The impact that the reform of the criminal offense of embezzlement has on public opinion worries the partners of the government coalition. Although both are open to studying, as ERC claims, an amendment that corrects the current wording of the criminal offense, modified by the PP in 2015 – according to the Government of Mariano Rajoy, to improve the fight against political corruption; According to those who were in the opposition at the time, to pursue the use of public resources in political initiatives such as the independence referendum on November 9, 2014, there is concern about the possibility that citizens interpret that politicians intend to reduce the punishment of a crime that concerns them, and that could have beneficial effects on the sentences of charges already convicted, as is the case of the socialist José Antonio Griñán, pending to enter prison for the case of the ERE.
The President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, yesterday from the climate summit in Bali, said again that they were open to studying the amendment presented by the Republican group in this regard, but no member of the executive is being conclusive in this regard. "It will be discussed then," said the president, "it is not appropriate to talk about something abstract." Both parliamentary groups, the socialist and the confederal group of Unidas Podemos, remain silent and do not anticipate their position until they know the content of the amendment that Esquerra is negotiating with the Minister of the Presidency, Félix Bolaños. Parliamentary sources point out that this modification of the Criminal Code – whose purpose is to eliminate the current treatment of the crime, which is indistinct whether there is enrichment of the accused public office or not – is “very delicate” and that, in any case, it must be explained very carefully. good so that citizens understand that it is not intended to reduce the punitive burden of crimes of political corruption.
According to parliamentary sources, it is possible that in the end the coalition partners will only accept a minimal modification that entails a reduction in the sentence in the event that there has been no personal enrichment, but without changing the characterization of the criminal offense or reverting it to its previous wording. to the reform of the PP of 2015. Neither PSOE nor ERC anticipate anything of a negotiation that has turned out to be more delicate than expected, while from the confederal parliamentary group of United We Can, they have not yet made a decision on the direction of the vote of its deputies, despite the fact that the group's president, Jaume Asens, was initially inclined to retrace the penal reform introduced by the PP, understanding that its sole purpose was to pursue independence.
The modification of the penal definition of embezzlement was part, according to Esquerra, of the agreement to eliminate the crime of sedition from the penal code, but its impact has bothered not only the coalition partners but also their parliamentary allies who had expressed its support for the elimination of the crime of sedition. The PNV, for example, which has been openly in favor of this suppression, has not yet ruled on the reform of the crime of embezzlement and is waiting to know the exact content of the amendment before deciding the direction of its vote. . The same goes for EH-Bildu, who is still waiting for more details before taking a position. Compromís was more explicit and already announced on Tuesday that it does not seem like a good idea and that it is not the most opportune moment to face this modification. Its spokesman in Congress, Joan Baldoví, asked the coalition government for "extreme caution." The majority of the legislature is uncomfortable.
