Feijóo says that Sánchez does not want to renew the CGPJ with the PP and sees it as "very difficult" to reach agreements with the Government

It adds that the Government seeks the "obedience" of members of the Judiciary and that the Council has "intervened" by taking away powers

MADRID, 9 Ene. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The leader of the PP, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, has assured this Monday that Pedro Sánchez does not want to renew the General Council of the Judiciary (CGPJ) because "he is not interested" in his "independence" but what he wants is that there are members in the Council and the Constitutional Court with "certain obedience" to the Government. After recalling the pact offers that he has made these months and which have been "rejected", he has acknowledged that it is "very difficult" and "impossible" to reach agreements with the chief executive.

"To the Government, the independence of the Judiciary is something that does not interest it at all, on the contrary, what it wants is that the Judiciary and the Constitutional Court are bodies that have a direct link and a certain obedience to the Government, at least some of them its members", Feijóo declared in an interview on the Cope network, which has been collected by Europa Press.

When asked if this 2023 will be able to unblock the CGPJ and if in the event that the PP governs it will initiate the procedures to change the system of election of the members of judicial origin, Feijóo has indicated that the PP has already made a proposal on this matter in July and, therefore, it does have "interest".

However, he has indicated that the Prime Minister did not call him until October, "the day after" the resignation of Carlos Lesmes, president of the Supreme Court and the CGPJ. In his opinion, the fact that so many months passed - from July to October - shows "what is the interest of the Government in renewing the Council" which, in his opinion, is "little or none".

Feijóo has assured that the Government "does not agree that judges have a leading role in the election of judges" and "intervened" the CGPJ by "emptying it of powers", so that "it cannot make any appointment". Then, he has continued, "he only restored some powers related to the appointment of magistrates of the Constitutional Court."

"Therefore, the one who has played, who has manipulated, who has intervened and who has emptied the content of the CGGP, which has been extended with 80% support from the legislature where it was elected, is the Government," he stated.

The leader of the PP has also explained that when in October "they begin to negotiate the independence" of the Judiciary and deepen the depoliticization of the judges, the Government blows up the negotiation" because, as he has said, it was with the independentistas negotiating "the opposite", agreeing on the "politicization of the Penal Code" and "rendering without effect the judgments of the Supreme Court".

In addition, he added that in December the Executive appointed two magistrates for the TC --Juan Carlos Campo and Laura Díez-- who had "formed part of the Government in this legislature." For this reason, he has reiterated that the Government "the independence of the Judiciary is something that does not interest it at all."

In this scenario, Feijóo has indicated that the PP has once again presented a proposal on the CGPJ that it has registered in Congress, which is what the PP "commits" to do if it governs. It is about 12 members of the Council being elected by judges and magistrates and the remaining eight by the Chambers. In addition, he has indicated that his initiative includes requirements to avoid "revolving doors" and facts such as the State Attorney General having previously belonged to the Government.

"The model that we are proposing is the model that the EU is asking for and it is the model that I understand is the most respectful of the Constitution," the president of the 'popular' party declared in the same interview.

Faced with the fact that later he cannot fulfill his promises if he intends to agree with the PSOE, the president of the PP has indicated that, when things were "agreed" between the two big parties in Spain, the country was doing better.

"It is true that the PSOE is now occupied by Sánchez and his team and it is true that, as long as this remains, it will be very difficult. I think it is impossible," he acknowledged, after recalling that since April he has sent him six documents on different subjects but "were rejected".

In this sense, the president of the PP has indicated that "always" that the PSOE "needs to agree" it does so with the "nationalists and independentistas" and "never" with the Popular Party, "not even" the decree laws.