Congress assumes the reform to decriminalize insults to the King, among criticism from PP, Vox and Cs

The PSOE guarantees that it will not allow "the subtext" of the initiative "to become an affront to the constitutional order"

MADRID, 29 Sep. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The Plenary Session of Congress has agreed this Thursday to process the reform of the Penal Code sent by the Senate to decriminalize insults to the Crown and outrage against the flag and national symbols and has done so with the rejection of PP, Vox and Ciudadanos, who they had presented two alternative texts to try to stop that initiative.

These three initiatives have been overthrown with the votes of the PSOE, United We Can, More Country and the nationalist and independence parties, which have thus facilitated the reform promoted in the Senate by ERC and Bildu to begin processing in Congress.

Supporters of the reform have stressed that the Council of Europe and the United Nations have recommended putting an end to these crimes. Thus, the socialist Andrea Fernández has indicated that "modifying these criminal types does not have to generate defenselessness" and that "overprotecting any institution can damage the right to be heard."

In any case, the socialist leader has guaranteed that her group "is not going to allow" the subtext of this reform to become an affront to the constitutional order.

Enrique Santiago, of United We Can, has pointed out that the typification of these crimes in Spain causes "stupor" in Europe. "I do not think that the monarchy is so weak that it needs this special reinforced type," he added.

Like Santiago, Jon Iñarritu, from Bildu, has alluded to the doctrine of the European Court of Human Rights on this matter and has emphasized that these crimes are "obsolete" and serve to protect "an institution that is already super-protected because it is inviolable and irresponsible in all his acts", an aspect that the deputy spokesperson for the ERC, Carolina Telechea, has also influenced.

From the CUP, Albert Botran has denounced that it is "a democratic shame" that there are "singers imprisoned" for songs against the King and other spokesmen such as Néstor Rego, from the BNG, have also recalled the cases against Pablo Hasél or 'Valtonyc'.

Both the PP and Vox and Ciudadanos have blamed the PSOE for refusing to review these crimes on previous occasions and have accused it --along with Foro Asturias and Navarra Suma-- of agreeing to do so now to please its pro-independence partners so that they facilitate the permanence of Pedro Sánchez in La Moncloa.

The PP has defended its alternative text through the mouth of the deputy Eloy Suárez, who has stressed the convenience of maintaining the "status quo", leaving these crimes as they are now in the Penal Code. His bet has garnered the support of Vox and Cs.

Currently, whoever slanders or insults "the King, the Queen or any of their ascendants or descendants, the Queen consort or the Queen's consort, the Regent or any member of the Regency, or the Prince or Princess of Asturias, in the exercise of their functions or on the occasion or occasion thereof", will be punished with a prison sentence of six months to two years "if the slander or insult were serious", and with a fine of six to twelve months if not they are".

On his side, the Vox deputy, José María Sánchez, has branded the reform "silly". In its alternative text, rejected by Ciudadanos and which has not joined the PP either, those of Santiago Abascal bet on increasing the penalties for crimes of insult or slander so that if they are serious they are punished with between one and three years in prison and fines between 12 and 24 months. They also wanted to raise those provided for the crime of outrage against Spain.

The alternative text of Ciudadanos, defended by its deputy spokesman, Edmundo Bal, proposed to modify only article 490 so that slander or insults to the King or his family cease to be punished with jail and are punished only with fines of 12 to 24 months. if the slander is serious or six to twelve months if it is not. The PP has chosen to abstain, while Vox has voted against.