The position of Spanish MEPs in a vote on Ukraine in the Eupean Union

This Thursday, once again, the European Parliament voted against Russian attacks on the civilian population of Ukraine.

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The text approved yesterday had 446 votes in favor, 63 against and 52 abstentions. In addition to reiterating its condemnation of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine and demanding a halt to Russian attacks against civilians, the adopted text supports "the establishment and rapid bringing into operation of the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine and encourages all EU Member States to join it."

The text also denounces that "the Russian state and its predecessor, the Soviet Union, have never been held to account for their crimes, including the Katyn Massacre – the historical truth of which Moscow is once again seeking to distort in direct contradiction to established evidence and its own prior admissions – and the mass deportation of entire nations to Siberia, thereby entrenching a culture of impunity that was continued with the war crimes committed during the First and Second Chechen Wars, through the Russian aggression against Georgia in 2008, through its military intervention in Syria, and, since 2014, in Ukraine, and that continues to enable further atrocities."

The voting results can be viewed here (PDF, page 122). The website howtheyvote.eu has analyzed the results to make them more easily understandable. This has been the position of the Spanish MEPs:

• Popular Party (PP): in favor. Carmen Crespo, Rosa Estarás, Alma Ezcurra, Esther Herranz and Juan Ignacio Zoido did not vote.
• Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE): in favor. Laura Ballarín, Hana Jalloul and Cristina Maestre did not vote.
• Vox: Mireia Borrás, Jorge Buxadé, and Jorge Martín Frías abstained. Margarita de la Pisa voted in favor. Hermann Tertsch and Juan Carlos Girauta did not vote.
• Podemos: Against. Irene Montero and Isa Serra cast the only two Spanish votes against this resolution.
• Sumar: Vicent Marzá voted in favor, Estrella Galán abstained, and Jaume Asens did not vote.
• Se Acabó la Fiesta (SALF): Its only MEP, Alvise Pérez, did not vote.
• Nora Junco y Diego Solier (ECR, former SALF): in favor.
• Basque Nationalist Party (PNV): in favor.
• Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC): in favor.
• EH Bildu: abstention.
• Galician Nationalist Bloc (BNG): Ana Miranda did not vote.

Regarding the parliamentary groups, these have been their positions:

• European People's Party (EPP): 130 in favor, 55 did not vote.
• Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D): 106 in favor, 29 did not vote.
• Patriots for Europe (PfE): 32 in favor, 7 against, 29 abstentions, 17 did not vote.
• European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR): 58 in favor, 2 against, 4 abstentions, 17 did not vote.
• Renew Europe: 64 in favor, 10 did not vote.
• Greens / European Free Alliance: 43 in favor, 10 did not vote.
• The Left / European United Left: 7 in favor, 13 against, 15 abstentions, 11 did not vote.
• Europe of Sovereign Nations (ESN): 2 in favor, 20 against, 2 abstentions, 3 did not vote.
• Non-attached MEPs: 2 in favor, 20 against, 2 abstentions, 3 did not vote.

It is striking to note that the results of these votes rarely reach the Spanish media. This prevents MEPs and their groups from having to explain their votes or absences to their constituents. It is high time this was shed light on.