European Parliament President Roberta Mezzola announced this Wednesday the start of a new procedure. withdraw parliamentary privileges to Spanish congressman Luis Perez, known as Alvise, leader of the ultra group Se Acabo La Fiesta (SALF). The decision, a parliamentary source confirmed, was in response to a request from Spain’s Supreme Court, which is investigating the politician for allegedly illegally financing electoral groups. country.
The announcement was made at the beginning of a plenary session of the European Parliament in Brussels this week. Mezzola, who will head the agency since 2022, has not publicly disclosed the exact reason for the request, limiting himself to saying that he has received a new formal request from the Spanish judiciary. However, various sources suggest that the incident is related to the investigation. Suspected of receiving 100,000 euros The move was made by a businessman to finance SALF’s campaign in the European elections last June.
This new file is in addition to the first one started at the end of October, when the President of Malta began proceedings in a separate case initiated by the Supreme Court. That first request is currently European Parliament Committee on Legal Affairsthe agency responsible for evaluating requests to lift immunity for members of Congress.
Internal sources say the committee has accumulated several similar requests, but at a slow pace. In Alvise’s case, the initial process has only just begun. A rapporteur who is one of the European Parliament members of the Commission has already been appointed and will be responsible for analyzing the documents sent by the Spanish authorities and, if deemed appropriate, Request additional information or an appearance From Perez himself.
Regulations of the European Parliament provide that the Member States concerned have the right to be heard and to submit evidence and arguments in their own defence. This process takes place in an environment with maximum discretion, with the reporter deliberating and making a final report. held behind closed doorsaiming to avoid leaks that could affect the final decision. Once the analysis is complete, the Commission will make a recommendation to the European Parliament plenary, which will vote by a simple majority to revoke or maintain the immunity.
In practice, this process can take several months, depending on the complexity of the case and the committee’s schedule. Only after the plenary approves the termination can national judicial authorities continue investigations and proceedings against MEPs.
The Supreme Court is currently 4 steps Unlike Luis Perez. Each bill requires a separate request to the European Parliament, as set out in the Parliament’s internal regulations. Applications are generally processed in the order they are received.
The first request was made by the High Court’s Criminal Court in July last year, seeking permission to investigate Alvise. Suspicion of harassment on social networks against Susana Gisbert, a hate crimes prosecutor in Valencia. A second request was added to the case in October. Suspicion of fraudulent financing to SALFthis was the motivation for Mezzola’s announcement in the plenary session this Wednesday.
In addition to these two investigations, the Supreme Court has directed other proceedings for the following criminal charges: Exposure of secrets and harassment of two former colleagues Candidates Diego Solier and Nora Junco parted ways with the party leader in May 2024 after accusing them of attempts at “defamation, extortion and intimidation.” Both MPs have since joined the European Conservative and Reformist (ECR) group, which is linked to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, but Mr Alvise is not registered as any politician in parliament.
Another unresolved cause is Spreading allegations of false coronavirus tests It is said to have been made by Generalitat President and former Health Minister Salvador Ira. Legal sources say the case is still in its preliminary stages and could lead to new requests to lift immunity in the coming weeks.
About The Author
