European Parliament to hear Justice Commissioner Reynders on Puigdemont case
The European Parliament will request the appearance of European Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders before the Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Committee (LIBE) of the European Parliament to address the implications of the Supreme Court’s decision to open a criminal case for terrorism against former president and Member of the European Parliament Carles Puigdemont. The request follows a move by the People’s Party, and parliamentary sources confirm that LIBE coordinators have agreed to add a hearing with the commissioner to the list of pending exchanges. [EU Parliament]
The appearance will wait until the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe issues its opinion on the amnesty law. The commission requested the report on December 8 from the president of the parliamentary assembly of the Council of Europe, and the draft opinion is expected to be put to a vote for approval in the March 15 and 16 session. [Council of Europe]
Through the end of the current legislative period, three LIBE meetings are planned. The first is scheduled for March 18 and 19, the second for April 8 and 9, and the third for April 18. Considering that Reynders plans to temporarily leave his post to campaign for the presidency of the Council of Europe at the end of March, the only viable option for him to attend would be the March 18-19 meeting, should he accept the request. [Parliamentary sources]
Parliamentary sources indicate that the request, brought forward last Friday by the group of the European People’s Party, received support from the majority of political groups in the coordinators’ meeting. The EPP stated in a press release that the initiative passed with opposition from the Socialists and other left groups. In the same release, the EPP spokesperson in the Parliament, Dolors Montserrat, stressed the importance of hearing Reynders, especially now that the Justice Committee of the Congress has approved an amnesty law seen as tailored to Carles Puigdemont. [EPP Communications]
Montserrat also warned that the fight does not end there and that the EPP will continue to alert the European Commission to the steps taken by the Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez and the risk of approving an amnesty that weakens democracy and the rule of law by granting impunity in exchange for power. As noted by eurodeputy Javier Zarzalejos, the case opened against Puigdemont highlights the responsibility and political corruption tied to the amnesty pact and is an urgent matter for the European Commission to address without delay. [EPP Statement]
The request comes just before a new encounter, with Reynders as mediator, between the EPP and the Socialist group in Strasbourg to try to unblock the renewal of the General Council of the Judiciary (CGPJ). The meeting is planned for the next Wednesday during the European Parliament plenary session in the Alsace capital. [Parliamentary Briefing]