In the European Parliament to show the beauty of motherhood

Usually, she brings her two-year-old Nonia with her. She was born when the Spanish politician was already a member of the EP. “All colleagues know her.” But this week in Strasbourg, she brought her oldest son, the 18-year-old Victor. He carries a Spanish schoolbook about the “history of philosophy” to fill the gaps.

De la Pisa (born 1975) came in the European Parliament in early 2020, after Brexit, when the empty spaces of the British MEPs had to be filled. After this, she became part of a small group of convinced Christian MEPs. Four years later, she sits in the Members’ Bar of the European Parliament in Strasbourg without knowing whether she will return here after the June elections.

In the four years she served, she put one record on her name: she tabled the most amendments of all MEPs— no less than 6,018.

What are all these amendments about? What are you working for?
“The dignity of human life. In fact, this is not political. It has already been written down in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. But we take this all for granted, and that is not good.

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For the rest, I fight for common sense. That is the reason why I am with the Spanish Vox party. Some say this party is far-right, but that is not true. We are pro-life and fight for common sense. For freedom, private property and universal principles.” In the EP, Vox is connected with the ECR group (European Conservatives and Reformers).

De la Pisa fears that politicians “destroy all that we have built”. It is mainly the pro-choice movement that is difficult for her, together with the new understanding of gender. “Some of the most fundamental values are misunderstood. They are directly connected with the human dignity.”

What did you do before you entered the European Parliament?
“I had my own pharmacy. For the rest, I have been a mother and cared for my family. Motherhood gives a good perspective on many things.

Today, the trend is against fertility, as if this is something we have to destroy to reach equality with men. That is an insult. The equality is there already. There is no need for contraception, I think. I want to respect the full meaning of a woman. That also implies her fertility and motherhood.

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The mother has a unique role in the family. This lack of present mothers brings a lot of problems in our society.   The father’s role is essential, too. For instance, in the education of the kids.”

How do you do that yourself while being in Brussels or Strasbourg?
“I could not have done this when I had the first and second child. But now, the kids are together, and the environment is right. My mother and father live with us, so they are helping. And the big ones help me with the smaller ones”, she smiles at Victor. “He is supervising the others with the studies.”

It is clear to her that mothers from large families must sit in Parliament. “Otherwise, women’s rights issues would be issued only by members with another kind of life. It is impossible for them to understand what it means to have a family. To have the experience of love without interest. You have to spread the beauty of that.”

The Spanish deputy believes that many problems in society –like suicide and violence– have a connection with family life. “The state can organise care, but that is not the same as affection. For that, you need the family.”

When you came in Parliament, what was the worldview you brought with you?
“Well, I am a Catholic. From that understanding, human beings have infinite value. That dignity is inherent. For that reason, I fight for life. As I said, that is not political. It has to do with values. I think the human being is on a higher level than an animal or things.

Against this background, De la Pisa is afraid of the “gender ideologies”, as she calls them. “They don’t understand the human dignity. It is questioning the life of all of us.

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The same goes for surrogacy. You make a baby into an object. Prostitution changes a woman into an instrument of pleasure. It does not bring beauty. Only the truth brings beauty.”

What is the most important thing you have done in those four years?
“That must be the work in the women’s rights committee. I had a different understanding of what was important for women. If I had not been there, I don’t know where we would have been now. For instance, I stood there for the pro-life message. And even my colleagues appreciated my presence there.”

What are your chances for re-election?
“I am number five on the list. At the moment, we have four MEPs. The polls say that we might grow to six or seven. So, we have to have a good campaign. Fighting for common sense always gives hope, I think.”

And if you will not be elected again?
“There are plenty of other things. I am here to serve, but I can also do that elsewhere. That’s not for me to decide. It won’t be the first time that my life has changed. I will find other ways to express my vocation.   It will be nice to have more time. But I have confidence in God. He is the one who prepares my agenda better than me. He organises it.”