On Tuesday night, the full Congress appointed ten new members to the General Council of the Judiciary (CGPJ) as part of an agreement between the PP and PSOE parties. The process unfolded as expected, with each candidate securing the required minimum of 210 votes for their nominations to proceed smoothly.
The voting, conducted according to Chamber regulations, involved placing ballots into two separate boxes: one for selecting six members from the judicial sector and another for four distinguished jurists.
Esquerra, Bildu, and BNG chose not to participate in the voting process, continuing their stance throughout the renewal efforts. They argue that the PSOE-PP agreement "perpetuates the reactionary structures and dynamics of the 1978 regime," highlighting a clear need for democratic regeneration. The PNV also abstained from the vote, as they were not part of the bipartisan agreement.
This renewal of the judicial governing body, which has been operating with expired mandates for over five and a half years, will be finalized on Thursday when the Senate appoints the other ten agreed members proposed by the socialists and popular party affiliates.
Specifically, the Congress appointed the following jurists: José Luis Costa Pillado (President of the Consultative Council of Galicia), Inés María Herreros Hernández (Prosecutor and former president of the Progressive Prosecutors Union), Pilar Jiménez (Chief Prosecutor of Cantabria), and Argelia Queralt (Constitutional Law Professor at the University of Barcelona and lawyer for the Constitutional Court).
In the judicial appointments, the selected members include Ángel Arozamena (Supreme Court judge), Esther Erice (judge at the Superior Court of Justice of Navarre), Gema Espinosa (Provincial Court of Barcelona), José María Fernández Seijo (Commercial Judge in Barcelona), José María Páez (Dean Judge in Málaga), and José Carlos Orga (Provincial Court of Logroño).
This process marks a significant development in Spain’s judicial landscape and reflects ongoing discussions about reform and modernization within the country’s political framework. For more information on Spain’s political dynamics, you can visit El País or The Spain Report.
Image and News Source: https://www.infobae.com/espana/agencias/2024/07/24/el-pleno-del-congreso-elige-a-los-10-nuevos-vocales-del-cgpj-pactados-por-psoe-y-pp/
