"Spanish democracy was able to defend itself, and this is a source of calm and legitimate satisfaction", says Mariano Rajoy

Santiago Rey Fernández-Latorre Museum Foundation, Arteixo (A Coruña)

After presenting the Fernández-Latorre Prize to the jurist María Emilia Casas, the first female President of the Constitutional Court, Mariano Rajoy highlighted the "decisive importance" of this body in the development and consolidation of Spanish democracy.

The President of the Government argued that the 40 years that have passed since the Constitution was approved "have been a tremendous collective success" and that the Constitutional Court judges have made this possible as the "interpreters and guarantors" of this key piece of legislation.

In his speech at the event, held at the Santiago Rey Fernández-Latorre Museum Foundation in Arteixo (A Coruña), the President of the Government stressed that recently "this Constitution, which has symbolised and guaranteed the democratic co-existence of the Spanish people, has been subject to the most serious attack in its entire history".

In his opinion, these days "of unease and concern" are "now being left behind", thanks to the institutions, particularly the Constitutional Court and the rest of society finding a way to tackle this challenge. Mariano Rajoy underlined that Article 155 of the Constitution is being applied under conditions of normality and this is an "exceptional instrument", that is "legitimate" and "useful" in preserving legality and co-existence.

Strengthened democracy

"Spanish democracy has found a way to defend itself, which provides grounds for calm and legitimate satisfaction", said the President of the Government, who expressed his conviction that democracy will come out of the crisis caused by "the disloyalty of the secessionists" strengthened, in the same way as the Spanish democracy is more competitive and dynamic now that it has overcome the recession.

"We will be stronger, prouder of our country, more confident in our institutions and more resolute in tackling new challenges together in the future, reforming whatever is necessary to reform, whilst preserving the essential values of our co-existence: democracy, liberty, individuals rights of people, the rule of law and legal certainty", he declared.

Jurist and former President of the Constitutional Court

Mariano Rajoy described María Emilia Casas as an "outstanding jurist", as well as "independent, hard-working and tenacious", and recalled that she was the first employment law professor in a Spanish university.

During her time at the head of the Constitutional Court between 2004 and 2011, Mariano Rajoy commented that she was loyal and true to the constitutional values, "summed up in liberty, justice and harmony".

He also pointed out that she always showed a "marked sensitivity to the regions", and that the rulings she gave stood out due to their technical quality and her commitment to protecting fundamental rights.

"I know that she is particularly proud of the ruling that backed the constitutional basis of the Comprehensive Law on Gender-Based Violence, handed down during her mandate, and that this is an additional reason to congratulate her because this week we have advocated, as she did, the need to fight violence against women, a task we are all involved in", pointed out the President of the Government.

Non official translation