There are interpretations of all colors about the reforms announced in the Penal Code. Within the independence world, as happened with her commitment to dialogue, Esquerra found herself practically alone again defending the repeal of sedition and changes in the crime of aggravated public disorder. The rest, from parties to entities, opposed it. This time, even Òmnium Cultural was of the opinion that the changes in public disorder are harmful, although it does approve of the elimination of sedition.
Going in parts Pere Aragonès made an institutional statement yesterday morning in which he stated that "the agreement is a sign that persevering in your goals bears fruit and that persevering in your ideas serves to reach agreements". A few words with which he sought to stand up to his dialogue strategy. He considered that it is “a very important step to put an end to all forms of repression”, but he invited the rest of the pro-independence forces to unite to advance in the dejudicialization and amnesty, and in the referendum. He did not mention embezzlement when asked if his modification would be added, but he recalled that issues can still be changed during the congressional process.
Marta Vilalta, ERC spokesperson, later expressed herself in a similar line. All the reforms agreed with the PSOE and United We Can are beneficial, she said. But she recognized a difficulty: that there is no certainty that the objective conditions will end up improving so that "more repression" cannot be applied, because in the end, it is the judges who interpret the rules.
All in all, the Republicans got hit hard. Jordi Turull, general secretary of Junts, assured in RAC1 that there is no repeal of the sedition, but "a name change". Carles Puigdemont, unlike Marta Vilalta, does not see any "political benefit" even if prison sentences are reduced. In addition, he considers that with the suppression of this crime, the Government tries to liquidate its legal strategy at a European level. Still in the Junts environment, Laura Borràs stated: "The remedy for aggravated public disorder could be worse than the disease of sedition."
With public disorder reform there is a lot of controversy. The CUP rejects the abolition of the crime of sedition because "it puts difficulties in the way of independence." But he completely disapproves of the changes in public disorder, since he maintains that with the term "intimidation" added to "violence" introduced in article 557 of the Penal Code and the specification that whoever "invades facilities or buildings" can be sentenced to prison , any mobilization in the street can be subject to criminal sanctions.
The ANC also believed that the repeal seeks to "punish" the independence mobilization and the 1-O "for invading facilities and buildings." Òmnium disagrees with the ANC on the sedition. He approves the elimination, although “it is not a solution for everyone”. But he deeply discusses the modifications in public disorders, which are "a step forward in the criminalization of dissidence" and in the "persecution of protest."
For its part, the PSC denied, as Aragonès did, that 1-O was not a crime. "The behaviors of 2017 are not decriminalized... and no amnesty," Salvador Illa stressed. In any case, he affirmed that he is going “in the right direction”.
