The GUE/NGL group expresses its strongest rejection of the decision taken by the Spanish Constitutional Court regarding Arnaldo Otegi's right to stand as a candidate in the upcoming elections in the Basque Autonomous Community.

President Gabi Zimmer said: “Otegi is the democratically and freely elected Secretary General of Sortu and one of the strongest supporters of the Basque Peace Process. Therefore, we defend his right to stand as a candidate for the Basque Parliament. We believe that the decision of the Spanish Court seriously undermines democracy in a member state of the European Union and puts even more obstacles to the Peace Process. It deprives Basque people from freely and democratically electing their own representatives.