United We Can once again demand that the PSOE resume negotiations on the reform of the 'only yes is yes' law. The minority partner of the Government shows its willingness to reach an agreement, but continues to set the non-exclusion of consent from the Penal Code as a red line. The Minister for Equality, Irene Montero, has prescribed this morning a "united response" from the Executive to the reduction of sentences for sexual offenders, but she has regretted that the socialist formation has not sat down to negotiate.
Faced with the trickle of reductions and releases, the PSOE alone presented a proposal in Congress to reform the law to which the lower house itself had given the green light last August. In the plenary session on March 7, the consideration of the socialist proposal will be voted on, which aims to curb the "undesired effects" of the law, but there is still no agreement either within the coalition or with the forces of the investiture bloc .
"At the moment they have not sat down at the table again," said Minister Irene Montero, in statements to TV3. However, the head of Equality has promised to "work until the last second" to reach an agreement with the Socialists. The pact, yes, must "preserve the consent" of the Criminal Code, as claimed by the purple formation on a recurring basis. And it is that this is, in the opinion of the minister, the "main advance in terms of violence against women" of the legislature.
The president of UP in Congress, Jaume Asens, has also lamented the absence of ongoing negotiations, but has spoken openly of "informal contacts." Asens has revealed on TVE that last week he met with the Minister of Justice, Pilar Llop. For the leader of Podemos, now it is the turn of those of Pedro Sánchez: he has summoned them to respond to the decalogue of seven proposals that the minority partner has prepared.
The disagreement with the PSOE contrasts with the closest positions between United We Can and other forces of the majority that have given stability to the Government of Pedro Sánchez. Montero has presumed that all of them have "the desire for an agreement that puts consent at the center." "We have a close relationship and we talk regularly," said the head of Equality, referring to parties like Esquerra or EH Bildu.
Despite the fact that the first vote on the reform will be held on Tuesday of next week and that an entente is not in sight in the coming days, United We Can see it as “feasible” to reach an agreement after the fact. In this case it would be in the amendment phase. Jaume Asens has highlighted his "optimism" about the outcome, since he understands that "there are not so many differences" between what Equality proposes and what Justice proposes.
Even so, this distance is enough at this time for UP to consider that it is "far" from supporting the start of the reform process on the 7th in Congress.
