The Mesa of the Congreso de los Diputados opened disciplinary proceedings on 29 September 2026 against MP Ana Vázquez on Partido Popular . The decision follows a recommendation from the Congress Legal Services, which found grounds for sanction proceedings under the parliament's rules of procedure and security regulations.
The incident that prompted the proceedings took place on 23 September 2026 during question time for the Minister of the Interior. Ana Vázquez brought a pepper spray into the plenary chamber (Hemiciclo) and held it up visibly while speaking. The Speaker of the House, Francina Armengol, the MP then instructed her to leave the plenary session According to the Congress services, some areas of the building were subsequently cordoned off as a precaution; cleaning and medical staff were deployed for a time.
The opinion issued by the Congress legal services on 28 September, on which the Mesa bases its decision, regards carrying or displaying pepper spray in parliamentary premises as a breach of the rules. The possible sanctions range from a reprimand to a temporary suspension of certain parliamentary rights. Once proceedings have been opened, the MP is granted access to the file and a deadline for submitting written observations. The Mesa will decide on the type and level of any sanction after the proceedings have concluded.
Sources within the Partido Popular said that a member of the group’s staff had taken the spray after she left the chamber; according to the services, it had been partly discharged, contributing to the reaction in the building. Politically, the incident shifted debate away from the substance of Question Time and towards issues of order and safety in the Congreso de los Diputados. Supporters of strict rules stress the need to protect all MPs and staff, while Vázquez’s supporters point to her intention to draw attention to perceived safety problems. Both are interpretations; the formal steps taken by the parliamentary bodies are the facts that can be established.
What happens next depends on Ana Vázquez’s response and the subsequent decision of the Mesa of the Congress So far, no specific measures have been determined. The disciplinary proceedings nevertheless set a clear precedent for how Parliament deals with potentially dangerous objects in the chamber.
Editor: Phillipe Schmidt-Araguin (Article created with AI assistance).