The reform of the Criminal Code to replace the crime of sedition with that of aggravated public disorder continues its express processing in Congress. In the early hours of last Friday, a large absolute majority of 187 deputies approved the consideration of this bill promoted by the PSOE and United We Can as a new step in the reduction of inflammation of the political conflict in Catalonia. On the afternoon of this Thursday, after an accelerated extraordinary debate, the Lower House has knocked down, one after another, the five amendments to the entire initiative, with their alternative texts, presented by the Popular Party, Vox and Ciudadanos, in addition to for Junts per Catalunya and the CUP.
Next week – on December 9 – the deadline for registering partial amendments to this penal reform will end in Congress, at which time it will be determined if Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya (ERC) maintains its commitment to also review the crime of embezzlement, albeit in a “surgical” way so as not to interfere in the fight against political corruption, despite the rejection or at least the caution expressed by the PSOE itself and by Podemos, in addition to other groups and parties of the investiture bloc, such as the PNV , EH Bildu, More Country or Commitment. The Government’s claim, in any case, is that the sedition reform, after its subsequent passage through the Senate, be definitively approved before the end of the year.
The debate held this afternoon in Congress has reaffirmed the political positions of the parties that forcefully oppose this reform of the Penal Code, although from the radically contrary approaches of the Spanish right (PP, Vox, Cs) and the unilateral Catalan independence movement (Together and the CUP). All of his amendments to the entirety, however, have been rejected by a very large majority by the groups that support the Government and by their parliamentary allies.
The ERC spokesperson in the debate, Carolina Telechea, has warned that her formation has not lowered “not one iota” her aspirations: amnesty, self-determination and the independence of Catalonia. “Neither is this reform ours, nor is this our Penal Code, but what is the alternative?”, She has defended. And she has thus justified what, in her opinion, represents progress. “Our commitment to de-judicialize the political conflict is clear, and this is one more step,” she assured. In addition, she has puffed up the ERC’s “negotiating force” with the Government of Spain. With a reproach to Junts and the CUP: “If all the independence movement committed to the negotiation, we would have even more strength.”
Telechea has not made explicit reference to a possible reform of the crime of embezzlement, but has repeatedly insisted on ERC’s desire to “improve” this bill during its parliamentary process. “We are working on the amendments with the parliamentary groups, and it is an opportunity to improve it. We will be very demanding, ”she warned, without revealing whether they will register an amendment to also review embezzlement. “We still have all the legislative processing ahead of us, we will see how it ends”, he has settled.
On behalf of Junts, Josep Pagès, has come to reproach ERC for its negotiations with the Government of Spain. “In this way, no toy is taken away from the judges, but a new toy is given to them to give free rein to their proven will to repress”, he has warned about the substitution of sedition for the crime of aggravated public disorder. “This reform is a fraud,” he concluded. The CUP spokeswoman, Mireia Vehí, has defended the abolition of sedition and the so-called PP Gag Law. But she has warned that the crime of aggravated public disorder supposes “a threat to the right to protest.”
From the right-wing benches, the opposition to the reform has also been forceful, although for diametrically opposed reasons. Carlos Rojas (PP) has described as “shameful” an initiative that, in his opinion, only intends to “favor the partners of the Government who precisely, as Otegi says, want to break Spain.” “It unprotects the value of the Constitution and weakens the rule of law”, he has settled. Javier Ortega Smith (Vox) has insisted on proposing “withdrawing Spanish nationality from anyone who threatens Spain”, in reference to the Catalan independence movement. Inés Arrimadas (Cs) has denounced what she has described as “infamy”. “Pedro Sánchez has no scruples or ideology, and he is capable of anything to stay in power,” she warned.
On behalf of the proponents of penal reform, the PSOE and Unidas Podemos, Felipe Sicilia and Jaume Asens have taken the floor. And both have criticized the positions of the right. Sicily has thus criticized that these formations only “do politics against Catalonia”, while “this government does politics in Catalonia, and seeks the general interest through dialogue and agreement”. Asens, for his part, has replied to the right: “They understand politics as a Goya painting: a duel with clubs.” But the president of the confederal group has also denounced the attitude of Junts: “They are installed in the logic of the worse, the better.”
