​Mariano Rajoy stresses that Spain and United States are "strategic partners, friends and allies"

Lower House of Parliament, Madrid

The MP for the Socialist Group, Antonio Hernando, enquired after the phone call between the President of the Government and the President of the United States, Donald Trump, a few days previously. In his response, Mariano Rajoy stated that they had spoken about the Spanish economy, Brexit and the future of the European Union, among other issues.

The President of the Government also said that, during their conversation, he pointed out to the new President of the United States that relations between the two countries "were good and that they should remain so in the future" because, as well as sharing values, "we are strategic partners, friends and allies".

He also explained that they spoke "specifically about trade and investment relations" and of "the need to continue cooperating on security, defence and the fight against terrorism".

Pool Moncloa / Diego CrespoMariano Rajoy stressed that he wishes to maintain "exactly the same relations" with Donald Trump as he had with his predecessor, Barack Obama, because, he added, he is under an obligation as the President of the Government to get on well with all countries, "above all those that are friends and allies".

In this regard, the President of the Government expressed his "absolute conviction" that the PSOE [Spanish Socialist Workers' Party] would have acted in exactly the same manner. "That is the position you have always adopted whenever you have been in power and, as I said before, I am convinced that you would do the same in the future".

Pro-independence process in Catalonia

The MP, Gabriel Rufián, on behalf of ERC [Republican Left of Catalonia], asked about the situation in Catalonia. In his response, the President of the Government clarified that one thing is political debate and "quite another" thing is following the law, something "beholden upon us all". In other words, "when someone, whoever they may be" acts outside of the law "justice will intervene".

Mariano Rajoy pointed out that "this is not a novel idea", but what happens in every democratic country in the world. "Things are better this way because if, in the end, we have to distinguish between those who are not subject to the law and those who are, we would end up having a very serious problem".

The President of the Government also stressed that we enjoy "freedom of thought" in Spain and that "no-one is persecuted for their ideas ". But, he added, what we do not have "is impunity", which means that "when someone breaks the law, justice intervenes. That is the very basis of democracy. That is what happens in all our peer countries".

Garoña nuclear power plant

Aitor Esteban, from the Basque Group, asked the President of the Government about the future of Garoña. After reminding him that the government demands "maximum safety conditions" for all nuclear plants, Mariano Rajoy pointed out that the National Security Council imposed two conditions in its report on the power plant in Burgos: the implementation of certain investments and a periodic safety review.

Pool Moncloa / Diego CrespoPresident of the Government Rajoy also underlined that the government is yet to take a decision on Garoña and that it has six months in which to do so. "We will try to take the best possible decision in defence of general interests".

At any event, he announced that the government, before deciding on whether to re-open Garoña or not, "will open up a consultation process"; that is, it will listen "to all those institutions and social groups that have expressed their interest in offering an opinion on this issue", which in his opinion, is the "most prudent, reasonable and sensible" approach.