The Government will save this Thursday another difficult vote. With the ‘Pegasus case’ straining the relationship with ERC, the Executive has obtained the support of the PP to continue processing the reform of the National Security law. The popular have announced that they will vote against the amendments to the totality presented by the Catalan republicans and by JxCat, preventing the modification proposed by the Government that will allow the intervention of the State to guarantee essential resources in crisis situations.
With the investiture block disarmed after learning of the espionage of more than 60 leaders and activists of the Basque and Catalan independence movement, the Government faced this Thursday what could have been the second vote it lost during the legislature. The two amendments to the entirety of JxCat and the ERC, as well as the alternative text amendment to ERC, they left the continuity of the bill to modify the National Security Law of 2015 in the hands of the right-wing formations. However, the sense of the early vote by the conservatives gives the Government the necessary calm to face the vote without fear.
“This is a punctual and specific modification, which does not affect its essential content. The only thing that is intended is to guarantee that the strategic resources available to the State are adequate to face a crisis and provide the State with tools to anticipate to crises and streamline decision-making”, defended the Minister of the Presidency, Félix Bolaños, from the platform of the Congress of Deputies.
The response to criticism
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Bolaños wanted to respond to some of the objections presented by ERC and JxCat. Specifically, he has denied that he changes anything in matter of regional competences regarding the National Security Law approved in 2015. He has even recalled that this rule has already been reviewed by the Constitutional Court and he did not receive any reproach in this regard.
It has also rejected the criticism that it should be an organic law since it affects fundamental rights since it includes the possibility of mobilize citizens in the event of a situation of interest to National Security. Bolaños explained that when modifying a previous law, it must have the same nature and that, in addition, the “personal contribution” is already included in other regulations, such as the Law 17/2015 of the National Civil Protection System which has a wording practically the same as the one proposed now.