A historic agreement to renew the General Council of the Judiciary
This Wednesday, June 26, an unprecedented agreement was reached between the PSOE and the PP to renew the General Council of the Judiciary (CGPJ) and reform the Organic Law of the Judiciary. After five and a half years of blocking its renewal, both parties have managed to reach an agreement with the mediation of Brussels.
Although the PSOE and the PP are proud of this agreement, the majority of the political forces in the Congress of Deputies have not supported it. The pro-independence parties, Junts, Izquierda, Bildu and the PNV, as well as the left (Podemos) and the far right (Vox), have not shown their support for this pact.
Distribution of chairs and reinforced majorities
The agreement establishes that both the PSOE and the PP will have ten members on the council, and from now on, decisions and appointments will require a reinforced majority of three-fifths. In addition, the new members of the CGPJ must present a proposal on how the members of the body that governs the State judiciary will be selected within a period of six months.
Depoliticization and criticism of the opposition
One of the most notable aspects of the pact is the depoliticization that it seeks to achieve in the CGPJ, putting an end to the revolving doors between the judiciary and politics. However, opposition parties, except the PP, consider this agreement to be political in nature. They see it as a sharing of powers between the two major parties, instead of a true state pact.
Media opinions
The media has different perspectives on this deal. The newspaper El País highlights that the judicial blockade has been ended and highlights that the new Council will make a proposal on the election system in six months. On the other hand, El Mundo points out that the European Union will play a monitoring role in the depoliticization of justice after the PP and the PSOE gave in in this regard.
In summary, the agreement between the PSOE and the PP to renew the General Council of the Judiciary has generated conflicting opinions. While the government and opposition parties are proud of this pact, other political parties and the media have their reservations and criticisms. Time will tell how this renewal develops and if the long-sought depoliticization of the CGPJ is really achieved.