Conservative PP keeps block on renewal of Spain's top judicial body

The conservative People's Party spokesperson Borja Sémper has threatened to continue blocking the renewal of the General Council of the Judiciary (CGPJ) unless the system for electing its members is reformed. 

The CGPJ, Spain's highest judicial body, has been expired for five years because the Socialists and the PP, the only parties with the necessary parliamentary majorities, have not been able to reach an agreement to renew it. 

The PP demands a reform which would change the election system for the body before negotiating its renewal. 

"We want the judges to be the ones who elect the judges," said Sémper. "We want to depoliticize the governing body of the judges," he added, saying that if this objective is not accepted, they will not negotiate.   

In response to Sémper, Presidency Minister Félix Bolaños accused PP of breaking the law and going against the Constitution.   

"It is a very serious behavior that discredits the judiciary and harms citizens who deserve effective judicial protection," he said. "This situation cannot be maintained for another day." 

The European Commission has been urging Spain to address this democratic anomaly for years. They are calling for a timely overhaul of the judiciary body, followed by a reform of the electoral system.

Didier Reynders, the European Commissioner for Justice, insisted on the need to renew the CGPJ. He defended that it is a "priority" for Brussels and that it must be addressed with all parties involved. "After five years, (the renewal) is even more urgent," he said.  

The members of the CGPJ have been in office for 10 years, twice as long as they should have been. The current judiciary body, with a conservative majority, was elected in 2013, when former Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy (PP) had an absolute majority.