Pedro Sanchez He changes his mind again to please one of his partners. The PSOE has now agreed to apply the law registered by the PNV to increase political control over the CNI, a rule whose main objective is to allow MPs to access details of the activities of the intelligence services.
The PSOE had already rejected this measure in the past, considering that a reform of such magnitude should come from the Executive and not from the parliamentary groups, but today the situation is different. Sánchez’s parliamentary weakness forces him to build bridges with the investment partners and this is a rule of particular importance for the PNV.
The Congress of Deputies accepted on Tuesday the consideration of the rule proposed by the Basque nationalists, which also aims to have the director of the Center report to the President of the Government and not to the Minister of Defense, as is currently the case. The intention is to establish political responsibilities more clearly.
It is also requested that the activities of the CNI be authorized by a collegiate body composed of three magistrates of the Supreme Courtin some cases unanimously, which now corresponds to a single magistrate, to preserve the secrecy of the debates.
Intelligence experts believe that such reforms could complicate the CNI’s work and over-bureaucratize its activities, which could imply a deterioration in the way it conducts its operations.
Beyond the experts, the epicenter of this reform aims for the political responsibilities of the intelligence services to be assumed directly by Moncloa. Since Sánchez came to the government in 2018, the appointment of the director goes through the Ministry of Defense, whose owner is Marguerite Robles.
While it is obvious that the President of the Government approves the appointment of a position of such importance, the fact that it does not depend organically on the Presidency can serve as a firewall in the event of controversy. If the law were definitively approved, this would no longer be the case and it would be the President of the Government who would have to answer for it.
The PNV has already registered a very similar law in 2022 following the Pegasus Affair. At that time, it was learned that the mobile phones of dozens of Spanish politicians had been spied on thanks to this program, sold only to the States. Among those affected was the then president of Catalonia, Father Aragonès.
The director of the CNI at the time, Paz Estebanwas rejected as a result of this affair and the case has become the bête noire of the independentists and nationalists, partners of Sánchez and who now have more power than before due to the parliamentary weakness of the government.
Even though the independentists managed to claim the head of Paz Esteban, the PSOE and United we can They voted in 2022 against taking into account the rule proposed by the PNV. Groups such as PP and Vox also voted against, which led to the decline of the rule.
On the Government side, they assured, in private, that the reform did not satisfy them because it went against the general interests and, in public, that something of such importance should come from the Executive with the corresponding legal reports and that they were already working on a bill on classified information that would address the issue.
But today, the situation is radically different. The weakness of Parliament and the need to satisfy the partners who contribute to maintaining the legislative power led the PSOE and Sumar to vote in favor this time and allow the bill to be considered to continue its parliamentary process. The PSOE claimed that “times have changed” and that the 20-year-old law needs to be updated.
However, for the PNV, this is not yet a broad victory, but rather a temporary victory. Taking it into consideration does not imply that it is approved. in itself And groups can introduce enough amendments to change the goals. Additionally, processing may be slowed down.
