared persons without apparent cause. The initiative seeks to open a parliamentary working space that allows for a comprehensive approach to the situation of this group and, especially, that of their families.
According to the socialist spokesperson for the Interior, David Serrada, the proposal responds to a sustained demand over time from associations of families of the disappeared, with whom the PSOE claims to have maintained continuous contact. It is not the first time that the socialists have brought this matter to the Lower House, but on this occasion they are committed to articulating a specific framework through a subcommittee that allows for gathering opinions and moving towards a legislative solution: “The objective of the subcommittee is to obtain plural opinions, generate debate, and decide what steps to take in Congress".
The intention is to provide them with a “solid” legal framework that responds to their needs in different areas, from the legal to the social or welfare.
From the Socialist Group, they underline that the initiative aims to go beyond diagnosis and move towards concrete measures. In this regard, Serrada has insisted on the need to “continue listening” to the group and to work on proposals that allow for the articulation of a more effective institutional response to a reality that affects thousands of families in Spain.
The creation of the subcommittee, in any case, must have the support of the Chamber, in a parliamentary context marked by fragmentation and the need to reach broad consensuses to move forward with this type of initiative. The challenge will be, precisely, to translate that willingness to agree into effective legislative changes that cover a complex problem with a strong social impact.