Moncloa does not resolve the crisis with ERC despite offering to investigate at the CNI

The Government has been able to test that the crisis of confidence that it is going through with ERC, its essential partner in the legislature, is deeper than it warned. Much more. Minister Félix Bolaños, the president’s right-hand man and his pilot for all sensitive matters, traveled to Barcelona this Sunday to offer the ‘consellera’ of the Presidency, Laura Vilagrà, four ways to clarify the alleged espionage of more than 60 leaders and independence activists, including an internal investigation into the National Intelligence Center (CNI). But none of those exits satisfied the Government, they are “insufficient, vague“. The meeting, of about two hours, did not go “well“, the “answers” that the Generalitat expected were not offered, summarized Vilagrà. Despite the extreme coldness shown by the ‘consellera’, despite the fact that the fracture remains open, in Moncloa they say they are confident that their bet will work, that tension will be redirected, “steps” have been taken and that in the end the independence movement will understand it and will make its “way”, because “there is no other”. Because the offer, the “will” to clarify the ‘Catalangate’, in the words of the head of the Presidency, is sincere, “unequivocal“.

The Generalitat made an effort to exhibit and stage that lack of “confidence” in the Executive of Pedro Sánchez. The ‘consellera’ took Bolaños to her office, suggested leaving the cell phones out of the room and they both sat at the ends of a table that seemed infinite, she with a visible long face, and he with the book with which he gave her, ‘In defense of the conversation‘, by Sherry Turkle. Almost at the same time, the Ombudsman, an institution led by former socialist minister Ángel Gabilondo, communicated (pertinently) that it was opening an investigation into the eventual use “inappropriate” from the spy program pegasus and the possible violation of fundamental rights. Investigations that were immediately applauded by the Ministry of Defense, on whom the CNI depends.

Bolaños explained to Vilagrà the four tools or “solutions” proposed by the Executive. One, the opening of an “internal control of the CNI, at the request of this same body, to analyze the existing measures and their application.” Two, the “full disposition” of the center to “facilitate and collaborate in the actions” that the Ombudsman will initiate. Three, urge the groups to constitute the commission of official secrets “as soon as possible“, with the participation of all the forces “without exception” – that is, that Bildu and ERC are there, vetoed by the PP, especially the first, but also Vox. In that body, which meets behind closed doors and whose revelations they cannot be public, the director of the CNI would appear, Peace Stephen. And fourth way, the “full collaboration of the Government with the justice system” and its “willingness to declassify” all the documents necessary to “ascertain the facts”.

The minister maintained that the Executive “understands the worry and concern“of those who have denounced having been spied on. But he did not give more details because the official secrets law and the one that regulates the CNI prevents the provision of reserved information. That is the great stumbling block for the Government, the ties that the legislation imposes and that has Bolaños could not confirm to the ‘consellera’, therefore, if Spanish intelligence made use of the two Israeli-made programs, Pegasus and Candiru, to spy on sovereignism from 2017 to 2020.

Bolaños announces a control of the CNI for the alleged espionage of independentistas https://t.co/xHemQOtM98 pic.twitter.com/mlMjmbRlIp

– Europe Press TV (@europapress_tv) April 24, 2022

But he did insist that the Executive It has nothing to hide” and that everything has been done in accordance with the law (that is, with judicial protection), and precisely for this reason it facilitates the investigation and wants the secret commission to be established now. On this last point, he did not say how, but the Socialists, as this newspaper has already advanced, are studying forcing the unblocking by lowering the three-fifths majority necessary to elect the deputy members of the body, preventing ‘de facto’ the PP’s veto.

The quote was “cordial, sincere and correct“. But Vilagrà’s reading was radically opposite. The meeting “it has not gone well“, he declared, and with that he made it clear that the wound is bleeding. “We cannot be satisfied with the explanations. They are totally insufficient, vague, unspecific and of uncertain results. Such a serious case requires clarity, honesty and assumption of responsibilities by those who have spied on us,” he said.

The Government wants to know now, without delay, “who ordered the wiretaps”, who was aware of the monitoring, “what has been done” with the data obtained. And it demands to obtain guarantees that the espionage does not reproduce. And demands “resignations of those responsible”. The ‘consellera’ predicted “serious consequences” if the Executive “does not move”, and stressed that “cosmetic” solutions are not worth it. She also warned that if Moncloa tried to guarantee the ERC’s parliamentary support, “he has not succeeded“, because this Sunday’s appointment did not serve to “normalize relations”. “Trusts are brokenwe want concrete results” and if Sánchez does not take more steps, the legislature will become “very difficult”. It will be a real Vietnam for the bipartisan, he came to say.

Despite the reluctance of the Generalitat, Sánchez gets the ball rolling to try to reassure his partners. He will scrutinize the CNI and the Ombudsman will also investigate, in his capacity as high commissioner of the Cortes Generales. Sources close to Gabilondo referred to the law, which emphasizes that “does not receive orders or instructions of any authority”, and works autonomously. Gabilondo did receive and accept the commission from Congress to investigate the sexual abuse of the Church committed by religious within the Catholic Church.

According to article 22 of the organic law that regulates his figure, the Ombudsman can request from the public authorities “all the documents he deems necessary”, including those that are classified. The investigations that he carries out “will be verified within the absolute reserve“, “without prejudice to the considerations” that the institution deems “appropriate to include in its reports” to Congress and the Senate. The same precept indicates that “special protection measures will be provided in relation to documents classified as secret”. That is, that the conclusions of the report that it prepares will be public, but will not contain the data of a reserved nature. In turn, the information that reaches the official secrets commission cannot be disseminated. Hence, ERC is suspicious of a format that does not allow it to give accounts to the independentist universe.

In Moncloa, after listening to the ‘consellera’, they tried to be optimists. Different sources defended, in conversation with this newspaper, that they have occurred “Steps” to restore the relationship. “They know that this is the way. If you have another alternative, let them explain it. We could have proposed a way, and we have put four on the table, and we have shown that we do not act for aesthetics, for paripé. We want to show that there is nothing illegal,” they stressed in the president’s team.

In the Executive they pointed out that the itinerary marked out by Pere Aragonès has been followed: first, investigate, and then purge responsibilities. “And now ERC says it’s not worth it,” they complained. At the top of the Government they appeal to let the spirits calm down and to let the inquiries roll, and they believe that it makes no sense for the Republicans to bet on blowing up the legislature, since “no one would understand“. “From the Government we are determined to redirect this, and we want to show that we act well here and that this it’s not hungary“. In the Cabinet it has hurt that sovereignism compares Spain with the illiberal democracy of Viktor Orbán, when here “the rule of law and individual freedoms” are respected.

“We have opened doors and windows to clarify everything”, the proposals are “powerful”, claimed a prominent member of the Cabinet. The question, now, is whether it will be enough for the independence movement. And everything indicates that it will not.