Reynders warns PP and PSOE that they have to show political will to agree to resume the CGPJ mediation

BRUSSELS, April 5 (EUROPA PRESS) -

The Commissioner of Justice, Didier Reynders, warned this Friday that he is still available to mediate between the PSOE and PP for a solution that unblocks the renewal of the General Council of the Judiciary (CGPJ) but has made it clear that the parties must first speak. and that when they show political will to reach an agreement they will meet again "at three."

"When the political signal arrives we will resume the three-way discussion. But it is also necessary for the two parties to talk to each other, I hope that is what is happening in Madrid," Reynders said in statements to the press in Brussels, after emphasizing that remains open to dialogue despite the cancellation of the last meeting.

Reynders had planned to have traveled to Madrid on March 27 to participate in a new meeting with the negotiators of the PSOE and PP - the Minister of Justice, Félix Bolaños, and the deputy secretary of Institutional Action of the PP, Esteban González Pons, respectively - -. However, the commissioner postponed the meeting at the last minute without a date at the request of the 'popular' and after verifying that the parties needed "time."

Since then, the commissioner has not had any further contact with the parties and does not plan to take the initiative because he understands that it is up to PSOE and PP to take the step of "requesting a new meeting", as community sources have indicated to Europa Press.

In this context, Reynders reiterated this Friday that by postponing the meeting he also informed the parties that he remains "absolutely available" and that the European Commission "will continue to be available, in any case, if the parties consider that they have to wait a little." .

But the commissioner has also insisted that "it is necessary for the parties to agree so that progress can be made" and recalled that the basis of the structured dialogue are the annual recommendations on the rule of law that for two years have urged Spain to renew with a "priority" character the CGPJ and to undertake "immediately afterwards" the reform of the system of election of members.

Although both PSOE and PP have expressed willingness and will to resolve the 'impasse' in which the governing body of the judges finds itself, they continue to clash over the times since while the socialists only see urgency in the renewal - and talk about leaving for "later" the reform of the model--, for the 'popular' it is essential that both issues go hand in hand.

Asked about the words of the interim president of the CPGJ, Vicente Guilarte, who on Thursday considered that time for politics had run out and demanded to look for "alternative formulas", Reynders limited himself to saying that he is "always" willing to receive proposals but that must be "concrete", because it works "on the basis of existing texts".

Therefore, he added, at this time the options are those "provided for in Spanish legislation" and he is confident that a "political agreement" can be reached that will allow both the "urgency" of renewing the Council and the commitment to "undertake the reform later." "I hope that at some point we can find a political agreement to bring these two things together," he stressed.

The Belgian liberal must leave Brussels on April 25 to campaign for the leadership of the Council of Europe, a body outside the EU but which the community institutions listen to to set standards regarding the rule of law. However, the Community Executive does not see the beginning of Reynders' leave as an ultimatum to unblock the CGPJ because another member of the College of Commissioners could take over if it is agreed to later.