PP demands CGPJ approval for Peramato's prosecutor general bid

Peramato proposed as Prosecutor General trinc García Ortiz's resignation

The Council of Ministers has initiated the process to appoint Teresa Peramato Martín as the new Prosecutor General of the State, replacing Álvaro García Ortiz, who resigned after being sentenced by the Supreme Court to two years of disqualification. Peramato served as head of the Special Prosecutor's Office against Gender Violence from 2021 to 2025 and is currently Chief Prosecutor of the Incivil Section at the Supreme Court, as well as Delegate Prosecutor for Victim Protection. The appointment has reignited the debate over the independence of the public prosecution service: the PP demands that the post receive the backing of the CGPJ (General Council of the Judiciary) and argues that the issue is not who holds the office, but who appoints them.

A career defined by gender violence cases

Peramato's professional trajectory is almost entirely linked to the fight against male violence against women. In 2005, she was appointed delegate prosecutor for the Gender Violence Section at the Madrid Provincial Prosecutor's Office and was part of the Expert Group of the National Observatory on Violence Against Women, which produced the agency's first annual report in 2007. She is considered one of the driving forces behind judicial specialization in this field.

This profile, theoretically a technical asset, has become the main target of criticism. Some argue that specialization in gender violence acts as an ideological label rather than professional merit, while others contend that this very experience qualifies her for the role. The debate is not new: every time a Prosecutor General is appointed, the discussion shifts from the candidate to the system selecting them.

Why does the PP demand CGPJ approval?

The People's Party (PP) has received the proposal with deep caution. Tellado criticized Sánchez for politicizing the Prosecutor's Office and Yolanda Díaz for encouraging protests against the Supreme Court, summarizing their stance in one phrase: what matters is not the new Prosecutor General, but who appoints her. Feijóo has demanded that the appointment be endorsed by the General Council of the Judiciary. Abascal, for his part, stated he has all his suspicions and reservations.

The fundamental objection is not Peramato's profile, but the mechanism. The Prosecutor General is appointed upon the Government's proposal, without requiring ratification by the judges' governing body. Defenders of the current system argue that the Prosecutor General is legally designed as a position of trust for the Executive, and its adherence to the principle of legality is controlled later, in the courts. Critics respond that a position of trust appointed by those who may be investigated is a contradiction in itself.

The shadow of García Ortiz and the resignation that changed everything

The immediate context is García Ortiz's departure, having been sentenced to two years of disqualification by the Supreme Court. This conviction, the first of such magnitude for a sitting Prosecutor General, has left the office tarnished and turned any successor into a public test. The discussion about Peramato cannot be read without this baggage: less attention is paid to her biography than to the institutional legacy she inherits.

Some argue that the replacement comes too late and that the damage to the Prosecutor's Office credibility is already done. Opposing this is the argument that the institution recovers normally and that the problem was a person, not the system. Regardless, the debate has shifted from 'who' to 'how': the appointment process, the role of the CGPJ, and the relationship between the Government and the public prosecution service now concentrate interest.

A profile that confuses allies and opponents alike

On a more practical level, the conversation has drifted toward the candidate's personal and professional profile. She is described as a prosecutor with extensive experience in gender violence, critical of the Madrid regional government, and there is speculation about her fit for a role marked by high public exposure. Comparisons with other names in the judicial sphere have been inevitable, as has the discussion on whether her specialization makes her a technical or political choice.

The question hovering over the appointment is whether Peramato can exercise the autonomy required by the office when her designation depends on the same Government whose actions she might have to investigate. There is no definitive answer. The process has just begun, and the PP has already announced it will monitor it closely.

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With these elements, the conclusion of the appointment process will be Peramato's first real test. If CGPJ approval is demanded and not granted, the wear and tear will be immediate; if granted, it remains to be seen whether the gesture suffices to rebuild an institution dragging a historic conviction of its top leader.