MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Spanish judiciary continues to face pressure and attacks from Pedro Sánchez’s government – E-003019/2024(ASW)

In the 2022, 2023 and 2024 country chapters on the rule of law situation in Spain[1], the Commission underlined that stakeholders had raised concerns about public statements made by politicians criticising the judiciary.

In this context, the Commission recalled that, according to European standards, while courts are not immune to criticism and scrutiny, the judiciary must enjoy public confidence to be successful in view of its special role in society.

This is particularly important in relation to statements by members of the legislative and the executive branches, as all powers of the State must foster and protect the trust of the general public in constitutional institutions including the judiciary.

This is an issue not specific to Spain alone, and in the Rule of Law Report the Commission has recalled these standards in comparable situations in other Member States.

• [1] https://commission.europa.eu/document/download/abdcd1f9-681e-43be-980b-f4205c3e0556_en?filename=23_1_194017_coun_chap_spain_en.pdf, https://commission.europa.eu/document/download/62fdb34b-78d4-4d53-b9ea-67286facc01e_en?filename=23_1_52576_coun_chap_spain_en.pdf and https://commission.europa.eu/document/download/2bd09a6f-ef56-494a-8303-e0de808ee981_en?filename=23_1_58063_coun_chap_spain_en_0.pdf