The acting President of the Government and candidate for re-election, Pedro Sánchez, announced during the investiture session in the Congress of Deputies the extension of the reduction in the value added tax (IVA) on food until June 2024 and free public transport, as of January 1, for all minors and young people and for unemployed people.
Sánchez has also announced that in the coming months the average income threshold will be raised from the current 30,000 euros to 38,000 euro so that more families can benefit from the mortgage relief measures in force.
“This consists of freezing the monthly payment for one year and extending the repayment period to seven years,” explained the acting head of the Executive during his first intervention in the investiture debate.
Likewise, the acting President has declared the coalition Government’s intention to enact an increase in the minimum wage (SMI) to accompany the rise in prices and guarantee the commitment that it reaches 60% of the Average Wage in Spain.
On the other hand, Sánchez has highlighted the proposal to reduce the working day to 37.5 hours per week for all workers.
Furthermore, Sánchez has confirmed that he will maintain the youth cultural bonus in the next legislature after two editions in progress – a measure that was already contemplated in the Government pact between PSOE and Sumar.
In his speech, the political leader has also alluded to the current cultural situation in several of the town councils led by the PP and Vox, denouncing that “books have been removed” from municipal libraries and concerts, films and plays have been “censored”.
The acting president of the Government and candidate for the investiture, Pedro Sánchez, committed this Wednesday to carrying out a great State Mental Health pact that will increase the number of psychologists and psychiatrists in the National Health System (SNS).
“We are going to reduce waiting times and guarantee that in Spain there is not a single citizen who needs psychological help and cannot obtain it,” he stated during his first intervention in the investiture debate in the Congress of Deputies.
He also announced a general boost to the health service, “It is unacceptable that a citizen has to wait more than three months to have an initial consultation with a specialist doctor. I am aware that this competence is logically in the hands of the autonomous communities but we, as the Government of Spain, cannot stand idly by,” he stated.
So its objective will be to launch, “with the autonomous governments that wish to do so,” a plan to achieve a “drastic reduction” in waiting lists and continue strengthening Primary Care, “which is one of the pending subjects.”
Likewise, he has indicated his intention to continue expanding the Public Services Portfolio to include oral and also ophthalmological treatments for young people.
He also highlighted that “the lack of effective equality is an injustice that violates parity principles” and recalled that 50% of political and economic power corresponds to women. For this reason, he has committed to facilitating the reconciliation of fathers and mothers, extending paternity and maternity leave to 20 weeks.
