The recovery of the crime of sedition has been a mantra of the PP since in November, in order to approve the 2023 budget, Pedro Sánchez gave in to the claims of the ERC and repealed this crime, for which the main political leaders of the process had been convicted. But the electoral program of the PP, presented this Tuesday by Alberto Núñez Feijóo, which includes reclassifying sedition "improving and updating its classification, to punish the most serious forms of constitutional disloyalty."
But the PP program also raises other types that could punish similar behaviors, although not as serious. It would be, says the program, "other disloyal behaviors of the institutions aimed at endangering peace and constitutional order, either through the calling of referendums or unauthorized consultations, or machinations aimed at undermining the credit of Spain in the international community.
The PP also promises to recover the penalties for embezzlement that the Government also lowered at the request of ERC during the processing of the budgets, and a review of the Criminal Code to improve the regulation of types, the proportionality of penalties and adapt it to social reality , after "the defective partial reforms", such as the one made with the law of only yes is yes.
The PP program also includes the commitment to repeal the democratic memory law and the elaboration of "a new agreed norm that reinforces the democratic principles and national reconciliation that founded the constitutional pact during the Transition, as well as the democratic coexistence of a society , the Spanish, who aspires to justice and recognition of the truth".
The PP dedicates a part of the program to the neutrality of the functioning of the institutions, and for this, it proposes to reform the law of the Constitutional Court, to guarantee that its members have not had political ties during the last five years, and it proposes to strengthen the Law of the Council of State to enhance its role as the highest advisory body, guaranteeing its advisory intervention. Thus, mechanisms will be articulated to request reports from the State Council on bills on which the Government has not requested them. Nor may those responsible for organizations such as Airef, INE, CIS, or the Court of Accounts have held political positions in the last five years.
To strengthen Parliament, the PP is committed in its program to limit extraordinary regulations to the cases expressly provided and guarantee the rights of deputies and senators in the exercise of their functions, for this reason the use of the Decree-Law will be limited and it will seek formulas to guarantee that the processing of bills derived from a decree law is not blocked, contrary to what has happened in this legislature.
The necessary majorities in the Table of the Cortes will also be reinforced to approve the successive broad ones of the terms of amendments. Likewise, the urgent legislative procedure will be assessed "to prevent the Government from using it arbitrarily."
The PP also proposes to reform the Regulations of the Cortes Generales so that "intrusive amendments" cannot be introduced in the projects that are being debated, that is, those that have no relationship with the law that is being processed.
Feijóo brings to his electoral program what his party's position has been when it comes to refusing to renew the General Council of the Judiciary if measures are not first adopted to guarantee the independence of its members. Thus, he will reform the organic law that regulates it, which will include the reform of the election system of its members so that judges and magistrates are the ones who elect 12 of the Council members.
The popular ones dedicate two sections to the fight against gender violence, and in defense of the rights of the LGTBI collective, in the face of criticism for the pacts signed by Vox, and the accusations of regression in these aspects that the PSOE and the left dedicate to it in general.
The PP program emphasizes that "gender violence is one of the great scourges of our society" and that its eradication "is a priority objective", for which reason "we assume the task of continuing to deepen" compliance with the pact against gender violence of 2017, updating its purposes. "We will always be guarantors of the safety of women and the protection of their rights. We will not accept steps back in such a serious matter, which also has an overwhelming consensus in our society."
The PP is also committed to working for the equality of LGTBi people, and stresses that "the Popular Party defends pluralism and diversity as intrinsic values of democracy. We believe in a Spain in which each person can develop their life project without suffering discrimination of any kind, as stated in article 14 of the Spanish Constitution".
That is why it will work "for that diverse Spain, for that fair society, at the forefront in the protection of rights and freedoms, in which all individuals are respected and protected", and will approve a new law that guarantees the rights of trans people, which "will be born from dialogue with all ocial and professional sectors, seeking consensus".
