UP refuses to change the election system of the CGPJ to achieve its renewal: It would be to assume a "blackmail" of the PP

He asks that the Government appoint the two magistrates that correspond to him from the TC and that the conservative members also resign

The president of the parliamentary group of United We Can in Congress, Jaume Asens, has refused to link the negotiation on the renewal of the General Council of the Judiciary (CGPJ) to a possible change in the system of election of members, as requested by the PP, given that you cannot "blackmail" about compliance with a law.

It has also challenged the Government to appoint the two magistrates that correspond to the Constitutional Court (TC) without waiting for the selection that the governing body of the judges must make, since time is passing and a " clear breach" of the recent reform of the Judiciary.

At a press conference in the Lower House, the leader of En Comú Podem has also demanded that the members of the conservative sector resign en bloc, following the example of the former president of the institution Carlos Lesmes.

And he has emphasized that the partners are facing the talks with the opposition in a coordinated manner, with "permanent" communication between the partners and that "nobody" has stated that the PP makes it a condition that United We Can raise its proposals for members for the body of government of the judges.

During his appearance, Asens has conveyed his little confidence in the "last chance" that the PSOE has given to see if the PP gives it a "democratic outburst" and agrees to agree to renew the CGPJ, given that the popular ones, in his opinion, have two years "lying to citizens" and "blackmailing political forces".

Moreover, he has opined that it is a popular strategy to "buy time" until the next elections and "make the partridge dizzy" by predicting that the Judiciary cannot be relieved of who "has him kidnapped."

Therefore, the leader of the confederal space has said that they respect the position of their coalition partner to wait a few days to see if that possibility of an agreement that arises before Lesmes's march materializes, but he has stated that after that period they will take the political initiative if the blockade persists.

In this line, he has exhorted the leader of the PP, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, that if "he is really serious" ask in "public and private" that the law be complied with or the conservative members of the CGPJ resign, since they are in "clear attitude of insubordination" and "sedition" of the constitutional order.

"THE LAW IS NOT NEGOTIATED, IT IS FOLLOWED"

Questioned if they would be willing to accept a change in the election system to renew the organisms, after Feijóo assured that the head of the Executive promised to agree to that reform, Asens has replied that United We Can is against it because the law "does not negotiate, comply".

In fact, sources from the parliamentary group point out that, according to the information they handle, this proposal is not on the table and that the position of United We Can is clear in this regard, as was made clear at the meeting called yesterday by the second vice president, Yolanda Díaz, with leaders of the confluence such as Alberto Garzón (IU), Irene Montero (Podemos) or Asens himself (En Comú Podem).

In this line, the representative of the confederal group has highlighted that first the Judiciary must be renewed to "comply with the rules of the game" and, once that change is formalized, any parliamentary group is free to present possible reforms of the election system, a debate in which your space also has positions.

"In the future it will be seen", Asens has deepened to emphasize that they are opposed to a "corporate" system in which judges exclusively choose their representatives, understanding that "it is not the most democratic". He has also criticized that the popular ones enjoyed an absolute majority to be able to undertake said change and did not do so, for which he has insisted that it is "blackmail".

Meanwhile, he recalled that in 2020 United We Can already proposed to reform the law to enable the election of members of the CGPJ by absolute majority, in case it is not possible by two thirds of the chamber, and that this bill was stopped at the request of the PSOE, slipping that if the PP persists in the blockade, "solution paths" should be opened.

ENRIQUE SANTIAGO: THE PP LAUNCHES "EXCUSES OF BAD PAYER"

A similar line has been expressed by the deputy spokesman for the group and leader of the IU, Enrique Santiago, who is suspicious of the PP's intentions until they see "concrete steps" to end their "kidnapping" of the constitutional bodies, given that he only sees part of the popular "generic declarations" without any "concrete measure" for the renewal of the Judiciary.

He has also rejected, in statements to La Sexta, changing the election model and denounces that the PP only shows "excuses of poor pay and little compliance with the law."

Like his bench partner, he is willing to talk about reforms after renewing the governing body of the judges and that, in his case, he is in favor of undertaking a change that limits the powers of the CGPJ to those "strictly" included in the Constitution : appointments, inspection work, disciplinary regime and judicial career promotions.

Finally, and regarding Podemos's demand that the PSOE guarantee its active presence in that negotiation, the IU deputy has framed it as a response to the PP's "illusion" of removing them from the negotiation, when the reality is that he himself maintains coordination with the PSOE on this matter and the parliamentary spokesman, Pablo Echenique, has been very clear in saying that they are involved in the talks at the highest level.