The Minister of Territorial Policy and Democratic Memory, Ángel Víctor Torres, has urged the Popular Party to act now to change the so-called “concord laws” in three regions where it governs with Vox, which UN rapporteurs warn violate human rights. Speaking from the former concentration camp of Mauthausen in Austria, Torres called on the leader of the Popular Party, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, to clarify whether he stands with the UN regarding the criticisms of the laws that replace those of Democratic Memory. He emphasized the need for the “concord law” already approved in Aragon to be urgently modified and for the other two in process (Valencian Community and Castilla y León) to comply with UN requests to respect human rights, international law, and not invisibilize the victims of Francoism.
The Minister of Democratic Memory highlighted that the Government will activate Article 33.2 of the Organic Law of the Constitutional Court, a mechanism that calls for bilateral dialogue between both administrations to modify the text in line with UN rapporteurs’ recommendations. He warned that if the Government of Aragon refuses to engage or cooperate, the next step would be to take the case to the Constitutional Court. Torres believes that Feijóo should reprimand the regional presidents of these communities, who are paying a high price for their agreements with Vox, as the modifications are perceived as denialist of historical events during the Spanish Civil War and Franco’s dictatorship by the Government and the UN rapporteurs.
The minister, accompanied by the Minister of Social Rights, Pablo Bustinduy, criticized the President of Castilla y León, Alfonso Fernández Mañueco, for going against his own previous actions. Torres pointed out that he initially signed a decree without Vox and is now modifying it at the demand of his government partners. While expressing his lack of trust in the far-right party of Santiago Abascal, Torres opened the door to dialogue with the Popular Party, emphasizing the importance of recovering a dialogue between socialists and populists to prevent such events from happening again. He stressed that there is no place in Spain for combining democracy with dictatorship.
The Minister’s statements were made during a tribute to the victims of Nazi far-right ideologies at the Mauthausen concentration camp in Austria, where he condemned the actions of the regional leaders aligning with Vox and urged them to comply with international human rights standards. The UN rapporteurs have expressed concerns over the violation of human rights in the laws being enacted in Aragon, Valencian Community, and Castilla y León. Torres called on Feijóo to take a stand against these laws and emphasized the importance of respecting the memory of the victims of Francoism. He highlighted the need for dialogue and cooperation to address these issues and prevent them from happening again.
