Congress passes repeat-offender law proposed by Catalan party Junts

On Thursday, the Spanish Congress approved a bill to increase penalties for repeat offenders,with the support of the governing Socialists, the conservative PP, the far-right Vox, and the pro-independence centre-right Junts, the party that proposed the initiative.

When defending the new law, Junts state that "it responds to citizens' demands" and helps fight "impunity" and a cycle of repeat crime. 

The Socialists said repeat offending has hit Catalonia with "special intensity" and argued the reform allows the issue to be addressed from a left-wing perspective, without resorting to "racist rhetoric". 

The PP, who also backed the law, said it will "put an end to impunity" and that "reoffending will no longer be free" in Spain. 

Vox supported the proposal as well, calling the reform "necessary" though "not sufficient" and said it brings the law closer to "what the party has been demanding for years." 

Opposition to the law 

The proposal divided the Spanish government. In fact, leftist-coalition Sumar, the junior partner in the government, warned that "this is an agreement that turns "Vox’s political rhetoric into law" and that the broad support from the Socialists, Vox, PP and Junts creates a "grand coalition experiment." 

This is an unusual alliance that brings the Socialists together with right-wing and conservative parties on a criminal justice issue. 

The left-wing party Podemos also criticized the content and tone of the law, arguing that it targets "petty thieves" while leaving "major criminals and the corrupt" unpunished. 

Catalan left-wing, pro-independence party ERC, abstained from the vote, saying that they do not share what he called "the law's racist narrative." 

However, they acknowledge that the problem exists – pointing to an agreement with the Spanish government to increase the number of judges in Catalonia to "improve the justice system and public safety." 

Thieves to risk one to three years in prison

The reform mainly targets theft. If someone has been convicted at least three times for similar offenses, including at least one minor one, stealing less than €400 can now lead to a prison sentence of one to three years instead of just a fine. 

The law also introduces new aggravating circumstances, including tougher penalties for stealing mobile phones and other electronic devices that may contain personal data, directly targeting pickpocketing, which has long been a problem in Catalonia, especially Barcelona and tourist hotspots 

Theft will also be punished more severely for offenders with at least three prior similar convictions. 

In addition, the law updates the definition of repeat offending, adjusts sentencing rules to match the tougher penalties, and allows convictions from other EU countries to be counted when determining repeat offenses.