MEPs of the PSOE, PP and Cs denounce in the Eurochamber the Russian "interference" in Spain during the procés

The socialist Nacho Sánchez justifies the need for the State to defend itself with legal means in the face of such a rude attack on its sovereignty.

BRUSELAS, 27 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) -

MEPs from the PSOE, PP, and Ciudadanos, together with experts in disinformation, have denounced this Thursday in the European Parliament the Russian "interference" in Spain during the Catalan independence process, in a session focused on the contacts of former president Carles Puigdemont's environment with people close to the Kremlin.

Within the framework of a session of the Commission on Foreign Interference of the European Parliament, the journalist of 'El Periódico de Catalunya' Jesús González Albalat and the researcher of the Institute for Statecraft in London Nicolás de Pedro have analyzed Puigdemont's contacts with Russian emissaries, supposedly close to Vladimir Putin, the day before he declared independence, now five years ago.

During the debate, from the PSOE, Nacho Sánchez Amor has insisted that Moscow's maneuvers go beyond mere disinformation since there was a "direct interference" facilitated by the "incredible" performance of Puigdemont's entourage.

"These sorcerer's apprentices opened the door to Putin's dark emissaries encouraging them to break up a country, a constitutional system and mortgage a hypothetical independent Catalonia," he defended. In this sense, the socialist has pointed out that "not even the most naive town councilor could claim that they did not know the consequences of this type of contact."

"This was not naive in any way, and justifies the need to defend democracies, and justifies the need to defend Spanish democracy with legal means in the face of such a rude attack on its sovereignty," he stated.

According to Nacho Sánchez, it was a "disproportionate desire to achieve political objectives at the cost of whatever was going out of the channels that until then the secessionists had used."

The PP MEP Javier Zarzalejos, for his part, has pointed to the Russian presence during the crisis in Catalonia with spies, contacts and widespread misinformation. "Russian interference has never reached such intensity and shamelessness as in the crisis caused by the Catalan secessionists," he said, stressing that people close to the Kremlin offered military and economic support and recognition of independence.

"Russia is still interested in supporting secessionist movements to defend the annexation of Crimea based on a right to decide. Spain is a priority for Russia," the PP representative summarized.

Maite Pagazaurtundua, from Ciudadanos, has stressed that data and studies are needed to learn the lesson, which is why she has asked that European research centers be commissioned to carry out an in-depth investigation of the ties between Catalan independence movement and Putin's environment.

In any case, he has criticized the "massive disinformation" that Russia put into circulation during the independence process with the intention of "breaking" public opinion, assuring that Moscow was seeking to generate "chaos" and "blood" in Catalonia.

The European Parliament has requested on two occasions that the investigations of Russian interference in the Catalan independence process be carried to the end, after journalistic reports that point to the presence of Russia at key moments of the crisis and the supposed military support that they offered envoys from the Kremlin in various contacts with Puigdemont's entourage.