European Socialists Denounce Vox’s “Harassment” of Zapatero
Vox Euro-MPs Face Calls for Sanctions After Shouting Match with Zapatero
Brussels, Belgium – A heated confrontation between Vox Euro-MPs and former Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero has sparked calls for disciplinary action within the European Parliament.
The incident, which occurred during a debate on gender equality, saw Vox members Jorge Buxadé and Hermann Tertsch verbally accost Zapatero, labeling him an “assassin” and “accomplice” of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.The Socialist Party (PSOE) delegation in the European Parliament has formally requested President Roberta Metsola to investigate the incident and consider sanctions against the Vox members involved.
In a letter to Metsola, PSOE leader Javier Moreno condemned the incident as “absolutely intolerable” and a direct attack on the dignity and democratic functioning of the European Parliament. He argued that the actions of Buxadé, Tertsch, and their parliamentary aides violated the institution’s code of conduct.
“I urge you to give the necessary instructions so that an investigation can be opened into what happened and all necessary measures are taken, including sanctions if appropriate, to prevent such regrettable incidents from happening again in the future,” moreno wrote.
Sources within the European Parliament confirmed that the relevant authorities are examining the incident.
Buxadé, in a post on X (formerly Twitter), defended his actions, stating that Maria Corina machado, the Venezuelan opposition leader who won the Sakharov Prize for human rights, was prevented from receiving the award in person, while Zapatero was allowed to participate in the debate.He concluded his message with “Long live Spain, long live Venezuela, and long live the freedom of nations against socialism and tyranny!”
The confrontation began with Tertsch shouting accusations at Zapatero, calling him “Maduro’s right hand man.” Security personnel intervened to separate the two, but the situation escalated when Tertsch returned with posters denouncing Zapatero’s alleged ties to the Venezuelan regime. Buxadé joined in, shouting and attempting to display the posters, despite being blocked by security personnel.
The incident drew a crowd of Socialist Euro-MPs and aides who rushed to the scene to prevent further disruption. Among them were prominent figures like Hana Jalloul,Sandra Gómez,Laura Ballarín,Marcos Ros,José Cepeda,César Luena,and Nicolás González Casares.
The incident highlights the growing tensions within the European Parliament between far-right and left-wing factions, raising concerns about the potential for further confrontations and disruptions.
Vox MEPs Face Calls for Sanctions After shouting Match wiht Zapatero
Brussels, Belgium – A heated confrontation between Vox Euro-MPs and former Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero has sparked calls for disciplinary action within the European parliament.
The incident, which occurred during a debate on gender equality, saw Vox members jorge Buxadé and Hermann Tertsch verbally accost Zapatero, labeling him an “assassin” and “accomplice” of Venezuelan President Nicolás maduro.
The Socialist party (PSOE) delegation in the European Parliament has formally requested President Roberta Metsola to investigate the incident and consider sanctions against the Vox members involved.
In a letter to Metsola, PSOE leader Javier Moreno condemned the incident as “absolutely intolerable” and a direct attack on the dignity and democratic functioning of the European Parliament. He argued that the actions of Buxadé, Tertsch, and their parliamentary aides violated the institutionS code of conduct.
“I urge you to give the necessary instructions so that an investigation can be opened into what happened and all necessary measures are taken, including sanctions if appropriate, to prevent such regrettable incidents from happening again in the future,” Moreno wrote.
Sources within the European Parliament confirmed that the relevant authorities are examining the incident.
Buxadé, in a post on X (formerly Twitter), defended his actions, stating that Maria Corina Machado, the Venezuelan opposition leader who won the Sakharov Prize for human rights, was prevented from receiving the award in person, while Zapatero was allowed to participate in the debate. He concluded his message with “Long live Spain, long live Venezuela, and long live the freedom of nations against socialism and tyranny!”
The confrontation began with Tertsch shouting accusations at Zapatero, calling him “Maduro’s right hand man.” Security personnel intervened to separate the two, but the situation escalated when Tertsch returned with posters denouncing Zapatero’s alleged ties to the Venezuelan regime. Buxadé joined in, shouting and attempting to display the posters, despite being blocked by security personnel.
The incident drew a crowd of Socialist Euro-MPs and aides who rushed to the scene to prevent further disruption. Among them were prominent figures like hana Jalloul, Sandra Gómez, Laura Ballarín, Marcos Ros, José Cepeda, César Luena, and Nicolás González Casares.
The incident highlights the growing tensions within the European Parliament between far-right and left-wing factions, raising concerns about the potential for further confrontations and disruptions.