The Catalan Parliament’s governing board, known as the Mesa, is handling disciplinary proceedings against Sílvia Orriols of Aliança Catalana and Joan Garriga of Vox after the Commission of the Statute of the Deputy classified their conduct as minor breaches of the chamber’s code of conduct. The rules allow a public reprimand and, for a minor breach, a fine of up to €1,200. The commission, chaired by Antoni Castellà of Junts, referred the matter to the Mesa to determine the sanctions.
The commission reviewed two incidents involving Orriols. In March, she accused ERC deputy Najat Driouech of “normalizing misogyny and Islamic fundamentalism” because Driouech wore a veil in the chamber. The exchange followed Driouech’s criticism of a social-media post by Orriols about seasonal workers from Andalusia and alleged Generalitat subsidies. Orriols declined to withdraw her remark after objections from Parliament president Josep Rull and the ERC group, prompting ERC to file a formal complaint.
Rull said the Parliament would apply its code of conduct “as often as necessary” when one deputy targeted another. He also argued that “forms are always sisters of freedom and enemies of arbitrariness,” presenting parliamentary civility as a safeguard for free expression. The chamber approved the code unanimously, and Rull has stressed that the Parliament can still use it to regulate conduct among deputies.
Garriga faced scrutiny over remarks during a May session suggesting that socialists had engaged in illegal financing and spent money on “drugs and prostitutes.” In a separate incident, Vox displayed posters reading “Companys asesino” during an October tribute to former Catalan president Lluís Companys, disrupting parliamentary activity. Other parliamentary groups, including ERC and CUP, filed complaints. The Mesa had previously issued Garriga a public reprimand over the posters. Vox sought reconsideration, but reporting on the case said the sanction remained in force.
The chamber ultimately treated the Orriols and Garriga matters as minor breaches and chose public reprimands without fines. That outcome matches the earlier reprimand issued to Garriga over the Companys posters. The disciplinary process thus distinguishes between the potential sanctions allowed by the rules and the penalties selected in these cases.
The commission also dismissed a separate complaint against Vox deputy Júlia Calvet, who had accused Social Rights Minister Mònica Martínez Bravo of leading a major corruption case. It concluded that the statement was protected by freedom of expression because it did not specifically target an individual. The ruling shows that a controversial or accusatory political statement does not automatically amount to a disciplinary breach under the code.
Castellà recommended that Parliament consider revising its internal regulations to allow more thorough examination of similar cases. The commission is also reviewing four additional cases, all involving Vox deputies, including comments by Alberto Tarradas directed at Driouech that implied possible deportation. These cases have unfolded as verbal clashes in the chamber have grown more frequent.
Article 7 of the Catalan Parliament’s code of conduct requires deputies to behave respectfully and prohibits discrimination based on gender, sexual orientation, beliefs, ideology, origin or social status. The proceedings show the institutional challenge of balancing strong political debate with respect for parliamentary standards. Their outcomes may shape how the chamber handles future complaints, while the commission’s separate decision in Calvet’s case marks the boundary it has drawn between protected political criticism and conduct targeting an individual.
