Machine translated text:

A large majority in the European Parliament has approved a “only yes means yes” law, modeled after the Spanish law, with the support of the People’s Party (PP).

It passed with the votes of the major groups, including the PP, and the sole opposition of the far right.
The European Parliament plenary session on Tuesday called for the reactivation of the legislative process to criminalize rape based on the absence of consent across the European Union. This proposal, which Brussels put forward years ago, was rejected by the 27 member states in 2024 due to concerns about its legal feasibility.

Thus, the MEPs meeting in Strasbourg, France, advocated for the European Commission to present a new proposal for a common definition of rape “based on the absence of free, informed, and revocable consent.” The text passed with broad support from the main groups—including the People’s Party (PP)—and the unanimous rejection of the far-right parties.

They also called for adequate support and protection throughout the EU for victims and survivors of assault and made it clear that neither silence, nor lack of resistance, nor the absence of a “no,” nor past sexual conduct or any current or previous relationship “should be interpreted as consent.”

Thus, the report, approved by 447 votes in favor, 160 against, and 43 abstentions, warns that consent must be assessed “in its context,” for example, in situations of unconsciousness, intoxication, drug-facilitated sexual assault, illness, disability, or vulnerability, to consider the possibility of “freeze” or “false” responses—that is, reactions to trauma.

“It is morally and legally unacceptable that women are not protected by ‘only yes means yes’ laws across the EU. We have been calling for a common European definition of rape for years, and although the Council prevented its inclusion in the Directive on combating violence against women, more and more governments are recognizing the need for this approach,” stated the rapporteur for the parliamentary text on behalf of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Swedish socialist Evin Incir.

The MEP argued that there is a “momentum” in EU countries in this direction, listing France, Finland, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands among the most recent countries to incorporate consent-based laws.

The rapporteur for the Committee on Women’s Rights, Polish socialist Joanna Scheuring-Wielgus, warned that “one in three women in the EU has suffered gender-based violence and one in twenty has been a victim of rape.” “Thanks to courageous women like Gisèle Pelicot, there are increasingly more calls for action,” she concluded.

In this context, the report endorsed by the European Parliament urges Member States that do not yet have definitions of rape based on the use of force or violence to take the step of doing so, based on international standards such as the Istanbul Convention, which the EU ratified in 2023.

Regarding the need to raise awareness, the MEPs point in their report to improvements such as mandatory, personalized, and regular training for professionals who work with victims of sexual assault, including police officers, judges, healthcare workers, and social workers.

They also call on the European Commission to present clear guidelines on comprehensive sexuality and relationships education in the EU before the end of the year, and to promote awareness campaigns at the European level on key issues such as consent, sexual integrity, and bodily autonomy.

Another idea championed by the MEPs is the need to take action against the myths surrounding rape, content contrary to gender equality, and misogynistic propaganda on the internet from the incel community.

Pues parece que Podemos sí tenía razón y los amigos de 50 de Sánchez, no.

It seems Podemos was right and the 50 y.o. Sánchez’s friends weren’t.