– The Speaker of the Congress of Deputies, Meritxell Batet, and the Speaker of the Senate, Ander Gil, will preside over this Global Conference commemorating the International Day of Parliamentarism.
– Between June and December, the Cortes Generales will organize several international parliamentary meetings to be held in the seats of both Chambers.
Next June 30, His Majesty the King will open in León the Global Conference commemorating the International Day of Parliamentarism. With this event, presided over by the Speaker of the Congress of Deputies, Meritxell Batet, and the Speaker of the Senate, Ander Gil, the Cortes Generales will inaugurate the parliamentary dimension of the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union, taking place from July 1 to December 31, 2023.
Within the framework of the Spanish Presidency of the EU, the representatives of the Parliaments of the Member States shall hold in Spain a series of meetings dealing with matters such as security and defence, green transition and equality.
In particular, between June and November, the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union, within its parliamentary dimension, shall host a total of six meetings: the Global Conference to commemorate the International Day of Parliamentarism, the 15th Euro – Latin American Parliamentary Assembly (Eurolat), the meeting of Chairpersons of the Conference of Parliamentary Committees for Union Affairs (COSAC), the Inter Parliamentary Conferences on Stability, Economic Coordination and Governance and on the Common Foreign and Security Policy and the Common Security and Defence Policy (CFSP – CSDP); and the LXX COSAC Conference.
Strengthening Parliaments to enhance Democracy
The parliamentary dimension shall start off in León with the Global Conference to commemorate the International Day of Parliamentarism. Thus, on June 30, this town, declared by UNESCO as cradle of parliamentarism, shall host the first meeting under the title “Strengthening Parliaments to enhance Democracy”.
His Majesty the King will inaugurate this global conference where the “León Declaration on Parliamentarism” is to be adopted. The meeting, which will be presided over by the Speaker of the Congress of Deputies, Meritxell Batet, and the Speaker of the Senate, Ander Gil, will be divided into three working sessions.
In the first session, starting at 9:30 am, the First Vice President of the European Parliament, Othmar Karas, and the Speakers of the German Bundestag, Bärbel Bas, the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Republic, Marketa Pekarova Adamova, and of the Parliament of Malawi, Catherine Gotani Hara, will discuss parliamentary cooperation and the development of democracy.
The keynote conference entitled ‘León as cradle of parliamentarism” shall be moderated by the Speaker of the Senate, Ander Gil, and delivered by John Keane, author of The Life and Death of Democracy.
The central session, moderated by the Speaker of the Congress of Deputies, Meritxell Batet, will bring together the Speakers of the Swedish Riksdagen, Andreas Norlén; of the Portuguese Assembly, Augusto Ernesto Santos Silva; the Speaker of the Parliament of Croatia, Gordan Jandroković; and the Speaker of the National Assembly of Slovenia, Urška Klakočar Zupančič. This meeting will deal with the “defence of European values and democratic institutions faced with the new challenges and threats”. To conclude, the “León Declaration on Parliamentarism” shall be adopted.
Stability, Security and Defence
Once inaugurated the European semester, the Cortes Generales will continue holding the scheduled meetings with a view to reaching consensuses on matters of general interest. Thus, the Upper Chamber shall host, from July 24 to 27, the Euro – Latin American Parliamentary Assembly (EUROLAT).
On the other hand, on September 17 and 18, the Senate shall likewise hold the meeting of Chairpersons of the Conference of Parliamentary Committees for Union Affairs (COSAC) and on October 26 and 27, it will host the Inter Parliamentary Conference on Stability, Economic Coordination and Governance of the European Union.
From October 1 to 3, the Congress of Deputies shall bring together parliamentary representatives of the Member States at the Inter Parliamentary Conference for the Common Foreign and Security Policy and the Common Security and Defence Policy (CFSP – CSDP); and, from November 26 to 28, the Lower Chamber shall hold the LXX COSAC Conference.
The EU Member States take over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union on a rotatory basis and for a period of six months. Since it joined the then European Communities in 1986, Spain has held this Presidency on four occasions: 1989, 1995, 2002 and 2010.