A conference aimed at addressing judicial efficiency in Spain faced a drastic turn of events on April 5, 2025, when the Justice Ministers from seven autonomous communities governed by the Popular Party (PP) decided to stage a walkout in response to perceived inadequacies in the agenda presented by the Minister of Justice, Félix Bolaños.

The scheduled event was intended to focus on the implementation of the newly enacted Judicial Efficiency Law, but tensions boiled over during a preparatory meeting at the Recinto Modernista San Pau in Barcelona.

The pre-conference meeting, described by participants as 'tense,' lasted approximately 30 minutes with all attendees standing.

Sources from the Ministry expressed that the situation was 'unexpected' and lamented the rapid disintegration of what they had envisioned as a constructive dialogue.

The conflict arose primarily from the Ministers' concerns that critical topics including financing, normative development, and the introduction of teleworking were not adequately addressed in the agenda, which included only one general point about the 'State of Implementation of the New Organizational Model of the MPJRC in the Autonomous Communities with Transferred Competences.'

Ministers had previously expressed their intentions to deliberate and vote on various issues related to the Judicial Efficiency Law, as articulated in a formal letter sent to Bolaños just prior to the conference.

They criticized the limited agenda as 'shameful' given the conference's importance.

As the PP Ministers arrived, they voiced skepticism about the authenticity of the conference, suggesting it was merely a means to project an image of negotiation while the Ministry primarily engaged with separatist parties.

Gathering outside the venue, they communicated their refusal to participate unless their demands for a more comprehensive agenda were met, characterizing the situation as a 'waste of time.'

Following discussions with Bolaños, the ministers retreated to an anteroom where further discussions ensued.

Reports from participants indicate that the conversation became increasingly confrontational, with Bolaños perceived to be in a 'threatening' stance towards the Ministers.

In comments following the walkout, Bolaños remarked on the changing nature of the PP's approach to politics, suggesting they had increasingly aligned with more confrontational tactics.

He characterized their tactics as indicative of 'institutional recklessness,' alleging that they were abandoning established political norms.

Only the ministers from the Basque Country, Catalonia, Asturias, Canarias, and Navarra remained with Bolaños after the PP's departure, leading to the cancellation of the intended discussions due to a lack of quorum, as the PP represented the majority among the conference's participants.

The fallout from this event signifies a substantial fracture in collaborative governance structures within Spain's regional political landscape.