Greetings by the Speaker

Welcome to the Congress of Deputies, an institution that represents all citizens of Spain and that therefore belongs to all of us. 

The Congress is the expression of the political pluralism of our society: from here, the members of the Chamber give voice to different political views. And the debates and deliberations on these views and their reflection in agreements and majority decisions are the main tool for the exercise of the legislative function and of that of political initiative and oversight of the Government’s action entrusted to the Parliament by the Constitution.   

Words are our essential tool. And the words expressed in the Congress represent all citizens, as a whole and with their diverse nature. Words convey different political alternatives and positions, and words create a dialogue that in turn results in agreements, more or less broad, that shape the democratic will of Spanish people. Words, therefore, to convey views, discuss and reach agreements. 

Thus, respect for words is a fundamental prerequisite for our activity. Respect for the words of others, which always deserve attention and consideration. And respect likewise for our own words, as required by the representative nature of each MP and demanded by the importance of this mandate.  

Thanks to this webpage, the representative nature of the Congress goes beyond the mere democratic election of its members at the beginning of each Legislative Term. It is an essential communication channel with citizens within the framework of the exercize of our duties and it makes the activities of each MP and of the institution available for public scrutiny and citizens’ assessment. 
In addition to making access to parliamentary information possible, we would like to contribute to promoting a culture of transparency and public involvement. For this reason, this webpage is open to the contributions of all interested persons, being able to this end to contact each MP or the institution as a whole and with the only prerequisite of tolerance and respect for each other. 

Moreover, the Congress webpage offers curious readers the pleasure of recovering the historical heritage of our parliamentary oratory and the direct testimony of so many decisive moments of the history of Spain. Be however warned of the long hours that may elapse without noticing browsing our section of Papers for History, so carefully edited by the services of the Chamber, or listening to the available audio archives of parliamentary speeches since 1977.

In summary, to all those who access this page to know what goes on in the Congress or to foster and contribute to our future activities, be most welcome and thank you for your visit.

Meritxell Batet
Speaker of the Congress of Deputies