The Economy Commission of the Galician Parliament held this Friday has been marked by a decision that the opposition groups describe as "unheard of" in the chamber’s trajectory and as a "democratic outrage." The reason has been the action of PP deputy Gonzalo Trenor, who was presiding over the commission and opted to interrupt the session for five minutes "until" Socialist parliamentarian Aitor Bouza "calms down."
In the middle of the debate, Trenor (PP) addressed Bouza (PSdeG) to ask him "not to dialogue" with the Popular Party deputies. The Socialist then asked him to call the PP members to order for interrupting his speech. At that moment, the president of the commission told him to "continue," to which Bouza replied that he "is continuing" and requested "protection" so that silence be demanded of the PP deputies.
At that point, Trenor stated: "Mr. Bouza, do you want us to suspend the session until you calm down?" "I am very calm, the presidency has nothing to suspend," the Socialist representative answered. Immediately afterward, the president announced: "The session is suspended for five minutes until Mr. Bouza is a little calmer," in a commission in which the accounts of the Instituto Galego de Vivenda e Solo (IGVS) were being examined.
The decision has triggered a harsh reaction from Bouza, who described what happened as "it is a shame" and denounced that "there is no regulatory protection" for this "absolute democratic anomaly." "Under what article is the session being suspended so that I calm down?" the PSdeG deputy inquired, who also criticized Trenor for then speaking off microphone, without it being recorded in the minutes.
The Socialist parliamentarian reiterated that he considers it "intolerable" for a deputy to be deprived of the floor, something he defines as "anti-democratic and censorship." After unsuccessfully requesting protection from the commission board and confirming what he describes as "absolute defenselessness," Bouza chose to leave the session. Later, he announced his intention to file a formal complaint before the Presidency of Parliament to request protection for his rights as a deputy.
Criticisms from the BNG and reference to the rules
After the incident, Alexandra Fernández (BNG) has spoken, who has denounced a "democratic outrage" on the part of the "presidency". The nationalist deputy accuses the PP of being "absolutely gone wild", "crossing all barriers" and reproaches that the opposition is "silenced".
"Do they have any democratic principle left?", the Bloque representative asked, warning that the Populars "are ruining the institutions". In her view, "they cannot do whatever they want", and she considers it "inadmissible" that a deputy's speaking time is cut off without explaining "based on which article" that measure is adopted. In response to these criticisms, Gonzalo Trenor limited himself to alluding to "article 104".
Along these lines, Alexandra Fernández maintains that the PP intends to "curb the word" of the opposition groups through "maneuvers" that, according to her complaint, seek to prevent housing from being debated in the Galician Parliament.