The first vice-president of Congress, the socialist Alfonso Rodríguez Gómez de Celis, has asked for "firmness" after the episode experienced this Tuesday in the Chamber with the Vox deputy José María Sánchez García, who went up to the rostrum and confronted him. "The only thing I was thinking was where the slap was going to come from," he admitted.
Sánchez García, Vox spokesperson in the Constitutional Commission, was expelled from the Plenary after receiving three calls to order, after confronting both a lawyer from the presidential Bureau as well as Gómez de Celis himself, who at that moment was directing the session.
The parliamentarian protested from his seat during the debate of a PSOE motion about the burning of books during Francoism, alleging that the ERC deputy Jordi Salvador would have uttered serious insults to him, among them "murderer", "ignorant" and "criminal".
On "Cadena Ser", in statements collected by Europa Press, the first vice-president of Congress has expressed his "sadness" over what happened, which he considers "quite symbolic" of what is happening in Spain and "in the world with the far right".
Sánchez García and Tejero share the same ideology
The Andalusian socialist leader has detailed that the Vox deputy was demanding an intervention from the Presidency for the alleged insults from Salvador (ERC), but has recalled that those comments were not recorded by the Congress microphones, which is why they could not act.
He pointed out that he does not remember, "and the oldest people in the place don't either, that someone went up to the dais" to confront the Presidency. In his opinion, this episode evokes "another ascent to the dais, much more dramatic for Spanish democracy, but from very similar positions," in reference to the attempted coup d'état of February 23, 1981.
Subsequently, in the corridors of Congress and nuancing the differences between both events, Gómez de Celis has emphasized that its 'protagonists' share "the same ideology", focused on "disturbing democracy, confronting societies and breaking the climates of coexistence among Spaniards".
In this context, the first vice president has urged all political groups to reflect on what happened in the Plenary, which he described as "an aggression against democracy", and to stand "firm, always face to face and against the far-right."
He has also denounced that the representatives of Vox, who have the floor in the tribune whenever they request it, usually use expressions "very harsh and much more execrable" than those that Sánchez García himself reproached as directed towards him.
Possible sanction and role of the PP
Gómez de Celis has acknowledged that he is unaware if the Congress Regulations foresee any additional sanction or complementary measures to the mere expulsion of the deputy, but has advanced that the Bureau of Congress will analyze the case.
The first vice president has also wanted to thank the PP representatives on the Board, Marta González and Carmen Navarro, for trying to prevent the incident from occurring and for coming out in his defense when it happened. "There are moments in which we all must position ourselves and stand against the far-right, demanding fraternity, but with firmness," he has maintained.
At the same time, he/she has asked the 'populars' to "reflect" on the "opening of doors" that, in his/her opinion, they are carrying out towards the "far-right" in "many" regional governments. "I believe that the example of their two colleagues is a good example," he/she has stressed.