The European Commission He pulled Spain’s ears again in July. she Rule of Law Report 2023 insisted on the urgency of changing the General Council of the Judiciary (CGPJ) and to separate the mandates of the State Attorney General’s Office and the Government. The MEPs Clara PonsatÃ, Antoni ComÃn and Carles Puigdemont They just register a question on European Parliament to report that the document does not exist “the political persecution of the Catalan people in Spain”. The protest took place in the midst of negotiations for the investiture of Pedro Sánchez and a final amnesty for those accused of process.
«The chapter on the situation of the rule of law in Spain, in Rule of Law Report in 2023did not mention again several cases of open and systematic political persecution of Catalans in Spain. As an example, although it briefly mentions the use of spyware Pegasus As far as journalists are concerned, there is no specific mention of the matter. CatalanGate», said Puigdemont in the question was registered on October 17.
The issue is, where you have access THE GOALmaintains that in the so-called CatalanGatethe nationalist movement for self-determination, at least 65 people were spied on, including Catalan politicians and lawyers. Also, remember that the European Parliament approved a recommendation in which it questioned Spain “to carry out a thorough, fair and effective investigation”.
Puigdemont and his colleagues also criticized that the report omits other casesincluding arrest warrants “is still enforced against exiled Catalan politicians and the ongoing judicial proceedings against Catalan citizens and officials of lower rank than Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe “He recommends leaving.” The former Catalan president, like Ponsatà and ComÃn, left Spain after the events of 1-O to not submit to Spanish justice.
The freedom leader was arrested in Germany, Belgium and Italy, but Local authorities refused to hand him over until there was a firm resolution from the community justice system.. Judge Pablo Llarena, instructor of process at the Supreme Court, vacated the euro orders in January pending resolution of the immunity issue. The General Court of the EU (TGEU) ruled in July against thebut Puigdemont appealed to Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU)with the last word.
Pro-independence MEPs asked why the European Commission did not announce “about this political persecution” and why the report did not include cases such as CatalanGate. They did this in the midst of negotiations for Sánchez’s investmentwhich requires the vote of the Junts per Cataluña, Puigdemont’s party, to continue as president of Government and avoiding new elections.
In return for his support, the former Catalan president demanded far-reaching amnestywhich benefited all the defendants of process. A request that has raised controversy in Spanish society, although experts agree on that There is no mention of this measure of grace in the Constitutionwhich does not prevent the development of a law. The Government argued the decision for the coexistence of Catalonia. He considers this the best solution to overcome the Catalan conflict.
Amnesty to process
It is a legal instrument of the legislative branch that prevents criminal prosecution. Unlike forgiveness, Amnesty forgets the crimes and extinguishes the responsibility of their authors. The consultation of constitutionalists continues that this figure is often used from a dictatorial regime to a democratic one, as happened in Spain in 1977. The Government then implemented an amnesty law that benefited all prisoners.many of them have blood crimes.
Puigdemont’s response may take several months. The former Catalan president asked last year about the espionage operation against Catalan figures. The 2022 Rule of Law Report mentions that the Ombudsman has started an investigation and the pro-independence MEPs criticized the fact that the text does not mention that the investigations are focused only on the 18 people who should have been investigated according to the law.
Latest Rule of Law Reportwhich was published in July, demanded that Spain resolve the CGPJ renewal “considering European standards” and separate the mandates of the Office of the Attorney General of the State and the Government.
about the same demands made a year ago, after not noticing any progress. This is the fourth year that the European Commission alerted our country about the need to change the ruling body of judges, whose mandate ended five years ago.
The report acknowledges progress in other fields, such as improve access to information through the proposed reform of the Official Secrets Lawwhere a bill exists, even if it is left in a drawer after the call for elections. He also praised the efforts of pressure groups to make laws through inclusion a mandatory registration of lobbies.
