PP and Vox distance themselves from a legal reform they supported that will accelerate the release of 44 ETA prisoners

A legal change that will speed up the release from prison of fifty ETA prisoners has caused major controversy this Monday, despite being approved on September 18 by the Congress of Deputies and with the support of PP and Vox.

The reform has its origins in a European directive. In concrete terms, Europe has established that the same sentence cannot be served in two countries, although the government of Mariano Rajoy adopted a provision in 2014 to avoid this mandate.

For example, last month the Congressional Justice Commission, with the support of right-wing parties, approved a Sumar amendment to the Criminal Records tion Exchange Act to remove this exception introduced by the previous PP executive, which prevented ETA prisoners from cannot deduct sentences they have served in France.

This Monday, the Association of Victims of Terrorism (AVT) warned that this change in the law will allow 44 ETA prisoners to leave prison early, after which PP and Vox withdrew and warned that they will vote against it in the Senate on Tuesday .

The plenary session of the Senate will vote on the reform of the law next Tuesday, but although the Senate is opposed by a majority, the bill will be approved and published in the BOE, as no amendments were submitted during its consideration. In the Senate, Tuesday’s vote is merely testimony.

The PP has an absolute majority in that Chamber, but its new position comes too late, as, like Vox, it not only voted in favor of the text in Congress, but also did not submit any amendments in the Senate.

Political reactions

The chairman of the EBB of PNVAndoni Ortuzar has reiterated his support for the reform. In statements to journalists, Ortuzar recalled that it is about transposing European regulations “that do not distinguish” between types of prisoners, and stressed that “there is no longer an exceptional regime either in the Spanish state or in Europe.”

“When transposing European regulations, all people must be treated equally, and we believe that the text being processed is in accordance with European law and Spanish law,” said the EBB president. For this reason, he assured that they “consciously” said yes to the reform of the law in Congress. This Tuesday they will support it again in the Senate and will continue to do so “during the ongoing proceedings.”

He PSOE has emphasized that the disputed Sumar amendment included in the text literally reproduces the wording of the bill that the government of Mariano Rajoy sent to the Cortes at the time and that, in addition, it contains the criteria established by the Council of State.

In particular, Socialist Group sources have indicated that the confederal group’s amendment “literally reproduces what was included in the draft law that the PP government originally sent to the Cortes Generales” and that it furthermore “incorporates the Council’s criteria. of the state in its mandatory report”.

By AddDeputy spokesperson Enrique Santiago explained that his amendment aimed to “correct discrimination” so that Spaniards receive equal treatment in the application of European community law.

The spokesperson for PPBorja Sémper has deplored the introduction of amendments “that have nothing to do” with the text of a law, when asked how the PP had not foreseen this situation and voted in favor of something it was against.

He added that the entire Congress has made a “general mistake” and stressed that in the face of this “game” of the Spanish government, his party will do everything in its power from a political and legal point of view. “For us it is a critical issue, it will not remain like this,” he said.

The spokesperson for the far-right party Vox In Congress, Pepa Millán has accepted the “mistake” made by her parliamentary group by supporting the reform during its discussion in the House of Representatives. Moreover, he has asked the PP to prevent the Senate plenary from voting on this reform tomorrow.

During a press conference in the House of Commons, Millán expressed his “very sincere apologies” for what had happened and, after acknowledging the mistake, wanted to make it clear that even by voting against they would not have been able to prevent this continued. as the rest of the groups supported her.