Congress will abide by the TC's decision, but Batet expresses his "concern" about an unprecedented decision

He defends the actions of the Chamber and its autonomy and recalls that the Constitution guarantees the exercise of its functions "without interference"

The president of Congress, Meritxell Batet, has announced this Monday that the Chamber will abide by the decision of the Constitutional Court to paralyze the processing of the amendments for the renewal of the guarantee body itself that is now being processed in the Senate, but has defended the action of Congress during the same, has advanced that it will ask to be "heard" in the procedure to defend "parliamentary autonomy and the functions of the legislature" and has shown its "concern" for this "unprecedented" fact.

This is how Batet has pronounced himself through an institutional declaration read in Congress in which he has remarked that he has not yet received formal notification of a decision of the TC towards which he has shown his "respect".

Of course, he has remarked that the suspension of a legislative process lacks "precedents" in Spanish democracy and has shown his "deep concern" about the effects that this may have on the "functioning of the legislature", since "it makes it possible for " the interruption of the legislative power is within the reach of a single deputy with the filing of an appeal for amparo".

In addition, he has pointed out that the resolution of the TC on the very precautionary measures requested by the Popular Group occurs "in a context of blockade" of the institutions "and of frustration of the constitutional mandate to renew them", a scenario that has warned " entails the danger of a potential delegitimization of the democratic system".

The president stressed that Congress "conducts its operation based on loyalty to all the powers of the State and trust in all its institutions" and "is always guided by loyal compliance with the Regulations and the Constitution."

"The Congress of Deputies, in order to exercise its powers, interprets the Constitution and frames its action in its possible sense, although in our constitutional system the last word rests with the Constitutional Court," added Batet.

He then stressed that the TC's decision has the effect of "suspending a legislative procedure in progress, a fact that is unprecedented in the history of constitutional jurisdiction."

ONLY ONE REPRESENTATIVE CAN STOP A LAW

"With the decision known today, it is possible for the interruption of the exercise of legislative power to be within the reach of a single deputy when filing an appeal for amparo. This change in the way of proceeding followed to date produces deep concern, from the point of view of view of the proper functioning of the legislative power and the exercise of its constitutional powers", Batet has warned.

And it has abounded: "In the framework of the understandings on the relations between the Cortes Generales and the Constitutional Court in the last forty years, the possibility of a suspensive action of the exercise of a basic constitutional function in a democracy had not been experienced or contemplated as is the parliamentary debate and the legislative power, recognized in article 66 of the Constitution".

In this context, it has highlighted that the "Supreme Norm", through different provisions, "guarantees and preserves the process of free formation of the will of the legislative bodies through debate, deliberation and voting. Without interference" and that this "is a principle that has always governed, until now, the coexistence of our model of constitutional justice with the exercise of popular sovereignty through the functions attributed to the Cortes Generales".

At this point, Batet has remarked that "the action of the Congress of Deputies can only be one: that of compliance with the decision of the Constitutional Court." Although he has said that he hopes that "as soon as possible" the Chamber hopes to be "heard" and to be able to present before the TC his "arguments to defend parliamentary autonomy and the functions of the legislative power."