Sánchez gives the PP an ultimatum: either renew the judiciary in June or change the law | Spain

Pedro Sánchez wants to resolve the blockage in the appointment of relevant judges to the Supreme Court and other decision-making courts before the summer. After the European elections, the President of the Government and leader of the PSOE issued an ultimatum to the PP in an interview on TVE this Wednesday: either there is an agreement between both parties in June to renew the composition of the General Council of the Judiciary (CGPJ). It has already been more than five years, otherwise the executive will promote legal reform to unblock it. Shortly after the interview ended, Justice Minister Félix Bolaños, who is recovering from appendicitis surgery, sent a message to Esteban González Pons, the PP negotiator, proposing to resume negotiations next Friday. The PP already says that it will not negotiate under these circumstances, because it understands that Sánchez's action is an unacceptable ultimatum, but for now it has not rejected the meeting. So the executive is trying one last negotiation with the PP before deciding to change the law without the main opposition party.

Sánchez did not provide any details about his plans, but he did indicate one possible way the so-called Guilarte solution, that is, the proposal made weeks ago by the current interim president of the CGPJ: change the law so that the judges of the Supreme Court, the most important and those with the most political importance, are not elected by the Council, as now , but as is also done in other European countries: on the basis of purely objective merits and criteria. This would take away one of the most relevant powers of the CGPJ and, according to Guilarte, should facilitate its renewal, as the parties would lose much interest in controlling it. Sánchez has not made it clear whether, in addition to this reform, he will also change the law to change the renewal majorities of the CGPJ in order to be able to renew it without having to count on the PP, but he recently said that this solution did not seem like a good idea to me.

“Groundhog Day has lasted more than 2,000 days and it's over,” the president said. “We have accepted all mediations, I just need the UN Secretary General. This has gone on too long. The PP has until the end of June. If this situation is not resolved, Spain will respond to the kidnapping of the judiciary,” he stressed. “The perverse incentive [para los partidos] It is the power that the CGPJ has to appoint members of the Supreme Court. We can revise that faculty, make it more objective and transparent. If the PP does not lift the blockade, the PSOE will submit a proposal to unblock this situation,” Sánchez stressed. Asked if he believes there are in Spain Legal Affairs (legal prosecution of the political opponent), the President has responded that “there have been cases of Legal Affairs in this country very clearly”, without specifying them. And he added, referring to the investigation that concerns his wife, Begoña Gómez: “I want to think that in my case there is no question. I believe in my country's legal system, and therefore I condemn its constitutional abuse [PP con el] CGPJ”.

The PP responded immediately and made it clear that it does not accept Sánchez's ultimatum, which indicates that the month of June will end without an agreement. “We will not accept ultimatums from anyone,” popular sources have concluded, adding that the president's “parliamentary insecurity” is “incompatible with his arrogance.” These sources emphasize that the PP will not deviate from its previous position: either the system of electing members will be changed (eliminating the final approval, which is now in the hands of Parliament) or they will not allow the renewal of members accept. “And now more than ever,” add other high-ranking sources from Genoa, in a veiled allusion to Begoña Gómez's accusation and to the statement issued by the CGPJ on Monday He asked the president of the government for “restraint” in his criticism of the judge who conducted her investigation. “Sánchez wants to control the judges to prevent them from making decisions that would later force him to have to insult them,” they emphasize in this sense from the popular leadership.

On the other hand, the formation of Feijóo reiterates that they will adopt the times and manner established by the European Commission. “We will contact them as soon as possible. Sánchez's approach is contrary to the working method established between PP, PSOE and the designated supervisor,” they add about the figure of the mediator agreed in December. However, this question contrasts with the position expressed later, last April. when the Popular Party downplayed this mediation by the European Union. Regarding the possibility of revising the CGPJ's powers for the appointment of magistrates, the PP is not commenting at this time, pending the specific proposal. Be that as it may, the Popular Party continues to maintain that Sánchez's intention with this announcement is to “cover up his defeats in the elections and in the Cortes Generales” after the European elections and the legislative initiatives recently presented by the PSOE in Congress , but which have been destroyed by its position of political power. partners, such as the proposal against pimping or the constitution, which the socialists withdrew in extremis.

The president also assured on TVE that the government will present in July the package of measures for democratic recovery that he announced when he threatened to resign at the end of April and withdrew for five days to reflect. And one of the measures she is working on is the transposition of a European media directive calls for more transparency in financing and it also raises the possibility that media outlets that systematically lie will be unable to receive government funding. Sánchez has indicated that the package will include measures to defend “truthfulness” in the media, prevent the spread of deception, and others to increase “transparency and accountability of the government and Congress.” “We must translate and make effective what was approved in Brussels, a media freedom law that talks about transparency and financing. It is the debate that needs to be had. We can also do things from the government and Congress for more transparency and accountability,” he emphasized.

Madrid, “headquarters of the mud machine”

The Socialist leader devoted much of the interview to criticizing the “digital tabloids” that spread information about the affairs of his wife and brother, whom he has always defended. “All this stems from hoaxes in digital tabloids, later amplified in radio talk shows where you don't see many progressive talk shows because they are out of balance. I am calm, but I feel sorry for my family, who have to bear these costs if they are honest professionals. Time will put things in place,” he stressed.

The president even links the PSOE election results, which were especially bad in Madrid –where the PP received 350,000 votes, almost half the difference that the popular ones have achieved across the country – with the location of the media attacking him. “The mud machine has a registered office, which is the Community of Madrid. This is a problem for Spanish politics. Aznar said, whoever can make him do that. And the person who was her head of communications and now chief of staff to the President of Madrid, Miguel Ángel Rodríguez, announces on social networks a week earlier what the judges will do. He dares to say that he is going now come on the complaint against the Public Prosecution Service. All this deserves reflection,” the president said.

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