A parliamentary group in the Senate is promoting a legal report to determine whether the repeated absences of government members at control sessions can lead to individual responsibilities. In the last two sessions, 11 and 13 ministers were absent, including those from Foreign Affairs, Ecological Transition, and Territorial Policy. The initiative seeks to explore parliamentary and judicial avenues in response to what they consider a breach of the Upper House's oversight function. The PSOE argues that the absences were due to managing a health crisis and denies any irregularities.
Remote control technology that could solve attendance 🖥️
Although Senate regulations do not allow virtual attendance for ministers, secure videoconferencing systems and biometric signatures could enable their remote participation. Platforms like Webex or Teams, used during the pandemic, allow real-time interventions with identity verification through facial recognition. However, the legal obstacle is clear: Article 87 of the Regulations requires in-person attendance for parliamentary oversight. A technical modification would require changing the rule, something not on the Senate Board's agenda.
Absent ministers: the new risky parliamentary sport 🏅
If the absence of 13 ministers were an Olympic competition, Spain would sweep the medals. The Foreign Affairs minister, for example, could claim they were negotiating world peace, while the Ecological Transition minister was looking for a cloud that wasn't smoke. The curious thing is that the Senate, a chamber of territorial representation, remains almost empty when it's time to be accountable. Perhaps the solution is to install a fine system for non-attendance, or at least a collective sick leave note.