Mariano Rajoy reiterates his commitment to a stable government, supported by political forces that agree on the key issues

Moncloa Palace, Madrid

The acting President of the Government made an appearance following his meeting with His Majesty King Felipe VI at Zarzuela Palace as part of the second round of consultations that the monarch has held with the political groups with parliamentary representation to propose a candidate to stand for the Presidency of the Government.

Mariano Rajoy pointed out that, in his opinion, the general elections held on 20 December sent out "a clear and comprehensive message: the Spanish people want us to talk to each other, to listen to each other, to reach an understanding and for us to find a way to form a government with sufficient support to take decisions in order to tackle the serious challenges facing our country".

In this regard, he reiterated his proposal for a government headed up by the most voted-for party and backed by three political forces that are in agreement "on the key issues, on those aspects that are of greatest concern to the Spanish people as a whole: the unity of Spain, national sovereignty, the equality of all Spanish people, our position in Europe, the Euro and the fight against terrorism".

The acting President of the Government added that this coalition could push through the major reforms that Spain needs at this time, which would last for "many years" and would be backed by the vast majority of Members of the Upper and Lower Houses of Parliament. "Furthermore, this coalition would send out a message of stability, security and certainty both within Spain and abroad which would be good to help bed down the recovery of the economy and to create jobs", he declared.

For this reason, he will maintain his commitment "to moderation, common sense, Europe, the Euro, economic recovery, reforms and the Spanish Constitution", he remarked.