Together, the PP and the PSOE agree on multiple recidivism

In the climate of extreme polarization in Madrid, the agreement reached on Junts' bill to combat repeat offenders is truly surprising. The text had been stalled for a year, but it was revived this Thursday after the bill's drafting committee report received the support of the PSOE, the PNV, and, remarkably, the PP and Vox. This move is disconcerting because Junts' initiative has generated an unprecedented consensus in Spanish politics and shifted the PSOE's center of gravity to the right, as the Socialists have abandoned their usual left-wing partners. In any case, the maneuver demonstrates several things. The first is that the PSOE is willing to make moves to secure Junts' support. But so is the PP, because what is strange is that the Popular Party and Vox would agree to add their votes to the Socialists, whom they accuse daily of being a "mafia," and thus facilitate another parliamentary victory for Pedro Sánchez. The PSOE needs to win several votes in Congress to demonstrate that the legislature is still alive, regardless of the parliamentary makeup. That's why it's surprising that the PP and Vox are making things easier for them in this particular case. Secondly, Junts is currently the party with the greatest capacity to influence votes in Congress, as it can form alliances with both the PSOE and the PP. In fact, regarding the law against repeat offenders, Junts has managed to square the circle, incorporating changes proposed by both parties without either of them withdrawing from the agreement. It's also clear that Junts's aim is not to bring down the Sánchez government, but to gain maximum influence. And from that perspective, the split is acting as a catalyst for change.

The Junts text proposes a general tightening of penalties to combat a phenomenon that generates considerable public discontent. It proposes punishing the theft of "mobile, computer, or communication devices, or electronic or technological devices" with between one and three years in prison. This type of theft is thus added to the aggravated offense category, as it is not currently included in the Penal Code. Furthermore, in the case of petty thefts—amounts less than 400 euros—which are currently punished only with a fine, those who commit more than three will be punished with imprisonment. The aim is to avoid the perception that these repeat offenders "go in one door and out the other." However, the reality is more complex and cannot be solved simply by increasing penalties. Often, this impunity is more a product of the courts being overburdened than the sentences themselves, so what should be done is to invest more in reducing trial waiting times. This should be the next step if we truly want to combat this type of chronic crime.