The conservative sector of the CGPJ will analyze Bandrés' candidacy for the TC ahead of a new meeting on November 16

The members resume the negotiations to appoint the two Constitutional magistrates that are incumbent on the Council

MADRID, 3 Nov. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The negotiators of the conservative and progressive sectors of the General Council of the Judiciary (CGPJ) have resumed this Thursday the talks on the two magistrates of the Constitutional Court (TC) that corresponds to appoint the CGPJ, with a meeting in which the progressives have put on the table the name of the magistrate of the Supreme Court (TS) José Manuel Bandrés, a candidacy that the conservatives have promised to study for their next meeting, which they have set for November 16.

According to the sources of the governing body of the judges consulted by Europa Press, the meeting has served for the progressive representatives --Álvaro Cuesta and Roser Bach-- to formally communicate to their conservative interlocutors --José Antonio Ballestero and Carmen Llombart-- that Bandrés is their consensus candidate, something that they have announced hours before after holding an internal conclave.

The same sources indicate that the conservative negotiators have agreed to study Bandrés' candidacy but have not released any names to be analyzed by their progressive colleagues.

In addition, the representatives of both blocks have indicated for the 16th what will be the second meeting of this new phase of the negotiations on the TC that began on October 27 after the failure of the talks between the Government and the PP to renew the CGPJ.

The 18 members that currently make up the governing body of the judges trusted that "popular" and socialists would be able to close an agreement to constitute a new CGPJ that, in turn, would take care of nominating two magistrates for the TC.

However, the breakdown of these talks has forced the current CGPJ, expired for almost four years, to resume this pending task. The conservative wing, more reticent until now, met on Wednesday night to establish a position determining that it is "essential" to return to the negotiating table to "agree" on the two names, although they were unable to decide on one.

The progressive spokesmen, who in the previous stage had already launched a first list with nine candidates, announced this morning that they had managed to reduce the list to a single candidate, Bandrés, while at the same time asking their conservative counterparts for a first meeting, the held this afternoon.

Cuesta and Bach have detailed in their statement that Bandrés has been chosen by a "large majority" and "after a deep deliberation and a rigorous examination" of the curriculum of the other applicants, towards whom they have expressed their "respect and recognition".

Although they have not revealed the identity of these other candidates, they have specified that "member Enrique Lucas has not participated in the deliberation and voting carried out." The aforementioned sources point out that his brother, also a magistrate of the TS Pablo Lucas, is one of the names that sound strong to go in the duo of the CGPJ for the TC.

It should be remembered that the negotiating committee had not met since last October 5. Then, the contacts ran aground and the progressive interlocutors decided to open them to the rest of the members, beyond the conservative spokesmen. As this news agency learned, the agreement was very close when Carlos Lesmes announced his resignation on October 9.

Until now, in addition to Bandrés and Lucas, several names have been considered as possible candidates from the CGPJ to the TC, such as the interim president of the TS, Francisco Marín Castán, or the former attorney general Julián Sánchez Melgar. However, the sources stress that nothing is sealed, so these options could change to give entry to other applicants who, before Lesmes' resignation, had been ruled out.