The European Parliament reaches an agreement in principle to send a mission to Spain for espionage with Pegasus

The MEPs had decided to travel to Poland, Israel and Hungary for espionage with Pegasus. But this Tuesday they have decided to expand by consensus the missions to Spain and the US. This has been agreed, pending "formalization", according to sources consulted by elDiario.es, the coordinators of the investigation commission of the European Parliament, after the mission to Spain had not been until now among the main priorities for popular and European socialists.

The proposals that had been pending (USA, Spain, Greece, United Kingdom and Cyprus) were debated again this Tuesday between the coordinators, and most of the groups have approved by consensus to include the USA and Spain, something they have been asking for since principle groups like Greens, Renew (liberals) or The Left.

In the first list of the popular ones, Spain did not appear as the main priority –it was in fifth place–, nor in that of the socialists –they opted for Hungary, Poland and Israel without mentioning Spain–.

That yes, socialist sources maintained before the meeting on Tuesday: “The number of missions has not yet been decided nor which ones are going to be carried out. We must see among all which we understand are the most necessary for the purpose of the commission. What I can say is that we are not going to veto a Spain mission”.

Opposed to the missions are the majority of the ultra-conservative MEPs (ECR), in whose group is Vox, whose spokesman, Jorge Buxadé, told the independentists on Wednesday: "Little have they spied on them." A phrase that his deputy Macarena Olona had already said in Congress when the scandal broke out. Members of PiS, the Polish ruling party, accused of spying on the opposition and journalists, are also opposed.

The missions can only be carried out in certain weeks of the parliamentary calendar –they cannot be in plenary, mini-plenum or committee weeks, for example–, so there cannot be an infinite number: they must be weeks reserved for external activities and from here in summer there are only two: the one on May 23 (a bit rushed) and the third one in July.

The initial duration of the commission of inquiry is 12 months. The work plans are usually by semesters, so they could propose three missions for the second half of 2022 and then ask for a second package for the first half of 2023 (although their mandate ends in principle in April, it can be renewed for up to six more months). ).

In any case, for the commission's missions outside the three places of work –Brussels, Strasbourg and Luxembourg–, the Conference of Presidents –which brings together the leaders of the European Parliament groups together with the president, Roberta Metsola–, issues an opinion, which will be followed by a final decision by the Bureau of the European Parliament. Proposals are normally presented twice a year, but it is possible to present them at any time if the groups see it necessary.

In parallel, examinations of mobile phones of MEPs continue to be carried out by the European Parliament, after President Roberta Metsola launched "a new service to check mobile phones and find out if they have the Pegasus espionage system installed". So far, a hundred telephones have been examined, without it having transpired that any of them have been spied on.

Among the reviewed mobiles, there are Spaniards from various political groups.