Words by President of the Government at event to officially open Linares-Ibros stretch of A-32 Highway

Jaen

Good afternoon.

Mr Councillor for Public Works and Housing of the Regional Government of Andalusia, ministers, mayors, President of the Provincial Government, Members of the Upper and Lower Houses, ladies and gentlemen, dear friends,

I would like to start my speech by saying that it gives me great satisfaction and it is an honour to be here, firstly, because it is always positive to inaugurate a new infrastructure. As the councillor said in his speech, this is something useful which helps, in the first place, make travel easier and improves the lives of people who should undoubtedly be important to us and indeed they are; but it is also very important for the economy, for improving the competitiveness of our companies, so that we can compete, so that we can export and, hence, at the end of the day, so that we can create jobs and people can lead a dignified life.

Hence, for that reason it is an honour to be here, but it is also an honour to be in the province of Jaen. One of the infrastructures on which one most enjoys travelling is probably the highway between Cordoba and Jaen and to see the olive trees that stand like an army in formation. I always say this because it is what I believe, what I feel and that is how I see it.

We were talking on the way here, on the coach, about the great treasure we have here, in Jaen, and in other places in Andalusia, and also in other regions of Spain, which is olive oil. Without any doubt, I think that this has a great future because, in the end, in many markets which are very close to us, common sense ends up being imposed and olive oil will be used much more than other products that I will not mention for reasons that everyone present can appreciate. But, at any event, keeping healthy is something that is always important.

So, it is an honour to be here in Jaen. I have had the opportunity to be here on many other occasions. I have been in Baeza, I have been in Ubeda, I have also been in Linares, in Andujar, in Cazorla, in Jaen..., in many places and this is assuredly a province that has greatly improved, as Spain has as a whole, over the last 40 or 50 years, but which still has a great many possibilities to improve further still.

Infrastructures such as the one we inaugurate today will undoubtedly help. Indeed, "paths are made by walking". We have already inaugurated... This is the second of this term of office. I believe that, yesterday or the day before a public tender was put out for works in Albacete, which also affects this infrastructure, for a sum of 90 million euros, and the idea is that in 2016, at least that is what is included in the Budget being debated at this time in Parliament, the whole part that falls within Jaen will be under works to then continue in the future with the stretch in Albacete.

I have listened to the words that were just spoken by the councillor in his speech. I believe that institutional collaboration in very important indeed. Another thing is political debate, which is tied in to what democracy is; but, in the end, if public authorities are able to work together, things will assuredly go better for everyone, even for the public authorities themselves and for those of us that implement policies with them.

We have tried during this phase of the economic crisis, which was also alluded to, to be supportive of all Spain. We have implemented certain instruments in light of the difficulty of being able to resort to the markets and also in light of the difficulties of some public authorities to pay their suppliers; instruments such as the Regional Liquidity Fund and the Supplier Payment Plan, which was an idea, by the way, of the Minister for the Treasury and was a very pleasing idea which shows, because this has been applied to many public authorities, to many local councils and to many regional governments, that you can be supportive, you can act intelligently and, if everyone works towards achieving the main national targets, the results are better and come more quickly.

Ladies and gentlemen, I will not go on any longer. I thank you very much for your attention. I repeat, it is a true honour for me to be here.

Thank you.