Unidas Podemos has qualified the resolution of the Constitutional Court as an act that “consumes an unprecedented blow to democracy”. This is how its leader expressed it, Ione Belarrawho has been joined by the former vice president of the Government Pablo Iglesiasto ask citizens to take to the streets.
Podemos is the only party that openly calls for disobeying the Constitution, as Iglesias himself congratulated himself during an interview tonight. “The right wing of the Constitutional Court prevents a democratic vote in the seat of popular sovereignty,” added Belarra. “It’s time to show that we Democrats are more,” he stressed on social networks.
The spokesman for the commons in Congress, Jaume Asenshas also spoken of a “coup against the power of the people and the separation of powers” and has said that “we are closer to becoming Hungary or Poland. The vice-president of the Government Yolanda Diaz He has said that the “representatives of the people have seen their legislative activity partially suspended”, but that “democracy will prevail”.
[El TC paraliza por primera vez una ley en trámite para proteger el derecho a debatir de la minoría]
The majority partner of the coalition government, the PSOE, has also criticized the decision of the guarantee court, although it has not expressed itself in the same terms as the purple ones. “The PP partisan blockade of the judicial leadership has gone too far. It is dangerous and sets a very serious precedent in our democracy,” acknowledged the secretary of the socialist organization, Santos Cerdan.
“And all to block the renewal of a TC with an expired mandate and artificially maintain a majority that they lost at the polls,” he added.
Although dissatisfied, the PSOE is not going to cross the line of disregarding the Court’s resolution. That is something that its spokesperson has already made clear, Pilar Alegria, during a press conference on Mondayeven before knowing the decision.
But the president of the Congress, Meritxell Batetand that of the Senate, ander gil, both Socialists, have confirmed that this will be the case and that they will abide by what is decided by the Constitution out of institutional respect and legality. However, they will study the way to appeal.
[El Senado acatará la resolución del Tribunal Constitucional en cuanto reciba la notificación]
Conservatives satisfied
In a decision that is unprecedented in the history of Spanish democracy, the Constitutional Court has paralyzed during the night of this Monday and in a precautionary manner the processing of a legislative initiative that sought to change the majorities to elect the magistrates of the Constitutional Court itself, four of them with expired mandate.
He did it at the request of the People’s Party and the six conservative magistrates have imposed their majority against the five progressives. The pronouncement has provoked mixed reactions on both sides of the ideological spectrum. Left-wing parties have criticized the measure’s lack of democratic character, while conservatives support it.
“Today our democracy is strengthened. In a rule of law, all powers are subject to the Law,” said the leader of the opposition, Alberto Núñez Feijóo. The president of the PP has said that “in the face of noise and pressure, we will continue to defend Spain and the institutions without fear or concessions, with moderation and reason”.
“Let’s hope that the Government abides by the decision and does not continue to be involved in this drift, which has already led it to describe the judges as fachas in toga, to not respect the separation of powers and to attack and pressure all those who question judge his performance”, PP sources assure this newspaper.
Apart from the fact that the PSOE has made it clear that it will abide by the decision, the leader of Vox, Santiago Abascal, has said that Pedro Sánchez “is capable of ignoring the court”. “The decision of the Constitutional Court should stop, for the moment, Sánchez’s assault. But there is nothing won because he continues with his plan to perpetuate himself,” he shared on Twitter.
Even if they comply, both the Senate and the Congress are going to look for a way to continue with the processing of the reform of the Penal Code, which included the reform of the election of Constitutional magistrates. Batet has announced that will appeal the decision and the Upper House will study, this Tuesday at the table, if it can continue with the process, withdrawing only the two amendments in disagreement.
