The Government defends itself against criticism from the Government: “We have a very clear conscience”

The crisis of the Government with the Generalitat is more lacerating every day, but the Moncloa can’t find the way yet to cover the enormous water leak that is open. For the moment, he maintains his commitment to the mechanisms promoted to clarify the alleged espionage of more than 60 pro-independence leaders and activists, mainly through the Israeli malware Pegasus. He proclaims that he has “taken the initiative”, that he is not “hiding”. And something else: he ensures that he has the “very clear conscience“, because he believes that all the procedures (that is, the alleged follow-ups, if they have occurred, which at this point already seem indisputable) have been adjusted to the law.

The Government suffers every day with the questions that come from the media and, above all, from the oppositionespecially from groups that are allies of the investiture, such as ERC and Bildu, alleged victims of accredited wiretapping by Citizen Lab and published by ‘The New Yorker’ a little over a week ago. It cannot give concrete data, because it is prevented by the official secrets act of 1968 —it was reformed in democracy, but there is no new legal text, although the Executive promised to do so— and the regulatory norm of the National Intelligence Center (CNI), of 2002both very strict.

Hence the verbal contortionism to which the Government is forced, and which was evidenced this Tuesday after the meeting of the Council of Ministers at a press conference in which the head of the Presidency, Félix Bolaños, Pedro Sánchez’s strong man, recalled that the Spanish intelligence works and must continue working”silent“, because it is in his very nature. The imminent danger for the president is that his shock plan against the consequences of the war in Ukraine founders on Thursday due to lack of support, which is why Bolaños called on the groups not to act so that can “harm” citizens.

The minister stressed that the Executive “is very calm“, has a “clear conscience”, because he has put on the table measures of “transparency” so that “the facts are clarified” and “knowledge of the truth” is obtained, although the Government considers them insufficient. They are the ones that he himself took to the ‘consellera’ Laura Vilagrà last Sunday in Barcelona: internal control of the CNI, willingness to collaborate with the Ombudsman, appearance in the commission of official secrets and declassification of reserved documents if the Justice requires it. , he said, it is essential to demonstrate and ensure that the institutions work and have worked “with all the guarantees“.

more dialogue

For the Government, the meeting with Vilagrà did not unravel the conflict, much less. This same Tuesday, even, the Consell Executiu approved restricting relations with Madrid as much as possible until it is clarified what has happened. The reading of the Moncloa is different: the appointment was “very positive“Because Dialogue Is”hallmark” of Sánchez’s mandate, so that to “greater difficulties”, such as those that the two parties are now going through, “greater doses of dialogue”. It was the way in which Bolaños responded to this greater tension with Barcelona.

The Executive has not been able to publicly deny or confirm that it ordered the espionage. The minister did underline that the intelligence services, here in Spain and abroad, “serve to save lives and protect citizens“, and they do it “every day and in silence, and that is how it should be and should continue to be”. That is to say, the CNI can intercept communications, with judicial authorization, if it understands that it is necessary to preserve its mission, consigned in the article 1 of the law that regulates it: “Prevent and avoid any danger, threat or aggression against the independence or territorial integrity of Spain“.

Bolaños denied that there is “lack of control” within the CNI, but as information from ‘The New Yorker’he alleged, has been able to “cast shadows” on his actions, the center has asked to undergo an exercise of “internal control” to “clarify the facts” and that there be “warranty“full that all its actions have been carried out” in accordance with the law.

The Government, however, calls for an investigation commission in Congress and for heads to roll. Is the government going to do more? The minister insisted that it is convenient for him to leave “Step by Step“, and the current phase is that of internal investigation, that of “completely clarifying”, with “total transparency”, what has happened, and that later Congress, through the official secrets commission, which will finally be constituted this week, have access to confidential information. Executive sources added that the estimate is that the investigations are completed in an “agile” manner. In other words, the investigation within the CNI will be completed in a short time. Pere Aragonès gave Sánchez one week termand the Government, Bolaños pointed out, is aware of the “concern” that is spreading in Catalonia.

#Live | Bolaños “does not imagine that any deputy can vote against the interests of citizens” in the decree in response to the war and says that the Government is always open to dialogue pic.twitter.com/jctGHUoTxa

— Europe Press (@europapress) April 26, 2022

“Think what those affected think”

The head of the Presidency ruled out, yes, the route of the investigation commission. “It does not make any sense“, he justified, because those appearing could not give “any information” to their Lordships, relying on the law of official secrets and that of the CNI, so that instrument “it would be of little use“. Where classified documentation can be provided is in the reserved expenses commission of Congress, he recalled. Bolaños stressed that the “contribution” of the Government is that opening of “doors and windows”, that all groups, without exception, can access to all the data, because in the Executive they are “very calm”, aware that “everything has been done in accordance with the law”.

For that same conviction, the Cabinet rules out dismissals for now. “The goal is that we can, without any, be clear that our institutions always operate in accordance with the law, with all the guaranteesaffect whoever it affects and think what the affected people think”, in this case, due to the alleged espionage. In other words, there will be no resignations or falls just because the independence groups and United We Can claim it.

The validation of royal decree law in response to the war in Ukraine He does not have guaranteed support right now. Bolaños asked the groups to separate the Pegasus case from Thursday’s vote, because no one would understand that parties like ERC reject a text that helps citizens for allegedly following their leaders. They are different “flats,” he argued. “That is why I call on all political forces to do not harm citizens“, recalled the minister who, like the spokeswoman, Isabel Rodríguez, reviewed some of the measures contained in the regulation, such as the discount on gasoline, the reduction in taxes on the electricity bill, the increase in the minimum vital income, the cap on rents or direct aid to the most affected sectors.

.@meritxell_batet forces the deadlines to create the secrets commission https://t.co/kJ2p1kUi6n pic.twitter.com/Cu48Sx1OUT

– Europe Press TV (@europapress_tv) April 26, 2022

First contact with Pons

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Rodríguez called Alberto Núñez Feijóo’s PP directly to yes (in fact, he expects support), because the vocation for consensus “is practiced”, not only preached. Of course, the spokeswoman made it clear that changes in the decree will not be accepted to satisfy the popular. The Government is going to analyze them, but understands that it proposes solutions “From the past“and not those recommended by international organizations, which are aid to sectors or taxing electricity companies that receive extraordinary benefits. In addition, Moncloa is waiting for the PP’s responses to the 11 consensus proposals that Sánchez offered to Feijóo at their meeting of last April 7.

The dialogue between the second echelons, on the other hand, has already begun. After the new leader of the PP communicate to the president that his envoys to speak with the Government are Esteban Gonzalez Pons (in matters of Justice) and Juan Bravo (for Economy), a first conversation was established between the first, deputy secretary of Institutional of the conservatives, and Bolaños. Both agreed to continue talking, discreetly. In the hands of both, the unlocking of the renewal of the General Council of the Judiciary, which was impossible during the mandate of Pablo Casado.