The President of the Spanish Government, Pedro Sánchez, on Wednesday affirmed that the approval last week in Congress of the General State Budget project is a “clear example” of who the Executive governs for. These public accounts include “the largest social investment at a time when the social majority of our country most needs to be protected,” he pointed out in his response to deputy Concepción Gamarra, from the opposition Partido Popular Parliamentary Group. The taxes on large energy and financial entities and the tax on large fortunes also show, in the president’s opinion, that they are guided by the interest of that vast majority.
Specifically, Sánchez mentioned the more than 20 million members of Social Security, the more than 2.5 million workers who have an indefinite contract thanks to the labour reform, the 9 million pensioners who will see their pensions revalued according to the CPI, the 29 million electricity consumers and the 8 million gas consumers to whom IVA has been reduced and the 2 million beneficiaries of free transport. In addition, he has maintained that the government’s measures have managed to control inflation, which affects all citizens.
In his speech, the president also argued in favour of the appointment this week of the two magistrates of the Constitutional Court that the Government is responsible for appointing, in accordance with article 159.1 of the Constitution. Sánchez has maintained that it is “perfectly democratic and constitutional to defend the suitability of these two people for such high responsibilities.” “What is not democratic and constitutional is to block the renewal of the General Council of the Judiciary and the Constitutional Court,” he assured.
In his reply to the deputy Santiago Abascal, from the Vox Parliamentary Group, the head of the Executive has denied that the presence of the Guardia Civil in Navarra is being reduced. “Since I am President of the Government, there are 1,581 civil guards in the Foral Community of Navarra, that is, 94 more than there were 4 years ago,” said Pedro Sánchez.
The president has added that the transfer of traffic powers to that community means “compliance with the Foral Statute of Navarra and, therefore, with the Spanish Constitution.”
Sánchez has rejected the use in the Chamber of “sexist insults”, “traces” against political opponents and statements to “poison coexistence”. In addition, he recalled that Vox did not present “not a single amendment” to the General Budget project for the year 2023.
The president has expressed “the firm intention” of the Executive to ensure that the Canary Islands are in the working group with Morocco on the delimitation of maritime spaces on the Atlantic coast. As Sánchez explained, there is a representative designated by the Government of the Canary Islands who participates in the meetings “that require his presence”, “in application of the powers and the Statute of the Canary Islands”. As an example of this role, he pointed out that the delegate joined the Spanish delegation in the meetings held with Morocco in June and October.
“In this process, the Government of the Canary Islands, all the political parties, the whole of Canarian society can rest assured that the Government of Spain will continue to fulfil its commitments and defend the interests of the Canary Islands and the Spain as a whole”, stated Sánchez.
The head of the Executive has underlined the special interest that the relationship between Spain and Morocco has for the Canary Islands due to their geographical proximity and the human, economic and all kinds of ties they maintain with the neighbouring country. Precisely for this reason, he stated, the Canary Islands is one of the autonomous communities that benefits the most from the new stage that began between Spain and Morocco on April 7.
