The Diplomat in Spain

The Diplomat

The Commissioner for Justice, Didier Reynders, has decided to postpone until April 25 the start of the period of unpaid leave that he must take to apply for the position of Secretary General of the Council of Europe, in a last attempt to mediate between the PSOE and the PP to unblock the renewal of the General Council of the Judiciary (CGPJ).

This was indicated yesterday by the Europa Press agency. However, the same sources stated that neither the place nor the date for the resumption of contacts is yet known. The commissioner was scheduled to meet yesterday Wednesday in Madrid with the Minister of the Presidency, Félix Bolaños, and the deputy secretary of Institutional Action of the PP, Esteban González Pons, but the meeting was postponed at the request of the PP, supposedly for reasons of the commissioner’s agenda and after Brussels confirmed that the parties needed “more time.”

However, community sources indicated to Europa Press that the reason for the postponement “absolutely” has to do with agenda issues of the commissioner, who “is available” to travel to Madrid “as soon as the parties are ready to meet.”

Last Monday, Reynders requested an unpaid leave of absence from the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, after learning that her name was on the shortlist of finalists to lead the Council of Europe. Von der Leyer’s affirmative response came late yesterday.

Reynders’ mediation meetings with Bolaños and González Pons began in Brussels on January 31. However, the PSOE and PP still have not resolved the differences regarding the timing of the reform of the judicial election model, which the Government wants to leave until after the urgent renewal but which the PP wants to close in a parallel process. Still, Reynders was optimistic after the third meeting in mid-March, saying there was still a “possibility” of an agreement and pledging to “continue working” to help “stabilize” the situation.

Commissioner Reynders had given until the end of March to reach an agreement between the PSOE and the PP on the renewal of the CGPJ, given the possibility that he would have to leave office at that time if his candidacy to occupy the leadership was successful. of the Council of Europe.