Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Spain thrown into crisis after top court blocks judicial reform

Spain thrown into crisis after top court blocks judicial reform

Pedro Sánchez says opposition move ‘has no precedent in the democratic history of our country.’
Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has warned that the top court’s decision to block a parliamentary initiative has unleashed an institutional crisis that is without precedent in the country’s modern era and among European democracies.

The Socialist prime minister was speaking the day after the Constitutional Court had accepted an appeal by opposition conservatives against a government amendment of the judiciary, thus halting the legislation’s passage through parliament.

Last week, Congress approved the change, which reduces the parliamentary majority needed to appoint senior judges. However, the court ruling prevents the legislation from proceeding to the Senate, where it was due to be voted on later this week.

In a televised statement, Sánchez said he accepted the court ruling but it meant that “for the first time, our legitimate representatives, democratically elected by Spaniards … are being prevented from carrying out their representative duty.”

He added that this situation “has no precedent in the democratic history of our country, nor in Europe’s institutional spaces.”

The prime minister blamed the clash on the conservative Popular Party (PP), which presented the appeal against the amendment, having claimed it violated constitutional norms after being included at the last minute as part of the government’s reform of the penal code.

Sánchez accused the PP of trying to use the judiciary to wield political power that it had lost in elections.

Sánchez’s Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) and its junior coalition partner, Unidas Podemos (UP), had called for two of the Constitutional Court’s judges to be recused, arguing that their tenures had expired and so they were effectively ruling on their own future. However, that claim was rejected.

The court’s decision now means that a four-year impasse caused by a disagreement between the PSOE and the PP over the appointment of new judges is set to continue. Sánchez said his government will continue to seek a solution to the standoff.

PP leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo welcomed the ruling and said that the government had violated constitutional rules with its attempt to reform the judiciary, claiming that Sánchez had drifted toward “extremist populism.”

“This is an outlandish legislature that undermines the democratic tradition of our country,” he said. “The government is obsessed with controlling our state institutions.”

The court ruling does not affect other changes that Congress approved as part of the penal code reform. They include the elimination of the crime of sedition and reductions of sanctions for misuse of public funds in certain cases. The opposition has accused the government of pandering to Catalan nationalists with both changes.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Hungary's Prime Minister Criticizes NATO's Role in Ukraine
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Hungarian Scientist to Conduct 30 Research Experiments on the International Space Station
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
International Astronaut Team Launched to Space Station
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
Oil Prices Set to Surge After US Strikes Iran
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
×