Mariano Rajoy says his government policies have been able to avoid bankruptcy, overcome the crisis and create jobs

Upper House of Parliament, Madrid

In his speech at the government control session in the Upper House of Parliament, Mariano Rajoy compared Spain's situation in 2011 with the situation in the country today.

In response to a question from the spokesperson for the Socialist Parliamentary Group in the Upper House of Parliament, María Victoria Chivite, he explained that the actions taken by his government mean that nobody is talking about a bailout, Spain's departure from the Euro or the country's risk premium any more. "Financing is much easier and cheaper to obtain, and we have managed to do something we have never done before: issue debentures at a negative interest rate. In other words, we ask for money and Spain receives it", he said.

The President of the Government stressed that the latest data show that Spain is the leading EU country and fourth in the world - behind the United States, Canada and Australia - in terms of inbound foreign investment. Furthermore, he said that Spanish household confidence is higher than ever; there is a foreign trade surplus, an all-time record in exports and inbound tourists; car sales are up; and house construction and sales are recovering.

"In 2014, for the first time in six years, Spain grew by 1.4% - the second-highest growth figure in the European Union. In 2015, Spain will grow by 2.9% and become the fastest growing country in the EU. Who would have said that three years ago?", remarked Mariano Rajoy.

In terms of employment, Mariano Rajoy stressed that the number of people registered with the Spanish Social Security system has grown every month since February 2014 and increased by 536,000 in the last year. The same is reflected in the figures posted by the Labour Force Survey (Spanish acronym: EPA).

Spain's loyalty with Catalonia

Pool MoncloaThe President of the Government said that the Government of Spain has acted "with complete loyalty" with Catalonia in all respects. "We have tried to resolve problems that were very important for everyone living in Catalonia and for the public authorities of Catalonia. We will continue building a future while also remaining completely loyal to the Spanish Constitution and our entire legal system". This was the answer given by Mariano Rajoy to a question from the spokesperson for Convergència i Unió (CiU) [Catalan Nationalist Party] in the Upper House of Parliament, Josep Lluís Cleries.

He then went on to review the measures adopted in Catalonia during the course of this legislature, such as the deferment of negative settlements; the early payment on account of amounts from the future Autonomous Region Financing System; the creation of a specific line of credit by the ICO [Official Credit Institute]; and the implementation of both the Regional Liquidity Fund and the Supplier Payment Plan.

In his opinion, every policy that was implemented is "very good for Catalonia" and "extremely useful" for the people as a whole. "I sincerely believe that the policies we have implemented have managed to save Spain from bankruptcy, overcome the crisis, create jobs and achieve economic growth. And we can be proud of that", said the President of the Government.

Investments in the Basque Country

When asked for his assessment of this legislature regarding relations with the Basque Country, the President of the Government described the situation as "positive" and stressed that the Government of Spain has "considered" the Basque Country "very carefully" when designing its policies.

His reply to the Member of the Upper House of Parliament for the Basque Parliamentary Group, Jokin Bildarratz, was that the main political goal for this legislature was to return to sustained economic growth and job creation. The decisions taken by the Government of Spain to reach that goal, he added, were positive for both Spain as a whole and the Basque Country.

Pool MoncloaMariano Rajoy underlined the "highly significant investments" made by the Government of Spain in the Basque Country, especially in terms of high-speed railways. "We have made a clear, resounding and unquestionable commitment to the Basque Y Railway", he said. This investment has surpassed 2.3 billion euros, 87% higher than the amount invested up to 2011.

Furthermore, said the President of the Government, a number of agreements were reached during this legislature within the framework of the Mixed Committee for Economic Agreement and on "important and complicated" topics, such as the energy reform, the public employment offer and application of the Market Unity Act. He also highlighted the support from Central Government for Basque industry.

The President of the Government acknowledged the "discrepancies" that have arisen in such areas as the settlement of the Basque Quota and the negotiations surrounding the new five-year period, but he described them as normal for any relationship between two public administrations and reiterated that the main priority for this legislature was not to resolve the regional financing issue but avoid bankruptcy and a bailout.

"There is one issue on which an agreement is not possible, that of the fight against terrorism. You see it in one way and I have expressed my position on many occasions, which I share with millions of people in our country", he added. Mariano Rajoy believes "that would be resolved" with "an announcement as simple as the dissolution of ETA, because, as long as a terrorist organisation exists, our duty is to fight and be effective against terrorism".