González Pons's flu forces the appointment with Bolaños and Reynders to be delayed until after the Galician elections to unblock the CGPJ

MC Madrid

Madrid

Updated Saturday, February 10, 2024-18:30

The meeting between the representatives of the PSOE and the PP, the Minister of the Presidency, Justice and Relations with the Cortes, Félix Bolaños, and the Deputy Secretary of Institutional Affairs of the Popular Party, Esteban González Pons, with the European Commissioner for Justice, Didier Reynders, to trying to unblock the renewal of the General Council of the Judiciary and agree on the reform of the method of appointment of its members, has been postponed for a week. It will be held on Monday the 19th, just one day after Galicians go to the polls, as announced by the PP in a statement.

The reason for the postponement was due to an indisposition of the PP negotiator. González Pons has been suffering from a feverish state since Thursday morning caused by an episode of Influenza A. The representative of the popular parties contacted the socialist minister and the European commissioner on Friday afternoon to inform both of his situation and, given the possibility If the disease persists, raise the need to postpone the meeting that was scheduled for next Monday afternoon in Brussels. In this way, both Bolaños and Reynders could now unblock their respective agendas.

The three parties have consequently agreed to postpone their meeting, which will also be held in the community capital, for one week, until Monday the 19th. This will be the second meeting they will hold with the aim of reaching an agreement that will guarantee the renewal of the governing body. government of the judges, blocked for five years, and the design of a new formula for electing the members of the Council that guarantees the independence of the Spanish Justice.

The umpteenth attempt at a pact undertaken by socialists and popular groups to renew the CGPJ began at the end of January when the European Commissioner agreed to mediate between both parties as the leader of the PP, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, had proposed to the President of the Government Pedro Sánchez.

The first meeting between González Pons, Bolaños and Reynders took place on January 31 in Brussels. In it, the representatives of PP and PSOE committed to collaborating to comply with the recommendation of the European Commission according to which the CGPJ should be renewed on a "priority basis" to "immediately afterwards" begin the reform of the method of electing its members. members so that the members are elected by their peers, that is, that the judges appoint the judges, and thus avoid the politicization of the body.

Both parties, with the mediation of Reynders, agreed to set a second meeting for Monday, January 12, in order to "take stock" of the progress of the negotiation. To date, the government side defends the urgency of renewing the Council and only then would they "talk" about other issues. On the contrary, the popular ones insist on the need to proceed with renewal and reform in parallel. The European commissioner has established as a condition of his mediating role that the negotiation between the parties does not extend beyond two months.