PSOE and PP freeze extension of powers of Bank of Spain, CNMC and Central Electoral Commission “until September”

Until the Bank of Spain’s leadership is renewed, the PSOE and PP will not begin finalising changes to the National Commission for Markets and Competition (CNMC), nor the Central Electoral Commission. So: negotiations on the electionsI will replace Pablo Hernandez de Cos He found himself suddenly stuck in the post of governor due to the government’s refusal to put forward an alternative candidacy for minister for consideration. Jose Luis EscrivaIn fact, those responsible for unblocking meetings are Felix Bolaños (PSOE) and Cook Gamarra (PP), stopped negotiations after a month and a half, EL MUNDO has learned.

Until the executive branch abandons Escriva, the PP considers negotiations impossible and therefore frozen. In principle, “until September”, according to sources familiar with the conversations, although everything will depend on the will of the executive branch. Because? Just like that Pedro Sanchez proposes another candidate, the PP will study him in August “without problems”.

But in Genoa they don’t believe it. In fact, they fear that the socialist leader will deviate from the unwritten rule, but always ensures that the two main parties agree on the names of the governor (a position determined by the government with the approval of the PP) and his name. number two (on the contrary). In Moncloa they assure that they want to reach an agreement and demand that the PP not “justify itself” as it did with the CGPJ. popular They respond that it is not their turn to move and that they are “in no hurry.”

So far, the only name that Minister Bolaños has mentioned in his talks with Gamarra is number two from Alberto Nunez Feijoo— this is the current Minister of Digital Transformation. And popular They are categorically refusing – as this newspaper claims – not because Escriva does not have the level or profile to be governor of the Bank of Spain, but because it would be a very clear “revolving door”: he would leave the Council of Spain, the ministers who head the regulator and supervisory authority for banking. He would move from promoting pension reform to independently evaluating it.

Sanchez claims that this has already happened in other countries, but Genoa responds that this is the exact opposite of what both sides agreed upon when unblocking the judiciary: there must always be a period of time between a position leaving politics and taking up the highest independent position.

“Our commitment to democratic renewal and our aim to improve guarantees for the independence of institutions, regulators and independent authorities means that no one can move directly from government to a position in these organisations,” PP sources say.

The negotiations were going well, but they were confronted with the government’s insistence on Escriva. In fact, the PP had not even proposed the name of the deputy governor. Until it was agreed who would make the first move. According to sources consulted, Feijóo had ordered Gamarra to do just that.

He was also instructed to act in an orderly manner and not to close the CNMC agreement until the Bank of Spain is unblocked. The government is ready to offer the woman not only the position of deputy governor proposed by the PP, but also two positions on the CNMC board out of five, which must be renewed.

The PP hopes that the Ministry of Economy will ultimately influence the proposal of the independent candidate. We must not forget that the minister Carlos Bodi worked with Escriva at the Independent Authority for Fiscal Responsibility (Airef) and their relationship is not very close.

Deadline

There is a date that the PP considers “the limit”. He 10 September The term of the deputy governor of the Bank of Spain expires. Margarita Delgadowhich temporarily performs the core functions of the organization. Therefore, if an agreement is not reached on that day, the institutional vacuum will be difficult to justify.

But the PP emphasizes that there will be agreement with a single change of the executive committee. And that is when the CNMC will also be unblocked, for which the negotiators have already discussed the profiles, compliance and origin of the five appointments that will be filled. With a good melody.

Also looming on the horizon of hypothetical agreements are new appointments to the Central Electoral Commission, which has been in power for seven months. supportIn this case, the agreement will be inevitable and will not take Vox into account.

And at the end of the year, the CNMV president’s term of office will expire. Bolaños and Gamarra are in no particular hurry in this case either. Even in appointing a top leader National Energy Commissionfor the simple and compelling reason that this organism has not even been created yet.