The European Parliament (EP) has endorsed an amendment condemning the Spanish government’s proposed amnesty law in a move that marks the first time the EP voted with Spain’s right-wing VOX party and the Patriots for Europe (PfE) group.
The amendment, spearheaded by PfE MEPs Jorge Buxadé, Juan Carlos Girauta, and Mireia Borrás, was adopted in a tight but historic vote. The amendment states that the Parliament “deplores the attacks on the rule of law and the separation of powers perpetrated by the Spanish government.”
The result signals a departure from the Parliament’s previous stance on Spain and openly criticizes the government’s direction under Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. The Sánchez administration’s push for an amnesty law has led to a surge in citizen petitions signaling widespread concern about the government’s policies.
“This move is unprecedented,” said one Parliament observer, noting that the amendment does more than voice discontent—it delivers a clear condemnation of what the authors describe as an “authoritarian drift.”
MEP Jorge Buxadé celebrated the vote on social media: “The European Parliament approves a report condemning Sánchez and the separatists’ Amnesty Law, breaking the cordon sanitaire around VOX.” The result means a significant political victory for VOX and its allies, who have long been excluded from parliamentary coalitions by larger political groups.
