Thank you for your letter drawing my attention to recent declarations made by Vice-President Alejo Vidal-Quadras.
As you know, this House is fully committed to the principle of freedom of expression and therefore respects the right of all EU citizens to demonstrate peacefully.
At the outset, may I assure you that the remarks were not made by Mr Vidal-Quadras in his capacity as Vice-President of the European Parliament. They reflect a personal opinion made in a national political context.
However, it is not up to the President of the European Parliament to judge the content of declarations made by a Member and to take disciplinary measures. It is up to the voters of Catalonia to assess such a statement.
Yours sincerely,
Martin Schulz
Per altra banda, el rebombori que ha provocat dins l'Eurocambra les declaracions de Vidal-Quadras han comportat que ell mateix enviés avui una nota per correu a tots els Membres del PE, en què, a banda d'acusar-nos als qui vàrem protestar de formar part de 'partidos separatistas', es ratifica en les seves tesis. Adjunto també la carta, en format PDF.