They minimize the impact that the battle against the measure may have on the European institutions due to the credit that Sánchez accumulates
MADRID, 12 Nov. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The pact between PSOE and Junts has cleared the path to the investiture of the socialist candidate, Pedro Sánchez, of obstacles, although it has unleashed frontal rejection from the opposition and the Judiciary who consider that he accepts conditions that put democracy at risk. However, there are also internal criticisms and there are socialist officials who do not view some point of the measure favorably.
Thus, socialist sources who occupy positions of responsibility admit that they do not like the references to ‘lawfare’ that appear in the text negotiated and signed in Brussels by the Secretary of Organization, Santos Cerdán. They also warn of the lack of information about the amnesty law.
The PSOE finally agreed to include that expression – which refers to judicial war or the abuse of judicial institutions against political adversaries – in the agreement with the party of former president Carles Puigdemont that was made public last Thursday.
The sources consulted also point out that the wording of that part of the agreement is not understood correctly, despite the fact that the inclusion of each word was discussed for a long time, as they indicate. In fact, Cerdán spent five consecutive days in Brussels to definitively close the pact and sign it together with the general secretary of Junts, Jordi Turull.
The text includes this point as follows: “In this sense, the conclusions of the investigative commissions that will be established in the next legislature will be taken into account in the application of the amnesty law to the extent that situations within the scope may arise. “lawfare concept or judicialization of politics, with the consequences that, where appropriate, may give rise to liability actions or legislative modifications.”
The rejection of the measure was immediate by the Judiciary, and within a few hours all judicial associations – progressive and conservative – issued a joint statement expressing their displeasure.
The PSOE was forced to react and sent a clarification in which they indicated that the references to ‘lawfare’ are limited only to the parliamentary investigation commissions on ‘Operation Kitchen’ and ‘Pegasus’, two cases in which there was espionage to independentists. They intended to make it clear that they are not going to interfere in the field of Justice nor are they going to review sentences.
The sources consulted express themselves along the same lines and downplay the consequences that it may entail. They make it clear that it is reduced to the scope of the commissions in Congress, which can only request political, not judicial, responsibilities.
The other criticism expressed within the PSOE concerns the content of the amnesty law, which has not yet been made public and which could be known this Monday, the day on which the PSOE leadership plans to register the law.
In fact, this same Saturday, Santos Cerdán stated that the law was finished and that the last details that remained to be closed are already “polished.” He also stated that it only needs to be seen by the rest of the parliamentary groups that are going to sign it, since the PSOE’s idea is to register it in Congress as a bill with the signature of Sumar, ERC, Junts, Bildu, PNV and BNG.
However, PSOE sources warn of the lack of information about this measure, both internally, since hardly any details of the content of the law are known except for a very small circle of leaders, and of course outside, towards the citizenship.
Although they admit the measure and defend that it be carried out to improve coexistence in Catalonia, in the same line as in the last legislature, other initiatives were approved such as pardons for convicted independence leaders, the elimination of the crime of sedition or the reduction of embezzlement, warn that an effort must be made to explain it to citizens.
Furthermore, other PSOE sources consider that the battle against the amnesty in the European institutions that the opposition is expected to give has little progress.
After the letter from the Commissioner of Justice, Didier Reynders, who belongs to the liberal group, addressed to the acting Ministers of the Presidency and Justice, asking for explanations about the amnesty law, the PSOE assumes that the PP MEPs will try that the EU take measures to force Sánchez to back down.
In that sense, they think that the ‘popular’ will try to activate Article 7 against Spain, which allows the suspension of rights as a member of the EU if it infringes “in a serious and persistent manner” the principles on which the union is based (respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for fundamental rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities).
However, in the PSOE they rule out that this measure could be taken against Spain, due to the credit that Sánchez has accumulated within the EU. They consider that if the head of the Executive is leading debates at the summits, the rest of the countries will not consider applying a corrective from that entity against him.
