The PP opens a crack to the renewal of the CGPJ after the wake-up call from Europe
In the last few hours, the PP has taken a small step that makes it somewhat less difficult to resume talks for the renewal of the General Council of the Judiciary (CGPJ). Alberto Núñez Feijóo's party has lowered the demands of recent months. Last May, Genoa toughened its conditions due to the latent mistrust of the Executive and assured that “without a law in the BOE” there would be no unlocking. Now, the popular leadership is once again turning the helm slightly to open a glimmer of hope and demands that the legal change to choose the members of the CGPJ be made simultaneously. A still subtle, but significant change.
This slight change occurs only a few hours after the Commissioner for Justice, Didier Reynders, placed the end of the interim situation of the Council as a priority. He demanded to renew with “urgency” and begin “immediately afterwards” the process of reforming the election system. He did so accompanied by the Minister of the Presidency, Justice and Relations with the Cortes. The warning issued in this scenario, of undoubted symbolic weight, overshadowed the signs of Europe's rejection of the amnesty law and soured the candy for the PP..
It was Feijóo himself who made the announcement. In an interview with Cadena COPE, he indicated that he is willing to run the risk of being “deceived” by the PSOE and to agree “simultaneously” on the renewal and reform of the CGPJ law so that 12 of the 20 members are elected by judges and magistrates. “Let's make the law and renew the Council simultaneously. Let's sign an agreement, present it to society and process the law. This is what we aim for,” he said.. Shortly afterward he clarified that he is looking for an initiative registered by the two groups and with the signature of both.
Aside from the president's words, later supported by other party representatives, there are added signals. Despite the reproaches and the warning that it would start off on the “bad foot” if the task is entrusted to him—again—the Popular Party does not veto Bolaños being the interlocutor in these supposed negotiations.. They also demand that the Executive be the one who takes the necessary steps and takes the initiative. The PP waits for a call from Sánchez to Feijóo that will serve as a starting signal.
According to legal sources, different factors weighed in the decision.. In just a few days, the popular have lost the framework with which they worked since last summer the electoral results were insufficient to allow them to reach the Government. Since September, they were counting on the Executive to also take a path with the CGPJ that would anger Europe and decide to cut the majorities and elect a Council with a token presence of conservatives and an overwhelming progressive majority.. This has not been the case and this finding has left the PP confused in terms of arguments..
Loss of legitimacy
Those from Feijóo also accuse the wear and tear of refusing the renewal and thus being complicit in a failure to comply with the constitutional mandate that has already lasted five years.. This position does not go well with his rejection of the amnesty law because it is, precisely, unconstitutional.. It reduces the weight of their complaint and provides the Government with ammunition to attack them or respond to any of their public accusations with the Council's wild card..
There is another added circumstance that encourages the pact: the Constitutional. The PP does not forget that it is still pending the appointment, at the proposal of the Senate, of a judge for the court of guarantees to replace Alfredo Montoya, who resigned for health reasons.. Neither does the growing number of vacant positions in the Supreme Court, the TSJ and the hearings, which already reaches 85 positions.. In the last hours, Feijóo anticipated that the Upper House will promote the election of Montoya's replacement whether or not there is a global agreement with the PSOE.
These timid steps have been received coldly by the Government. Supported by Reynders' words, Moncloa has once again insisted on the order of factors that was already accepted by both parties in the last failed renewal attempt: first renew and then sit down to negotiate the reform of the election method. “Our position is that of the European Union, first the renewal and, later, there can be dialogue, but it cannot be extended,” warned the spokesperson for the Executive, Pilar Alegría, after the press conference of the Council of Ministers.