The president of the Senate, Pedro Rollán, (Madrid 1969), is clear that when the Amnesty law reaches the Upper House, if it arrives, he will have to process it. Otherwise he believes it would be unconstitutional. The reports that he has requested from the lawyers will be basic to decide what he will do. The law should have already reached the Upper House, but its arrival will be delayed for a month due to discrepancies between the Government and Junts, which have prevented its approval.
Do you think it will end up arriving?
I would love to respond, but I have no answer, given the unpredictability of this legislature and the parliamentary weakness of the Government.
There are lawyers who say that the law has declined, that it should not be in the Justice Commission, but that its processing should begin. What will you do if it arrives in these conditions?
In anticipation of his arrival, I asked the lawyers for two reports, one to clarify the procedures for processing the law or not, and I am super respectful of the lawyers' reports. The second, on the merits, which will take into account previous reports, such as that of the lawyers of the Congressional Justice Commission, which is especially critical. There will be a third report, because the general commission of Autonomous Communities has the power to issue a report since there are issues that affect the autonomies. We will do what the reports say.
Regardless of what you believe?
After the rejection by Congress by an absolute majority, common sense and the interpretation made by lawyers of recognized prestige, I believe that the appropriate thing would be to put an end to the debate in Congress and, if they want to continue, it would be necessary to restart, from scratch, a new processing. The popular group has expressed its disagreement with the referral to the commission, and I imagine that they will make the decisions they deem appropriate.
It seems that I wouldn't process it for you.
No, not at all. Personally, I am against the law, but no irregularity will be committed in the Senate, regardless of whether or not it coincides with the preferences of its president or those of the parliamentary group to which I belong.
The PSOE says that they have requested the report because Vox is pressing.
This is not just any law. It is an amendment to the entire validity of the Spanish Constitution, which can be perfected, because it is not untouchable, but there are procedures for it. Therefore, no report is requested to provide coverage, but rather to provide certainty, and I will not be the one to amend the lawyers' report.
The PSOE says that it has put the institution at the service of the PP.
I understand that the spokesperson for the socialist group finds it uncomfortable that the PP has 144 senators out of 266, but the popular group, the majority, made a proposal and the Board processed it.
They say that they reformed the regulations only to delay the processing of the Amnesty law.
Legislating is a very serious thing, it requires analysis. We already saw the consequences of the law of only yes means yes. It's not about wasting time, but about taking advantage of it. And we are talking about going from 20 days to two months, not 20 years, so that illustrious constitutionalists can appear to give their opinion. All senators, regardless of their political affiliation, deserve time for reflection.
Despite this work, in the end the text will be that of Congress.
As far as legislative processing is concerned, Congress has the last word, but the Senate should not give up an enriching debate and send a new text to Congress, so that the autonomous communities, which will be affected, can speak out.
Won't that delay the law further?
In no case may the two-month period be exceeded, unless a parliamentary group presents an appeal for protection to the Constitutional Court and requests, as a precautionary measure, the suspension of the processing, but that is no longer a decision of the Senate.
He states that he will act in accordance with the lawyers' report, but he has changed the senior lawyer. The PSOE has done the same in Congress, and the PP accuses it of looking for a lawyer more similar to its positions.
I want to show my gratitude to the previous senior lawyer, who carried out his duties with absolute exemplarity. He had expressed to me his desire to have other responsibilities, that is why I appointed a woman who has assumed that high responsibility.
Do you think that the protests over the procés ruling in 2019 can be considered terrorism?
That will have to be determined by the judges. I don't dare say if it was terrorism or not. They were unfortunate events, because some people who were legitimately demonstrating went further. Demonstrating is healthy, but when some dedicate themselves to burning containers, besieging institutions, surrounding, beating and hitting police officers, that is a crime in the Penal Code, the judges will say what crime.
The PP has decided to go from having two plenary sessions a month in the Senate to three. Was necessary?
It is an opportunity for society to have a better perception of the Senate. It will be a plenary session to debate, propose and control the Government. It is healthy for the opposition to control the Government, to know what its decisions are, to be able to recognize its successes and criticize its errors.
The PP complains about the Government's absences in the control sessions.
When the regulations were changed, the Government's obligation to appear was included. I can understand that there is an agenda and a series of milestones, such as summits or international meetings, that condition parliamentary control, but abusing the excuse of the agenda to not appear is not good practice.
In addition to being president of the Senate, he belongs to the leadership of the PP. What is at stake in Galicia?
It is much more important what the Galicians are at stake. Feijóo added four absolute majorities, and hand in hand with the PP governments he has progressed, generated opportunities; It is the owner of its present and its future, with the guarantee that no other territory will tell it what to do.
It is hidden from no one that it will have a national reading. What is Feijóo at stake?
Just as all of the success in the municipal and regional elections cannot be attributed to Mr. Feijóo, it would be unfair for all of any other results to be attributed to him. There are many, outside the PP, who would be delighted that the Galicians did not renew their trust in Mr. Rueda, and blame Feijóo. Well it's not going to happen.
