Spain's gag law

www.thelocal.es/20150701/the-ten-most-repressive-aspects-of-spains-new-gag-law

www.cjr.org/watchdog/under_spains_gag_law_covering_the_news_could_cost_you.php

www.nytimes.com/2015/04/23/opinion/spains-ominous-gag-law.html

www.theguardian.com/world/2015/mar/12/spain-security-law-protesters-freedom-expression

I have little doubt: At least parts of this law will crash in either their constitutional court or on the European level.

Still, this law fits into a pattern.

It's been common for politicians even in democratic, liberal countries to think of small parts of their own population as to be repressed, not to be represented. This was mostly about minorities (Catholics in Northern Ireland, Basques in Spain), criminal groups or political extremists (both far left and far right), but it feels to me as if this has changed.

It feels as if it's in fashion, Zeitgeist, for European governments to think of larger shares of their populations as to be repressed, and of everyone as a potential suspect. The mass surveillance, move towards authoritarian governance (most of all in Hungary), the repression of anti-financial sector demonstrations and the far-reaching "security" efforts at G7 and G8 meetings as well as submissiveness to "security" demands for certain visiting heads of state and certain embassies added to this perception.

It doesn't help much to nullify some of the repressive or mass surveillance laws in constitutional courts and to expose and criticize "security" overreach during multinational meetings.

The current seems to point towards more repression, more authoritarian governance - two steps towards, one step back, two steps towards, one step back ... the people lose their liberty this way if the affected societies in Europe don't begin to walk away from authoritarian tendencies for real.

The politicians don't understand what they're doing The power is in their hands, not in the hands of some caricature of an autocrat, right? Yet it doesn't matter who's in power; you're kept unfree if laws punish you for speaking out to power.

And that's where the current leads us. Read the links above if you have doubts about this.

S O

defence_and_freedom@gmx.de

updates:

https://ipi.media/first-victory-for-journalists-against-spains-gag-law/

https://www.thelocal.es/20170426/spains-gag-law-slammed-in-press-freedom-report

 

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