Speech by President of the Government during his institutional visit to Leon

Leon

Ladies and gentlemen, a very good afternoon to you all and thank you very much for coming here.

I want to start this speech by thanking the Mayor of Leon, our friend Antonio Silván, for inviting me to spend a working day here with all of you in Leon. They are few places as pleasant for me as the city of Leon, because I lived here from the age of 5 to 15, in Calle Cid, some 150 metres away from where we are now and, as I have just said, I spent 10 years here. I began my studies here; although I had studied a little before, when I was much younger. I studied at the School of Discípulas de Jesús and later had to catch the bus to study at the Jesuits school. And this is a city which, as is clear, has left its mark on me forever.

For me it gives me great satisfaction to be here and to see a city that I want to see continually making progress and yet that still knows how to look after its historical quarter, its traditions and its dazzling architectural and artistic wealth, of which San Isidoro, where we are now, is an unrivalled example.

I also wish to congratulate - I have just heard this in the speeches given - the mayor and people of Leon, because Leon has been chosen as the Spanish Capital of Gastronomy for this year 2018. I think that this is a fair decision and I am absolutely convinced that it will help enhance the knowledge that all the people of Spain already have of the city of Leon.

Ladies and gentlemen, dear friends,

I have done quite a few things this morning. First, I came here by train and that allowed me to review some of the things that are important to all of us, such as infrastructures, which are fundamental, not only for people to travel easily, which is undoubtedly important, but also for the competitiveness of our economy, which is the same as to say for creating well-being and wealth.

I would like to say two or three things about high-speed travel. Firstly, I wish to reaffirm my government's commitment to high-speed travel. Spain is the second ranked country in the world, behind only China, in high-speed rail infrastructures. I believe that this is something we can all feel very proud of. We have made great progress since the inauguration of the first line, to Seville, more than 25 years ago now, and I am absolutely convinced that this history we share as Spaniards will continue on into the future.

Of course, I reaffirm my government's commitment to high-speed travel and I would also like to mention another couple of points:

- First, that the works to connect the railway line in Leon will be concluded by the end of this year 2018. We are talking, as you know, about eliminating the end-of-the-line, which will reduce the travel time from Madrid to Asturias by 15 to 20 minutes; and in addition to this improvement, there will be an additional reduction of 10 minutes when the implementation of the ERTMS management and signalling system is completed in the coming months.

- Secondly, I want to say to you that tomorrow, what consists of the continuity of the AVE to Asturias will be published in the Official State Gazette. This is the tender for various works on the stretch between Leon and La Robla, which will involve, among other things, the renewal of the track, the implementation of mixed gauge track, the removal of level crossings and improved drainage.

From the AVE we then went, as we were reminded earlier - by the President of the regional government and the mayor - to the National Cybersecurity Institute (Spanish acronym: INCIBE). The visit was most instructive. As you know, the INCIBE is a government instrument to develop cybersecurity as a driver of social transformation and of innovation.

In today's world, security also means cybersecurity and threats translate into cybernetic incidents and in risks to critical infrastructures, and the INCIBE is an operational support mechanism to counter cyber-threats and cyber-incidents. This morning we were told that during the course of last year, 2017, the INCIBE handled 123,064 cybersecurity incidents - 8,000 more than in the previous year. Of these, 885 affected critical operators and 122,000 affected citizens, companies and academic centres.

Together with this work, I would also like to underline the importance of preventive tasks and of raising awareness so that we can all become more aware of how we should step up our protection in the world of new technologies. I believe that cybersecurity in 2018 is a field that is developing fast and directly affects the whole of Spanish society. This is a sector in constant evolution, which affects national security and, from here in Leon, the INCIBE contributes admirably to this goal, which is why I wanted to visit its installations.

Dear friends,

We must protect ourselves from future threats in the same way as Leon has known how to protect the millennial stones that have forged its history since the time of Emperor Trajano, of which this Real Colegiata de San Isidoro is more than simply an emblem. And new technologies also help us enjoy the treasures housed in San Isidoro. The three-dimensional model of the Chalice of Doña Urraca is far more than just an example of this fusion of the most cutting-edge technology in the service of history; it is an invitation to enjoy History first hand.

This Colegiata de San Isidoro is, as we have been reminded here today, an exceptional demonstration of why Leon is part of Spain's history; a history in which, as we were also reminded this morning, the 1188 Decrees were particularly important. They comprise 17 statutes that sketch out the protection provided by what are nowadays considered to be the fundamental rights of individuals, such as the inviolability of the home and the mail, the condemnation of false testimony, the defence of private property and the fact that justice takes time, the consequences of a person failing to appear in court and the principle of criminal legality.

I would like to highlight two things from these Decrees that are wholly valid today, in the 21st Century. The first reflects something as important as all being subject to the law, starting with King Alfonso IX. And all being subject to the rule of law and legal certainty is the fundamental requirement of any democracy worthy of that name. In Leon that was clear way back in the 12th Century and it would be good if nine centuries later, in the 21st Century, we all had that clear in the four corners of Spain.

The second is that UNESCO included, as we were reminded by the president of the regional government in his speech, the Decrees in the Memory of the World Registry in 2013 as documentary proof of the oldest parliamentary system we are aware of.

Parliament is the sacred temple of democracy, the place where laws are enacted that breathe life into the rule of law, laws that are incumbent on us all, liberate us all and make us all equal, because there can be no democracy without respect for the law. There can be no liberty where there is no law and where the law ends tyranny begins.

Ladies and gentlemen,

It is precisely the lack of respect for the law and attempts to oppose democracy that shows everyone that there can be no democracy without the law, and the fact that this has been done by some governors in Catalonia has caused a tremendous crisis in our country that has forced us to use the instruments available under our Constitution to defend the very Constitution, democracy and the law.

The three goals that I would like to see enshrined in three specific realties in Catalonia in the near future are: firstly, the imposition of common sense; for the law to be respected and obeyed, and for us to recover institutional, economic and social normality. There is no alternative to what I have just said, there is no alternative to the law precisely because Spain is a democracy. And I am proud to be able to say that here today, in Leon, the birthplace of parliamentarianism and of many democratic values that are fully valid in Spain, in Europe and in a democratic world today.

I will now bring my speech to a close. Both the mayor and the president of the regional government have mentioned certain needs, certain concerns and certain approaches that I would like to convert into specific realities. I can merely say at this time that I will do whatever is in my hands to ensure this happens. I want to see a Budget approved soon. This not only depends on me, as everyone knows, but I will do whatever is at my disposal to ensure this happens.

I also want to see a model of regional financing soon, among other things, because I voted against the last model which dates back to 2009. With 137 MPs it is not easy to push through a new model of regional financing, but I will do whatever is in my hands and I hope that we all rise to the circumstance to ensure that this becomes a reality.

The Minister for Energy, who I am pleased to hear is spoken about here positively, has instructions from the President of the Government to try and reconcile many things. It is not always easy in any walk of life to do this and probably much less so when we talk about governing people's affairs. An effort needs to be made on the issue of climate change and on renewable energies, and this must be done intelligently, with a transition period and looking for alternatives. I have taken his words on board and I will try and ensure they are put into practice, in the same way as I have taken on board the words of the Mayor of Leon. Communications are much faster these days, they reach everywhere quicker and it is true that not everything, or almost everything, needs to be concentrated in the same place, and there are many provincial capitals throughout Spain - and that comes from me, someone from the provinces - which have shown that, when they are granted and attributed responsibilities, they take these on board and rise to the circumstances and do their best.

Thank you very much.

Non official translation