European Parliament warns Ciudadanos MEP José Ramón Bauza for harassing one of his assistants

This Wednesday, the European Parliament warned the former Balearic president together with Ciudadanos MEP and PP José Ramón Bauza for the case of alleged harassment of one of his assistants in the European Parliament, although without financial sanction or suspension of activities in the institution Yes other cases This has been done in India also.

The President of the European Parliament, who led the beginning of the plenary session in Strasbourg this Wednesday, announced the warning without sanction to Bauza before the Chamber, who has decided not to appeal.

“Based on the findings of the Advisory Committee for Harassment Complaints between Assistants and MEPs and taking into account the comments of MEPs, I have decided to impose sanctions on José Ramón Bauza as a result of his behavior towards his accredited assistant. ” Which constitutes a case of psychological harassment. The approval includes a caveat,” Metsola said.

The internal investigation was confirmed in the European Parliament following information from El Confidencial in April 2023 and following a complaint of alleged psychological harassment filed in the summer of 2022 by one of the employees of the Brussels office of an Orange MEP.

The European Parliamentary resolution with caveats, which EFE has been able to view, concludes that “the behavior described by the complainant constitutes psychological harassment”, but also states that “this is the first time that the situation of harassment has been set out in relation to “Some allegations against a deputy and against him were not proven.

Some allegations that the report takes lightly and considers scandalous are the demand for an “excessive” workload, the use of expressions it considers “threatening” or the fact that on one occasion the assistant was given contradictory instructions. According to the report, while other complaints could not be proved.

On the other hand, parliamentary sources assure that, although Bauza’s request to reopen the case after the first findings was transferred to the Committee so that more witnesses could corroborate his testimony, the Committee refused to hold more hearings. And finished the process.

During this legislature, Socialist MEP Mónica Silvana González, who has already left the PSOE delegation in the European Parliament, has been sanctioned for psychological harassment of her assistants and faces a financial fine equivalent to 10,140 euros in January 2023. (was not sanctioned) Receive a daily allowance of 338 euros for 30 days) and temporary suspension of his activity in the European Parliament for 30 days.

When this decision was taken, in early 2023, it was the highest possible sanction in case of a breach of the internal rules of the European Parliament, but since then the maximum possible fine has been doubled (to 60 days) and the penalties strengthened. Is. Institutional mechanisms to mediate dispute cases and support complainants.

On the other hand, a public warning announced in the Chamber is the mildest sanction for a breach of internal rules in the European Parliament.