The controversy over the “only yes is yes” law has become the biggest source of wear and tear on the coalition government. The tension reached its peak around March 8, International Women’s Day, but is now reactivated in the final stretch of its parliamentary process. The reform promoted by the PSOE alone is expected to be definitively approved on April 20 in Congress and today United We Can has raised, on the horn, its amendments to the socialist proposal.
These amendments are in line –are “very very similar, not to say identical”, say the Socialists- of which ERC and EH Bildu already presented last week. It is so clear the alliance between the purples and these partners of the Executive, as opposed to the more moderate side represented by Yolanda Díaz, that it prefers to mark distances instead of weaving synergies, and they also seek to dismantle the initiative of the PSOE. This, because it places violence as an aggravating factor, which raises the penalties for rape to a range comparable to homicide.
From the “respect” to the amendments that the rest of the groups have presented, socialist sources dispatch the proposal of their partners. “These amendments do not solve the undesired effects, these undesired effects are resolved with the proposal of a socialist law”, they settle. It has not been negotiated nor is a future negotiation expected. The spokesperson for the PSOE, Pilar Alegría, has publicly stated along these lines, calling for not to confuse “closeness with feminism” and congratulated himself that We can recognize that there is a “problem” with the star law of Equality.
“When one proposes some amendments it is because they recognize that there is an error and something must be changed. These amendments do not correct that error and do not avoid those undesired effectswhich is what the PSOE bill prevents”, Alegría assured. that has not been achieved, given these undesired effects “The PSOE acted with its proposal and that bill is the one that avoids these undesired effects.”
In the rejection of the Podemos amendments it is also, beyond considering them “identical” to those of ERC and Bildu, that the Socialists do not appreciate any news about the proposals that their partners already sent them during the bilateral negotiation that was held at the level government, before jumping to the Congress of Deputies with the rest of the groups. In Moncloa they consider that locating violence as an aggravating circumstance would disproportionately raise the penalties and would end with the due graduation on the penological scale. The PSOE is now in the hands of the PP to be able to carry out the “only yes is yes” reform.