Flemish MEP Mark Demesmaeker, who was yesterday threatened in the European Parliament by far-right Spanish party Vox, described the incident as "pure Francoism". The MEP has complained to the Parliament's president, Antonio Tajani, over the incident. During an event involving Vox on "Catalonia, a Spanish region", he criticised them for "denying the existing linguistic and national diversity" and their role as private prosecutors in the Catalan independence trial. He also complained about the Parliament's block of an event involving Catalan presidents Torra and Puigdemont.
On Twitter, Demesmaeker wrote: "Conference at [the European Parliament in Belgium]: VOX ultras shout, insult, interrupt, threaten me because I am defending democratic values in the House I was elected for. This is what you get [president Antonio Tajani]: I see, I hear and I smell pure Francoism... makes me sick" (emphasis ours).
Conference @EP_Belgium: VOX ultras shout, insult, interrupt, threaten me because I am defending democratic values in the House I was elected for. This is what you get @EP_President: I see, I hear and I smell pure Francoism.... makes me sick 😟https://t.co/KC6Z6exz6V via @YouTube
— Mark Demesmaeker 🎗 (@markdemesmaeker) 7 de març de 2019
Ortega Smith, who is also representing Vox as the private prosecution, threatened the Flemish deputy after the verbal exchange. Catalan public broadcaster TV3 recorded him, as can be seen below, jesting to another individual that "between us we'll hit him".