Press conference by the President of the Government of Spain to take stock of the political year and present the regular accountability report "Cumpliendo"

Good morning, and first of all, many thanks to the media - for two reasons. As I always say whenever I visit a fire, I am deeply grateful for the work carried out by the media in providing accurate information to the members of the public affected by these climate-related emergencies and, consequently, in combating hoaxes and misinformation, which, unfortunately, are also rife, particularly on social media.

And thank you also to the media for attending this now traditional press conference to review the Government's actions over the last six months. Thank you, of course, to all those citizens who are following this hearing via the traditional media or via live streaming.

I would like to begin by referring to the serious situation our country is facing as a result of the fires. There are currently eight major forest fires burning in Spain. I would like to convey the Government's full support, empathy and understanding to those who have had to leave their homes, and to those who remain in lockdown. And also to all the families who are going through these times of great distress and uncertainty. A very special tribute, of course - a particularly special one - to the victims and also to their families, who have lost their loved ones as a result of the fires. I would also like to acknowledge the collaboration with all public institutions in our response to our common enemy, which is fire, and, of course, the public servants who, as part of the National Civil Protection System, fight the fires and protect the population under extraordinarily difficult conditions.

We have just concluded the CECOD meeting; I was also accompanied by the Third Vice-president, together with the Minister for Home Affairs, and we also met with the General of the UME - who is, therefore, in charge of all operational command in the fight against wildfires in the Community of Madrid and also in the Community of Castile and León, particularly in the province of Ávila, and, naturally, also in Toledo, in the Community of Castile-La Mancha - we have paid tribute to all those men and women who are fighting the fires on the front line, during very difficult and critical times, but thanks to them we are indeed turning the tide and can therefore begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel in the fight against these fires, whilst taking every precaution and, indeed, during the particularly challenging days and hours that lie ahead, not least because the AEMET has just announced, as you are already aware, a significant rise in temperatures - a new heatwave that will obviously hamper fire-fighting efforts and also increase the risk of fires throughout the country.

And in light of this situation, the Government of Spain, in coordination - as I have said - with other public institutions, will continue to mobilise all the necessary resources for as long as it takes, until the last flame is extinguished. As you know, today, the Council of Ministers declared the areas affected by the fires to be zones seriously affected by a civil protection emergency. With this statement, as you know, we are beginning to roll out all the support measures designed to alleviate personal injury and material damage, and we are paving the way for additional support such as tax relief, exemptions from social security contributions, and grants to repair infrastructure, amongst many other forms of support which we will, of course, be rolling out as we carry out a much more accurate assessment of the scale of this disaster.

In any case, I would like to make a very specific appeal to the entire population to act with the utmost responsibility and caution, and to follow the instructions of the emergency services at all times.

All public authorities, all professionals and society as a whole must stand together and act in unison to combat the fire. I would like to add a further thought on this matter, which is that the climate emergency is getting worse year on year.

It is getting worse year on year, and the public are demanding that we stand united - as we certainly are - in our response, but also that we stand united in prevention and in the reconstruction of the affected areas, so that when people return to areas that have suffered damage, the infrastructure and all the reconstruction and restoration work we carry out on the currently damaged environments will be far more resilient.

That is why I am making a specific request: if I could make a request that would resonate across all media channels with every citizen following this hearing, I would like it to be a single request, a single appeal, and that is to make it clear to all political actors, to all regional, provincial and local governments, that climate denial is the worst possible fuel for the climate emergency and that denying reality and the warnings of science does not prepare us; on the contrary, it makes us far more vulnerable and leaves our population far less secure.

Therefore, today, with greater conviction and stronger arguments than ever before, I call for this major national agreement - the agreement that Spain probably needs most of all - namely, the State Pact on the Climate Emergency. A State pact which, year after year - but particularly this year - has shown that it is imperative to forge an agreement between political forces, social partners and, of course, the scientific community, NGOs, civil society and, naturally, public institutions. The State Pact on the Climate Emergency is essential. This is not an option. It is, of course, an obligation for everyone.

The reality, therefore, cannot be denied. With this situation very much in mind, I would like to begin this review of the government's five priority areas by focusing specifically on adaptation and mitigation in the face of the climate emergency. As I've said, you can't deny reality. And if you don't believe me, just ask the residents of the affected areas - whether in Almería, Guadalajara, Madrid, Ávila, Castellón or any of the many, many other provinces hit by the terrible fires we are currently experiencing.

So far this year - although these figures, naturally, vary depending on the source - but just to give us an idea, more than 170,000 hectares has burnt. In other words, we are seeing six times as many hectares burnt as during the same period last year - a year, incidentally, let us remember, that was particularly difficult both for the emergency services and the National Civil Protection System, and, naturally, for the residents and the affected areas. And we're only halfway through the financial year. In other words, we still have August and September ahead of us, and, unfortunately, we have already lost more than a dozen lives.

So, the question we need to ask is: what else needs to happen? What else needs to happen for us all to get behind the state pact on the climate emergency that the Executive has put on the table? It is clear that the climate emergency is killing people, and that climate denial undermines those whose job it is to protect us, as it prevents us from anticipating the scale of the challenge we face. That is why cuts to mitigation and adaptation policies are unacceptable. It is unacceptable that there should be no cooperation between public authorities on prevention and reconstruction, not just on the response. And that is why it is important for all political forces across society to unite behind this common goal.

In any case, I would like to say something very important to the citizens who are following this hearing: the Government of Spain has made the fight against the climate emergency - in both its aspects, mitigation and adaptation - not only a priority, but also a commitment to our country, both now and in the future. And we are not, nor will we ever, spare any resources in this regard. That is why we have bolstered our response with additional personnel and, of course, with more resources to support the regional governments, who are primarily responsible for tackling the fires. And that is why we will not waver in our determination to drive forward this ecological transition - this energy transformation from an economic, social and regional perspective - which is essential for preserving our ecosystems and our country's environmental wealth.

I would like to point out that we have a long way to go to achieve that objective. The first decision I had the honour of leading as President of the Government of Spain a few years ago was the declaration of a climate emergency in our country. Eight years ago, thanks to the climate emergency framework we championed, we passed a number of measures, including the first law to combat climate change, amongst others. But I would like to point out, particularly today, that we found ourselves in a country where even the sun was taxed, which, amongst other things, discouraged self-consumption of energy and thus held back the expansion of renewable energy in our country. The installed capacity of renewable energy sources stood at 47% in 2018, and their contribution to the electricity mixwas 40%. These figures may seem meaningless when taken in isolation, but the consequences were very real, very evident and very tangible for our citizens, their families, businesses, the self-employed and industries, because they meant a rise in household electricity bills, resulting, on one hand, from our reliance on energy sources that are not our own - such as gas and oil, amongst others - and, on the other, from our dependence on resources produced abroad and, consequently, from that transfer of wealth from Spain to other countries in order to import those energy resources that were not our own.

Well, the first thing we did was to abolish that tax on the sun. We also stepped up our commitment to the energy we produce here, which comes from our own land. And today, fortunately, Spain has gone from an installed capacity of 47 per cent - as I mentioned earlier - in 2018, to no less than 72 per cent; 72 per cent. Around 60% of our electricity comes from clean sources. And thanks to this achievement, we now enjoy electricity prices that are the lowest in Europe - to give you an idea, they are roughly half those in Germany and a third of those in Italy. This is what we have achieved over the years through our commitment to the energy transition and, consequently, the green transition.

And these aren't just abstract figures, so to speak. These figures translate into greater competitiveness, the attraction of foreign direct investment and the reindustrialisation of our country. And it is not only the driving force behind our resilience to energy shocks arising from conflicts such as those in Ukraine or the Middle East, but it is also one of the key drivers behind our country's economic growth and job creation in high value-added sectors, which also have a strong competitive element, as I shall discuss later.

We have taken bold decisions which have upset a few people - I'm sorry about that - but which have benefited the majority and have made Spain better prepared, as I said earlier, to withstand the energy crises affecting all the world's economies - and the European economy in particular - as a result of Putin's war in Ukraine and also of the sanctions we are imposing on Russia regarding the ban on the use of Russian gas or oil, which consequently also undermine our ability to compete at much more affordable prices for these energy products.

In addition to all this, we have also seen a government that has taken bold decisions, decisions taken in collaboration with social partners and the sectors affected, through Royal Decree-laws that have addressed urgent matters without losing sight of what is important, namely continuing with this energy transition. In this regard, as you will recall, we have only just approved the second package of measures to protect against the effects of the war in Iran, under which we have reduced VAT on fuel from 21% to 10%. We have implemented the biggest ever reduction in electricity taxes, sending a key signal - one that I believe is very important - to operators that what we want in Spain is to continue with the electrification of our economy. And we have provided the regulatory body - the National Markets and Competition Commission - with additional tools for price control. And here are the results: a saving of 18 cents per litre on petrol and 10 cents on diesel, which has provided some relief to families and professionals in the face of a war that, naturally, we do not support - a war which, as you know, we as citizens opposed on the international stage, but we certainly do not deny its economic and social consequences; what we are doing is creating this shield to protect our economy, our households and, in particular, those who need it most.

The question, therefore - and we have now been through quite a few crises over the past eight years - is: how would others have responded to these crises? Would others have responded in the same way? I think the answer is very simple: given what they did when they were in power and what we are doing today as the Government of Spain, the answer is clear: it is 'no'. Because those who yesterday put the brakes on the roll-out of renewable energy through the 'sun tax' are the very same people who today are colluding with the far right - wherever it is in power - to halt the expansion of renewables, Take the cases of Aragón, Extremadura and Castilla y León, for example, where they are governing and forming alliances with the far right, which simply denies - as we have been seeing over the last few hours and days - the effects of the climate emergency and the consequences of the worsening wildfires - whether or not they are deliberately set - which are indeed increasing exponentially as a result of the rising temperatures caused by the climate emergency.

I shall now turn to the other priority areas, in addition to energy transformation and the green transition, which are always covered in this half-yearly statement. But first, let me share a thought with you: three years ago, the public decided that Spain should continue on the path of progress, economic prosperity and the advancement of rights. In a context which, it must be acknowledged, is proving far from easy. These have been years of war - including wars in Europe for the past four years now - of unilateral trade tensions not exactly provoked by Europe, of energy crises stemming from these wars and, consequently, of international uncertainty which, I would say, has now become the norm, almost a permanent feature. Of course, there are also major natural disasters and civil emergencies such as those we are currently facing. But what I would like to say is that, despite all these obstacles, Spain has not stood still. It has made progress, and has done so, moreover, with a clear vision, a firm resolve and a defined goal which I believe, furthermore, that regardless of how people vote, when citizens are called to the polls, they form part of what I have always called the 'common-sense agenda': increasing pensions, raising the national minimum wage, strengthening collective bargaining to balance the bargaining power between employers and trade unions, reducing taxes for the self-employed, and taking pre-emptive action against the effects of the climate emergency - as, incidentally, the Pope himself warned us - alongside immigration policies - during his visit to our country a few weeks ago; these form part of the 'common-sense agenda' that the Government of Spain has shared for the past eight years with the social majority of our country as a whole.

Faced with every crisis, therefore - as I have said on many occasions - what we in the Government of Spain have done is not merely to address the urgent issues, but also to ensure that we do not lose sight of what is important, that both aspects are intertwined and that they remain consistent. We have therefore always taken the initiative. We have turned - or at least tried to turn - every challenge into an opportunity to transform the country. We have turned short-term responses into long-term solutions. We did this during the pandemic, for example, through the ERTE scheme. Just this week, it was announced that at the Almussafes plant - jointly owned by Ford and, now, a Chinese company, Geely - we are to invest almost 42 million euros through the RED scheme to protect and train workers in a sector undergoing extraordinary change: the automotive sector, which is so important to our country. In short, we have turned what appeared at the time to be short-term measures into structural ones. We did this during the pandemic, safeguarding millions of jobs and providing financial support to the self-employed. We did the same during the war in Ukraine, with measures such as, for example, the Iberian solution, which is nothing more than an intervention in a market that was not functioning properly. Or we have done the same with the public transport subsidy at a time when citizens appreciate this commitment to facilitating mobility - not just any kind of mobility, but sustainable mobility.

And we are facing this situation once again with the economic consequences of the conflict in the Middle East, which shows no sign of coming to an end just yet. I believe there is some data to back this up - not just the figures I mentioned earlier, but also the fact that, during this crisis, the Government of Spain has been the one to allocate the most resources to this support scheme to protect industry, households, businesses, the self-employed and workers in our country. Around 4 billion euros, which we are making available through tax relief and direct aid. In short, to give you an idea, we are investing far more, for example, in supporting the agricultural and livestock sectors in our country than the European Commission itself has allocated to the European Union as a whole. That is what the Government of Spain is doing, thanks, of course, to its commitment to the primary sector.

In short, there are some who, after eight years, now take this way of behaving for granted. Because a great deal of financial resources have been mobilised; when difficulties arise, we do this all the time. Here is a Government that stands with the people, with ordinary people. But it was not always like that. We have come through a decade of cuts and the erosion of workers' rights and pay conditions, amongst other issues, as well as the increasing precariousness of jobs.

Memory is a stubborn thing: 1.5 million jobs were lost between 2011 and 2014, due, unsurprisingly, to the neoliberal policies of an Executive that embraced neoliberal dogma, as it did throughout that decade of cuts. And let's not forget the 8.7 million pensioners whose pensions had been frozen for more than four years. That was the rule. The cuts. Making employment more precarious, cutting back on the welfare state and, as a result, increasing inequality in our country.

But I think that came to an end in 2018. Today, we have a Government that looks after the interests of ordinary people. We are a government of the people, by the people and for the people. And I think, moreover, that once again this term we have set a good example - clear proof of what I'm saying.

In this session alone, we have succeeded in passing 26 pieces of legislation - that is, more than a third of all those passed so far during this parliamentary term, which, as you know, is 74. This is the reality of a Government that works, that labours day in, day out, that drives our country forward until it is, without the slightest doubt, in a much better - infinitely better - position than we were in 2018 and than we were in 2023.

This is also demonstrated by the state of the economy and the employment situation, despite the difficulties we may face - and we do face many of them - some of which I will discuss in relation to wages and the precarious conditions still endured by workers in our country. And, of course, everything to do with access to essential goods such as, for example, housing.

In any case, as I have said, this is demonstrated by our strong economic and employment performance in such a difficult and complex context and climate - a fact of which the media and members of the public following this hearing are well aware. For almost three years now, we have been the fastest-growing major economy in Europe, and I think this is worth reiterating time and again. For almost three years, it has been Europe's fastest-growing major economy. This term, the European Commission itself - the 'Government of Europe', to put it in layman's terms so that members of the public following this hearing can understand - has made progress against a backdrop of downwards revisions to the economic growth forecasts for the major economies of the large countries in our region. Well, it has revised its economic growth forecasts for Spain upwards. To be precise, if I recall correctly, 2.6% for 2026. What I mean by this, therefore, is that we will end 2026 - and I stress this - in a context as difficult and complex as the one we are currently facing, growing five times faster than Italy, four times faster than Germany and three times faster than France. Five times more than Italy, four times more than Germany and three times more than France.

And that growth, if I may say so, is particularly evident in two areas of great importance to the public. Firstly, the confidence we inspire in foreign investors. So far this year, if we were to take the performance of the Ibex in our country as a barometer, it has continued to break records. More than 60,000 new businesses have been set up, and there are major international investors who are clearly and publicly backing our country as their primary destination.

Furthermore, growth has a very positive impact on employment, on improving the pay and working conditions of our workers, and on creating opportunities for those entering the labour market for the first time.

Breaking new records for employment and social security contributors time and again has become the norm. And just today, the Second Vice-president, Yolanda, and Minister Elma were discussing the positive figures from the Labour Force Survey (LFS). But I think it's important that we don't lose sight of the bigger picture, because what Spain is achieving is truly extraordinary. Given the timing of the event, which comes at a time of great difficulty and international complexity. And also because of the scale of what we are achieving. I think this is a real success for the country, and something we should all be delighted about.

Today's Spain, of course, is very different from the Spain of a decade ago, which, as we have seen, condemned an entire generation to chronic unemployment or economic exile. And today's Spain accounts for nearly half of the jobs created in the European Union, reaching a record high this half-year of 22.5 million national insurance contributors - 3.4 million more than when we took office - with 34% more jobs for young people than in 2018. And here are the charts so you can see exactly how the figures have developed.

Year after year, we are creating half a million new jobs. We therefore have - and in this latter case, based on the latest figures of social security contributors - 621,000 new jobs created year-on-year.

This is the strength, the reality of our labour market, which I believe is a success for the country as a whole, and of course for employers and the self-employed. Of course, this also applies to workers, and, without a doubt, to all public institutions and our country as a whole. I would emphasise that, given the scale and the extremely complex situation currently facing the European and global economies, we must also take pride in these figures, which are truly impressive and genuinely positive.

Today, as I mentioned earlier, we have seen the figures from the Labour Force Survey (EPA) for the second quarter of 2026, which confirm not a slowdown but an acceleration in job creation over recent months. This brings the total to six consecutive EPA surveys in which employment has grown by more than half a million jobs a year. And once again, the unemployment rate, Vice-president, Ms Vice-president, minister, is back below 10 per cent - in other words, the lowest level we have seen for 18 years now. It is said that 18 years is soon.

We are therefore creating more and better jobs at a very challenging time, and I believe the scale of this effort is highly significant. And there is something else I would also like to share with the public and the media following this hearing: we are doing this in high value-added sectors, because it means an additional 230,000 workers. For example, in sectors such as information technology and telecommunications, or 300,000 more jobs in scientific and technical fields.

I believe, therefore, that if this tells us anything, it is not merely that we are creating a significant number of jobs, but that we are creating highly competitive jobs which reflect the structural transformation taking place in our economy as a result of the reforms we have implemented. Many of them, in agreement with the social partners, have stood the test of time; indeed, this is precisely what has allowed them to take root and prove that we were right and that we had made the right choice.

It is therefore not just a question of quantity, but also of quality in terms of working conditions. Vice-president Yolanda Díaz says this on many occasions, but the fact is that, thanks to the labour reform, one of the main Achilles' heels of our labour market compared with Europe - namely job insecurity and temporary employment - has been addressed. Well, there has been an 11 percentage points decrease in temporary jobs, and there has been a 58% increase in permanent jobs since we came through the pandemic in 2020. Furthermore, our households' real incomes - that is, after adjusting for inflation - are well above those of neighbouring countries.

It is fair to say - and it is true - that we are lagging behind compared with other major economies, such as Germany or France. I completely agree, but the fact of the matter is that real income has risen 9% after taking inflation into account and is therefore well above that of neighbouring countries. In other words, our families have greater purchasing power, although it is true that there is still a great, great deal to be done when it comes to the cost of living.

We are therefore talking about an unprecedented change in our productive fabric, in the way we grow, of an economy that is proving capable of navigating these highly turbulent economic cycles currently affecting the world and, in particular, Europe - which is a victim of a war, such as Putin's in Ukraine - that creates added value, has left behind bubbles, for example, the housing bubble, as well as precarious employment, and which, moreover, is doing so whilst improving the health of the public finances.

And I think this may also seem a little strange, coming from a progressive Government, but fiscal discipline is also very important for progressive governments such as ours, because we believe in the sustainability of public finances and because, furthermore, by ensuring the sustainability of public finances, we will be able to continue strengthening the pillars of the welfare state.

I believe it is very important to emphasise and remind the public that, since the start of the pandemic, we have reduced our country's public debt by 20 percentage points and brought the public deficit below 3% of gross domestic product. In other words, we are creating a virtuous circle between these transformations and, consequently, the structural change in the way our economy grows, and the distribution of the fruits of that growth to the middle and working classes and to the most disadvantaged groups. F furthermore, doing so with fiscal rigour, by exercising control over public accounts in a way that ensures their present and future sustainability.

And this is very important because it is not happening in other parts of Europe; what we are seeing, both in Europe and around the world, is a steady rise in public debt levels. And this makes it impossible to reduce the public deficit and, consequently, limits the fiscal space needed to tackle the major transformations required by Europe and these major European economies, as well as, naturally, to deal with unforeseen events and emergencies such as those we are currently facing.

If we have more financial resources to fight fires, it is because we are growing more, because our public finances are in better shape, and therefore, we have the fiscal scope to respond, whether to the economic and social effects of the wars in Iran and Ukraine, or to the climate emergencies which, in the form of storms, droughts or, as is now the case, wildfires, we are, unfortunately, experiencing and suffering in our country.

I believe that one of this Government's greatest achievements, one of the great legacies that will be studied - not by this Government, but by Europe - is the NextGenerationEU funds, which we are going to fight for with all our might in Europe so that this pooling of debt, the financing of European public goods - beyond security and defence - the energy transition, digitalisation, science, and housing too. In short, let us come up with a common response to the common challenges facing Europe. And that is what the NextGenerationEU funds represent, along with the far-reaching political decision taken during the pandemic, through that major agreement reached by all European countries together with the European Commission.

I believe they have been a key driver of this country's success. The NextGenerationEU funds have helped us to bring about this structural transformation of our economy, but also - and here I would like to highlight the management capacity, because it has been very demanding - given the circumstances at the time: our State is a multi-level state, where many powers lie with local entities - many of which have small populations - and which also needed support from the State, from the General State Administration, to be able to manage the projects that would transform their streets, their squares and their villages.

In short, I believe that the ability to manage European funds has also been put to the test, and that all levels of the State administration have passed with flying colours. We are one of the two countries that have been most successful in implementing the NextGenerationEU funds. We have just received approval for the sixth tranche, which we are due to receive in the coming weeks. And in total, just to give us an idea, we will have received around 100 billion euros - 100 billion euros earmarked for the self-employed, SMEs, businesses, industries, educational establishments and for improving the national long-term care system in our country. In short, tackling the climate emergency. In short, everything that lies behind - and, logically, behind this major transformation we are undertaking in Spain as well.

These successes, therefore, have specific names and surnames. These are concrete examples for the future, for different sectors and regions, where people are looking ahead with hope and, therefore, with less uncertainty. For example, there is the state-of-the-art industrial complex in Figueruelas, which has received 380 million euros in funding for various electric mobility projects; these projects also foster industrial development, build territorial cohesion and create jobs in areas where, due to reliance on other types of energy supplies and the lack of a decisive industrial policy, such opportunities would not have existed previously.

Or, for example, the success of this major company, PLD Space, in Elche, which has developed the Miura 5 rocket with more than 40 million euros from the scheme and has increased its workforce twelvefold, from the 40 employees it had in 2020, to nearly 500 employees by 2026. And we will, by the way, continue to build on this, investing in science, innovation and new technologies, whether that be artificial intelligence or, of course, quantum computing as well.

In this regard, I would also like to highlight the science policy we have been implementing in recent times, because we are currently seeing the highest level of investment in R&D in our history. We're talking about 24 billion euros, which is 60% more than in 2018.

We have launched the National Deep Tech Strategy, which will mobilise 8 billion euros by 2030 to transform scientific knowledge into technological and industrial leadership in quantum technologies, biotechnology, advanced materials, space and energy. In short, to be a country that competes with the world's leading scientific and technological powers. And all of this, incidentally, is being done in partnership with our companies, because we are not stepping in to replace the private sector. What we are doing is supporting them through this major transformation that our country is undergoing, both from an economic perspective and in terms of science and technology, through public-private partnerships aimed at developing the major European gigafactories, and artificial intelligence, where Spain will compete alongside the major companies that are at the forefront of the field of artificial intelligence, whether in the construction of data centres or in the development of artificial intelligence itself as a technology; and I believe this can place our country at the forefront of advanced artificial intelligence, one that is sovereign from a European perspective and also humanistic.

The third key point is that if all this growth does not reach the broad sections of our population - the middle class, workers and those who need it most - then it would not be growth. I believe it is also very important to implement all the policies aimed at redistributing that wealth, which we are now putting in place following a difficult decade; a period marked by cuts during the neoliberal era prior to 2018 and, therefore, strengthening our welfare state, where we have not only had to make up for everything lost as a result of the cuts since 2011, but also to respond to the new social realities facing our country in terms of its welfare state policies. I am thinking, for example, of the Minimum Basic Income, or I am thinking, for example, of paternity and maternity leave, their duration and their equal treatment. In short, there has not only been a reconstruction, but also an adaptation to a social reality to which all levels of government must respond. Over the past eight years, we have increased spending on the welfare state and social benefits; to give you an idea of the scale of this effort, the figure amounts to no less than 145 billion euros - an additional 145 billion euros for healthcare, education and public services. Some 145 billion euros more. Without going any further, we have just announced the creation of new places on specialist healthcare training programmes - 500 more than in the previous intake. We have created 4,500 additional places since 2018, which is an increase of 53 per cent. We are aware that we need to continue along this path of growth because more healthcare professionals are needed, but we are heading in the right direction. We have increased the number of neonatal screening tests covered by our National Health Service to 23 - from 7 to 23. The latest expansion was approved in the last six months. We have succeeded in extending the age range for these vital breast cancer screening programmes to include women aged between 45 and 74. In other words, we have extended the period of cover by ten years and have also added a new entitlement to our healthcare portfolio, namely the VEO Plan, which you can see here on this slide, where - so that we can see the latent demand that existed - more than 370,000 children under the age of 16 who are beneficiaries of a 100-euro allowance for glasses and contact lenses. If I recall correctly, in the first phase we allocated 48 million euros to help families. We have just finalised an extension - given its success - an extension, as I was saying, of a further 23.4 million euros to ensure that our young people, when they go to school and attend lessons, have every opportunity to learn in the best possible way.

Furthermore, today, one of the measures we have approved in the Council of Ministers, as you are aware, we are currently engaged in this process of deconcentration, although on many occasions, both in the media and amongst the public themselves, the term 'decentralisation' is more commonly used; however, strictly speaking, it is deconcentration, because we are not decentralising powers, but rather deconcentrating the presence of agencies. In short, what we are doing is bringing the State closer to each and every region in our country. It has been approved - and this is what I would also like to announce to you - that the new head office of the National Health Agency will be located in Zaragoza, the capital of Aragon. And this is yet another example of what it means to commit to territorial cohesion in our country; so, congratulations to the people of Zaragoza. And congratulations also to the whole country, because it is clear - and I say this from experience - having served as president during the pandemic, that we urgently need a State Public Health Agency to provide us with all the resources we lacked during the first fateful months of the pandemic, so that we can understand and respond much more effectively to pandemics such as the one we endured six years ago. In the field of education, we have broken the record for grants, with 2.6 billion euros, which will reach nearly one million students in the 26-27 academic year. There is a record budget allocation for universities, which falls within the remit of the Government of Spain. The Distance University (UNED) is to create 20,000 new places on undergraduate and postgraduate master's degree programmes, for example, in law or also in health psychology, which, as you know, is also very important and in high demand amongst our professionals and our citizens. We have launched a new territorial cooperation programme with the regional governments, with a budget of 175 million euros, with the aim - and this is the Government of Spain's ambition - of making early-years education for children aged 0 to 3 universal across the country. When it comes to vocational training, I think my commitment to this area is very evident, because I believe it is one of the major transformations - and certainly one of those I'm most proud of - but we're talking about 400,000 new places created since 2018. And that is the success: 1.2 million people enrolled on courses leading to high employability. In some sectors, the employability rate exceeds 90%. And we have also just announced a commitment to increase the funding for workers' continuing professional development by 867 million euros, not only for young people entering education and vocational training because they choose to do so, but we are also promoting training for workers, amongst other things, to improve their employability in sectors which, clearly, particularly due to the impact of technology have to adapt to new realities.

When it comes to care and social protection, I believe that, without exaggerating, we have been witnessing unprecedented progress over the last six months in historical terms. Since the creation of the National Care System itself, to put it simply, we could say that we have overhauled the system and have done so with increased investment. That is a total of an additional 6.2 billion euros as you can see on this slide, which will enable us to increase benefits from 290 euros to 660 euros for those classified as level three dependants, and from 130 euros to 260 euros for those classified as level two dependants. I would therefore like to reiterate: 660 euros for those in category three and 260 euros for those in category two. I believe this represents a revival of an extraordinary idea: the creation of that fourth pillar of the welfare state, the National Care System, and the development of what has come to be known as the care economy; but it is a historic reform which, in my view, following the experience gained, is based on three fundamental principles. Firstly, greater independence; secondly, greater dignity; and thirdly, greater peace of mind for the families of those in need of care. And this will have a tangible impact - I would say on a daily basis - on nearly 1.7 million people, and it will also give their carers some respite. Well, I'd say carers, because they are indeed mostly women, as we all know.

We have fulfilled a mandate that was adopted by unanimous consensus in Parliament, which means that MND patients will be eligible for state aid of up to almost 10,000 euros a month to improve their quality of life. And we also support those who lack the basic resources to meet their most fundamental needs. In June 2026, to give you an idea, more than 860,000 families received the Minimum Basic Income, which offers many of these people prospects and hope of entering the labour market. But above all, what it offers - and this was the proposal we put forward for the Minimum Basic Income - is a very significant source of funding to tackle what I believe is one of the main problems facing our country: child poverty, which unfortunately still affects millions of children and which, naturally, we must eradicate.

We also fulfil our shared responsibility for the care of children. Let's not forget, by the way, where we've come from. In 2018, fathers were entitled to five weeks' paternity leave and in 2021 we achieved parity between both parents with 16 weeks each, and a year ago we reached 19 weeks' leave, which increases to 32 weeks for single-parent families. Well, I think this is one of the major steps forward and, incidentally, a family policy that others are determined to vote against. Just in the first quarter of 2026 - to give you an idea of the impact - 115,000 parents took advantage of this leave, and we would like to see many more do so, because clearly the responsibility of care cannot be a burden that always falls on the same people. It must, of course, be a shared right, supported by families and also protected by public authorities. Now we must work hard to continue meeting the objectives of this legislative term and to keep strengthening the welfare state - as exemplified by our commitment, in relation to the National Dependency System, to ensure that the Government of Spain's contribution to the system reaches 50%.

Clearly, there can be no well-being without fair access to decent housing for large sections of our population. We naturally think a great deal about young people, as is only to be expected, but there are also families who are not young, who face real difficulties in buying or renting a home. This six-month period, we have continued to implement some very important measures in this area. We are fully aware that this is one of the main concerns. We are focusing on two fronts. On one hand, to provide security for small property owners whilst we tackle speculators and vulture funds. And secondly, to put in place measures to ease the burden of rent on tenants. During the last parliamentary term, incidentally, we reached a very important milestone: the passing of the Housing Act, the first of its kind in the history of democracy. I think it is important to assess how things are going in those towns and cities where some of the measures provided for under the Housing Act are actually being implemented. For example, in Barcelona, A Coruña and Pamplona, it is becoming clear that implementing the Housing Act is bringing down rent prices without affecting the supply of accommodation, which is very important. It's one of the things often said by those neoliberals who don't want any intervention. In other words, let's carry on as usual, without intervening in the housing market. Well, we're seeing that in Barcelona, A Coruña and Pamplona, these rent prices aren't affecting supply and are remaining stable compared with many other places where the Housing Act isn't applied. Just yesterday, incidentally, we learnt the figures for the 14 towns declared to be high-tension areas in the province of Guipúzcoa, and the evidence is indisputable: New rental prices fell by 3.5% in the province, whilst the number of active tenancy agreements reached an all-time high, representing a 3.2% increase on the previous quarter. What I mean by this is that there is still a great deal to be done, but it is true that we are beginning to observe and assess positively the effects of the Housing Act in those places where towns and regional governments are implementing it in the public interest, rather than out of neoliberal dogmatism. In this regard, there are now 310 towns, protecting more than 9.2 million residents in stressed areas. And let's hope other major cities such as Madrid and Málaga follow suit, but, well, all that depends - as you know - on the regional governments setting aside their partisan differences and finally putting their people first, especially those who need access to housing. And that, in my view - as I have said on many occasions - is indeed a national priority. Housing must be a right for everyone, not a business for the few, and it certainly must not be held hostage to partisan strategies that serve no public interest whatsoever. There is still a great deal of work to be done, and I would like to make a commitment to the public. The fact is that in the first quarter of 2026, we achieved the highest number of public housing tenders in the last 18 years. This amounts to more than 465 million euros, which is 44% more than in the previous year; our commitment, therefore, is that we will continue to promote and strengthen our commitment to the construction of social housing. Furthermore, as you know, we have approved the National Housing Plan in agreement with the regional governments, with a budget of 7 billion euros, which will, amongst other things, prevent publicly funded housing from becoming a vehicle for speculation. I believe this is one of the major contributions of the Housing Act and its incorporation into national housing plans. And, ultimately, I believe this is the course we must follow, both now and in the future.

The fourth priority is to strengthen measures relating to public integrity, the consolidation of democracy and territorial cohesion. This term, we have introduced, through three bills, virtually all of the measures we announced a year ago in the National Anti-Corruption Plan. This morning, the Council of Ministers approved the draft Public Integrity Bill at its second reading; this legislation will, amongst other things, establish a new independent Public Integrity Agency, with broader remit than that initially envisaged during the first reading of the draft bill. This draft bill incorporates contributions from state bodies, civil society and regional authorities.

I would also like to emphasise that every milestone has been achieved - as the Minister for Parliamentary Relations and the Minister for Treasury pointed out just today - with the guidance of this highly important multilateral organisation, the OECD, in line with international best practice.

A bill which is now set to be sent to the Lower House. The parliamentary process will, we hope, begin. And I hope that all parliamentary groups will show the far-sightedness that the situation demands, and that they will be willing to engage in dialogue so that this bill can go ahead. Of course, the Government will have it. The parliamentary groups that support the Government of Spain and make up this progressive coalition government will get it.

I believe that, as you know, another important aspect - and one that is always interesting to assess - is the relationship we have with other regional governments. And I think it is worth mentioning that we have now held 59 Sectoral Conferences so far this year. There's the chart there too. We are talking about 966 since 2018, when I had the honour of becoming president of the Government of Spain - in other words, more than double the number held during the previous term of office.

I believe that if anything demonstrates this, it is not only the Government of Spain's respect for the competences of the other levels of government, but also our commitment and our willingness to reach agreements with other institutions as well.

On this point, I would like to note that the normal institutional relations between the Government of Spain and the Government of Catalonia demonstrate that this very cooperation is working. And in this regard, I would also like to point out that none other than the Court of Justice of the European Union, the CJEU, has endorsed the Amnesty Act and confirmed that we are acting, as the Government of Spain has always maintained, in accordance with the law, to promote - as the CJEU stated in its judgment - reconciliation. It was a brave decision, but I believe it was a necessary one that allows us to look to the future together once again.

To give you an idea, when we came to power in 2018, 40% of Catalans cited the relationship between Catalonia and the General State Administration as one of their main problems. 40%. Today, that accounts for just 2%. From 40% to 2%. And this is not by chance.

And this applies to all territories. With the Basque Country, with Galicia, with Navarre, with the Canary Islands - in short, with those with whom we have reached agreements and commitments regarding shared and delegated powers. Overall, we have managed to increase the number of agreements with all regions by almost 70%.

Finally - and I apologise for the length of my speech - the last of these priorities has a great deal to do with geopolitics and, therefore, with foreign policy.

Of course, geopolitics may not seem to affect us in our day-to-day lives, but if gas prices rise, or if oil prices go up when we want to fill up our car, it has a lot to do with the wrong decisions being made beyond our borders.

I know that many citizens feel overwhelmed by the day-to-day grind, which causes a great deal of tension and a great deal of self-serving, artificial polarisation, fuelled in part by certain powerful groups. And, incidentally, they have little to do with the reality of our fellow citizens' lives or the one I have just described. And, of course, that is by no means the perception the rest of the world has of Spain.

In this context, where, unfortunately, the prevailing mindset is one of isolation - closing borders, curtailing rights, turning security into a race for unlimited rearmament, imposing unilateral tariffs and undermining international rules - I believe that Spain is demonstrating that the right course of action is to champion the opposite. That is, protecting without shutting oneself away. Because we must understand that, in order to protect ourselves, we need to practise empathy - not only in a mental sense, but also in a practical sense - towards those who suffer the consequences of wars, or of climate crises, or of the challenges they may face in their own countries. So, we can protect ourselves without shutting ourselves away. To bring order without dehumanising the challenges facing the world. Defending ourselves without compromising the welfare state. To be competitive through collaboration and by reaching out to others.

And there, Spain is defending what was, unfortunately, the norm until very recently. And I think most people here feel the same way. As I said at the start of my speech, this forms part of our foreign policy - that common-sense agenda which we in the Government of Spain have been implementing for the past eight years. Those who do not wish to abandon the international order, because they know full well that this would mean the law of the strongest, the law of the jungle, and therefore to protect the majority of society from the dictates of the powerful. Who, incidentally, are becoming fewer in number, but are amassing ever greater power and economic resources.

We are clear on this: we do not want war, we want peace; we do not want tariffs, we want fair, rules-based international trade; we do not want genocide, we do want human rights; we do not want the law of the jungle, we do want multilateralism, which must be reformed and strengthened. Ultimately, what we want and what we stand for is common sense, consistency and sound judgement. These are the Government's principles that shape our actions abroad.

We continue to support the Ukrainian people. We are also consistent in our stance on Gaza and Lebanon and, of course, ever since the unilateral attack by the United States and Israel on Iran, we have made it clear that our country is committed to upholding international law and human rights. We will not be complicit in unnecessary, illegal wars, which inflict and cause so much suffering. We condemn these attacks. We also condemn the Iranian regime's indiscriminate attacks on other countries in the region. And I think this is yet another example of consistency.

As well as our commitment - naturally, whilst respecting our own sovereignty - to transatlantic security. And, of course, we are also helping to ensure greater security by strengthening our development cooperation, which has increased official development assistance by 13%, to over 4.5 billion euros. Meanwhile, other countries are cutting back on this official development assistance. I was proud to welcome all the aid workers - who are volunteers from many regional and local authorities - at Barajas Airport, after these professionals - these volunteers, including firefighters and healthcare workers - had been in Venezuela, helping the people of a sister nation in the wake of the earthquake they suffered, setting up a field hospital and providing medical care to the victims of this earthquake. We have not, of course, forgotten the victims of that disaster in a neighbouring country. And, of course, here in Spain we will do everything in our power - including within the international community - to ensure that financial resources are made available to help with the reconstruction.

I will conclude. And yes, I'd like to conclude with the following thought. I believe that behind each of these policies and the figures I have shared during this speech, there are people who, despite the difficulties they face on a daily basis, are living a little better. There are jobs that offer greater stability and better prospects. There are families who feel more secure. There are young people who are finding new opportunities. There are older people who face life with greater confidence and dignity. And it seems to me that this is the true assessment of these past years, which is what I would like to share with the public: that we are not just talking about laws that have been passed or resources that have been mobilised, but about tangible changes that make a difference to people's lives.

To those Spanish families who are going on holiday in a few days' time, who are packing their bags, or who are already on holiday, what I'd like to ask is that they take pride in our country if they're travelling around it. Or, for that matter, take note of the admiration shown by many people from other countries towards Spain when we have the opportunity to travel abroad. And it's not just because of the Spanish national football team - although that's part of it, of course. I believe that being Spanish today - despite the difficulties we are facing because of these climate emergencies and these fires - means belonging to a country that has a very clear vision, that champions coexistence and peace, that plays fair and that is building - and this is our aim - a better society.

There is one year left until the end of this parliamentary term. A year to bring reforms to a successful conclusion, to keep moving forwards, to demonstrate that Spain has its own path which it can proudly show to many other countries that, unfortunately, are following a completely opposite course, and that is that there is no need to choose between growth and protection, between modernisation and maintaining social cohesion, between being strong at home and respected abroad.

There is a lot of work ahead. The ministers are aware of this. But after eight years in government, our objectives are very clear. We are the government of the people. "We are the progressive coalition government, and this is the Government of Spain," he concluded.

So thank you very much. I am keeping an eye out for the questions the media are going to ask me.

QUESTIONS FROM THE MEDIA

Almudena Guerrero (TVE). - I have three questions about the fires. If you plan to approach the parties to secure the State pact you referred to. Or even if you are planning to convene a conference of regional presidents, because this is an issue that directly affects them. I was talking about tension, and we're in the thick of the battle against the fire. I also highlight the importance of collaboration between public authorities: Do you share tweets and statements made by some of the ministers, in which, amongst other things, they shirk all responsibility for the regional governments? Doesn't this contradict the call for unity you've just made? And were you convinced by Zapatero's explanations in the TVE interview?

Response: Thank you very much, Almudena. With regard to the national agreement, I would like to point out that we proposed this State pact to tackle the climate emergency last year, in the midst of the wildfire season - specifically in the summer of 2025. Since then, the Third Vice-president, Sara Aagesen, who is here with us today, has worked to organise a whole movement that naturally goes beyond the institutional sphere, because it engages the scientific community, NGOs, and also the primary sector and people living in rural areas. In short, there has been an unprecedented mobilisation of more than 1,500 people, with over 4,000 contributions that were incorporated into that national agreement, in that State Pact on the climate emergency which we presented in September last year in the town of Ponferrada, in El Bierzo. That is what we did. And since then, not only at government level, but also in our dealings with other public institutions, including the Lower House of Parliament, parliamentary groups have been systematically called upon to forge together and bring this national agreement to fruition. I, for one, have no problem whatsoever in talking to the political parties. I would have no problem speaking at a Conference of Presidents as well. I am the president of the Government of Spain who has convened the most Conferences of Presidents in the history of democracy. However, there are certain issues that lead me to be somewhat cautious, because it is clear that in the government agreements currently being drawn up - in which the coalition between the People's Party and VOX features prominently - what we are seeing is not exactly a clear and firm commitment to tackling the climate emergency, but quite the opposite: a denial of that climate emergency. And so I believe that climate denial - which, unfortunately, is gaining ground in some regional governments - is the worst possible fuel for the fight against the climate emergency. But, in any case, our commitment, our determination, is absolute. I believe that no national agreement is more necessary than the one addressing the climate emergency. The Government of Spain is already doing its bit. We are not waiting for the regional governments and local entities governed by the People's Party and Vox to join us. Just yesterday I had the opportunity to present the Climate Shelter Infrastructure Network, which received coverage in your media - for which I am grateful - and I would also encourage other public authorities to follow suit. But, in any case, I believe the important thing is that these autonomous communities, these governments and these parties do not deny the scientific evidence and stand on the side of science, so that we are not only united in our response when fires break out, when storms strike, cold snaps or droughts, but that we are also united in prevention and in the reconstruction of the areas affected by these climate-related emergencies. And it saddens me deeply - I have to say this - to see political leaders and representatives of public institutions becoming mouthpieces for hoaxes and misinformation, because it is clear that the Montes Act does not prevent what they claim it prevents. Consequently, this is a matter falling within the remit of the regional governments, which are required to draw up plans for the clearing and maintenance of these woodlands - which are owned by and fall under their jurisdiction - and the Government of Spain will be on hand to lend a hand in whatever way we can, just as we are already doing. There are some figures that are particularly relevant in this regard. To give you an idea, between 2024 and 2026 we have increased the budget allocated to prevention by around 30 per cent. We have strengthened the teams that operate all year round, such as the preventive action brigades and the comprehensive forest fire prevention teams. These are teams that carry out essential tasks, such as pruning, clearing and controlled burning before the summer. And we have increased the budget allocated to firefighting by more than 34 per cent. Consequently, the budget for prevention has increased 30%, and the budget for fire-fighting has increased 34%. And then there are the BRIFs, whose budget has increased by 47 per cent and who now have a new agreement recognising the work they carry out throughout the year. We are refurbishing the bases; as you know, I have had the opportunity to visit some of them. We have strengthened our air assets; we have purchased seven new amphibious aircraft, which will be brought into service from 2028 onwards. In short, we are taking action, but it is not enough; and it is not enough because we need the support, assistance and cooperation of all public authorities. The General State Administration has its own powers; the regional governments have their own; local entities and provincial councils have theirs, and they certainly play a decisive role in these prevention efforts; I believe it is very important to recall this and to call on them, as I did at the start of my speech, to join this State Pact against the climate emergency - which, incidentally, as I would remind you, has also been the subject of discussion on many other occasions - perhaps not specifically within the framework of a State Pact, but certainly at many conferences of presidents. I would like to mention, for example, the conference held on the island of La Palma, where the civil protection system was updated, strengthened and modernised; it is now the main mechanism and instrument for dealing with these climate-related emergencies. As for the tension, I believe that climate change and wildfires are not ideologically driven; they affect everyone equally, and I would like to call for unity and collaboration amongst all team members, just as all members of the National Civil Protection System do. As for the interview with José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero - former Prime Minister Zapatero - I would like to say that, on behalf of the Government of Spain and on behalf of the party I am honoured to lead, he certainly has our support. We respect his presumption of innocence and, as I have said on many other occasions, this investigation is still in its early stages. We'll see how it turns out.

Esther Garrido (Antena 3). - Good morning, Mr President. Returning to the subject of the fires, given the seriousness of the situation and the fact that it does not look as though things are going to improve this summer, I wanted to ask you whether the Government is considering limiting the State Pact to tackling fires rather than climate change, as the People's Party is calling for, in the interests of reaching an agreement. Still on the subject of the budget; you have promised to submit it after the summer; I'm not sure if you could tell us specifically whether this will be before the end of September. And what happens if they don't turn up? Whether an early election would be considered. Junts has already stated that it is not prepared to negotiate on this matter, and the PNV said this morning that without a budget, it will be very difficult to bring this parliamentary term to a close. And finally, returning to the subject of Zapatero, his friend Julio Martínez told the judge that the former president had informed him of the Plus Ultra bailout even before SEPI was aware of it. How can that be, if you have made enquiries with the Government and launched an investigation? Thank you.

Response: Well, thank you very much. For the budget, an election - in short, what the Basque Nationalist Party has said is simply a reiteration of what it has said on numerous occasions over the last few weeks. I have said this on many occasions: our intention is to submit the budget and our aim is to have it approved. And as I said in my opening remarks, even when the left is in power, elections last four years; it is not just when the right is in power that they last four years, and when the rest of us are in power, they are already calling for an election the very next day. Well, when the time comes, all I ask is that the election results be accepted. We've always taken them on board; let's see if others follow suit. And as for the fires, well, I wasn't aware of that. Does the PP want an agreement to tackle wildfires, but does not want an agreement on one of the main causes of those fires? Is that the point? The thing is, we already have that unit. The fact is that we are seeing a unified response today: at CECOP, in the response to the fires, both in Ávila and Madrid, as well as in the province of Castellón in the Valencian Community; this is no innovation at all, it is simply calling for agreement on something we are already in agreement about - not just in theory, but in practice. The key issue here is to reach an agreement on prevention and on the reconstruction and recovery of the affected areas. And to do that, we need to take a close look at how the climate emergency is exacerbating and exponentially increasing the risk of fires. If the professionals themselves are saying so. I remember a year ago, when I was in Bierzo - one of the areas worst affected by the fires last year - talking to local residents and members of the BRIF, who told me that we needed a State Pact. Because the long-term outlook for forest management - and for responding to these high temperatures, or to the cold spells and droughts that we are constantly enduring, one after another - requires a vision that goes beyond four-year parliamentary terms; it requires State pacts and coherent, consistent public policies. Why does science say that the climate emergency is not just about mitigation - that is, reducing greenhouse-gases - but also about adapting to them? Well, we'll have to do both. And if we don't address the elephant in the room - which is the climate emergency - then I find it very hard to believe that the scientific evidence is being denied. I find it very hard to believe that simply because the Government of Spain has proposed a State Pact on the climate emergency, it is therefore impossible to reach a State Pact on the climate emergency, when in reality those who are suffering these consequences include residents of the regions they govern, of the towns they govern, and which they aspire to govern in the forthcoming elections - just as we, too, legitimately aspire to do. In short, I believe we cannot turn a blind eye to reality, which is the climate emergency - in terms of our response, prevention and, of course, the response to and reconstruction following these fires, as has been the case during these summer months. As for the statements made by one of the individuals under investigation, that is their version of events. Of course, if I am to give my opinion on the accounts of various sides and their defence strategies, allow me to stick to what I said in response to the previous question posed by Almudena, the RTVE journalist.

José Marcos (El País): Good morning, Mr President. I wanted to ask you: do you intend to meet Alberto Núñez Feijóo? I say this because they had planned to meet in January this year, but that meeting was cancelled due to the accident in Adamuz. Perhaps the whole issue of the climate emergency and the fires crisis could be an opportunity - I'm not sure whether now or when we get back from the summer holidays. And very specific questions about former Prime Minister Zapatero. Zapatero maintains that he did not take part in the Plus Ultra bailout. Do you maintain that the airline's bailout was a flawless operation, in which there was no external intervention? As for the jewellery, former president Zapatero said that it was a personal gift, given as a gesture of goodwill and not for profit. In mid-June, when he gave evidence before Judge Calama, he said he would provide detailed explanations within a week or ten days. Well, for the time being, these are the explanations he has given. I don't know whether you find them convincing or not. And finally, in regard to the legal cases affecting your family, we have not had the opportunity to ask you about them. Two weeks ago, we learnt of the disqualification order against your brother. What do you think of it? And also, what can you tell us about the legal proceedings against your wife? And if she's worried, let's say, that it will be decided by a jury of her peers. Thank you.

Response: Well, that's two questions. Basically, it would just be a press conference - that's all. But let's see - regarding my discussions with the leader of the opposition, I would like to say that the Government of Spain is always open to dialogue and to exchanging views with the opposition; I only wish the opposition were constructive rather than destructive. In this case, he will not deny the evidence - namely, the climate emergency. I know for a fact that, in any event, both at the level of the parliamentary group and at the level of the minister responsible for Parliamentary Relations, we stand with all the parliamentary groups; and if they so wish, to go ahead and join this State Pact, then that would be most welcome; our doors are open to you. On the rescue of Plus Ultra. Let's see, I've said this on many occasions, and I'll say it again: the Plus Ultra case has been scrutinised from every possible angle - I don't know how many times - and the Government of Spain stands by what we have always said: its legality is beyond reproach. That report, incidentally, will allow me to speak out in favour of that Fund, which made it possible to safeguard 60,000 jobs, the rescue of thousands of businesses whose sole problem was the COVID-19 pandemic, and which represented a different approach to many other crises, where, instead of protecting businesses and workers through ERTE schemes, the approach was to make workers redundant and fail to support businesses. And I would like to point out once again that it was not a bailout, but a loan, with interest rates which, I believe, were not to the liking of any of the companies that received that loan. Therefore, in every possible way, including by way of circumlocution, we have examined this case and - as I have also stated in Parliament, and as you, as a journalist for El País, are well aware - we have complete peace of mind on this matter. As for everything else - the explanations - former president Zapatero will provide them; I am not his spokesperson. He will give them in court and to the media when he sees fit. Just look at the question you're asking - about my family. Because, obviously, Begoña Gómez is my wife and David Sánchez is my brother, but they are Begoña Gómez and David Sánchez. They are two people who have spent their whole lives working and furthering their education. One of them is my brother David Sánchez, who holds a degree in Economics from ICADE and a degree in Composition and Orchestral Conducting from St Petersburg State University, where he lived for six years; he speaks fluent Russian and English, having lived in England for many years; he speaks perfect French and Italian, and is someone who has dedicated his entire life to working with integrity and to furthering his education. He is not just my brother; he is, fundamentally, David Sánchez, and therefore, in a system that safeguards individual rights such as ours, he has every right to appeal against this judgment, which he considers unfair, and let us hope that the higher courts will, of course, rule in his favour, as I, too, stand by him. And the same goes for Begoña Gómez. Begoña Gómez and I met when we were 30. She had been working at her company for over ten years. She left his company in 2018, the same year that I took office as president of the Government of Spain here at Moncloa Palace. She resigned from her company in order to avoid any conflict of interest and to prevent any kind of problem that might arise, even if it were contrived and deliberate on the part of those interests which are, in fact, making such allegations today through private prosecutions. But she was already a professional before I met her. And even before I became General Secretary of the Socialist Party, she was already working at the Complutense University on a number of master's programmes and postgraduate courses that she had led and designed. So, she's not my wife; she's Begoña Gómez. I say this because, on many occasions, with that sort of strategy - and I'm not referring to you - what happens is that people with a history of integrity and professionalism, who have even sacrificed a significant part of their career development - as in the case of Begoña Gómez - are dehumanised, simply because I am the president of the Government of Spain. And the question we must ask ourselves is: does the partner of a president of the Government of Spain have to give up their career? Is that the Spain we want? And then there's the legal wrangling - well, let's just hope it ends the way it's meant to; you know what I think about it.

Ainhoa Martínez (ABC).- Good afternoon, Mr President. We have just come to the end of a very intense year, both politically and in legal terms. Those decisions you've just mentioned regarding your family, investigations into the PSOE, and also decisions concerning former members of your government. Do you agree that there are actors, as some ministers claim, who want to bring down the government by undemocratic means? And if that is the case, who will identify those parties? Returning to the subject of the budget, and speaking with a certain degree of scepticism, I must ask you - because you said, 'We have said many times that we are going to submit it' - but that has not happened, at least during this parliamentary term. Why should those listening now believe that it will actually happen this time? And if it undertakes to adhere to the constitutional timetable, that is, to table them in Parliament before the end of September. You came to power eight years ago following a vote of no confidence in the wake of the Gürtel verdict - a vote of no confidence in corruption, based on what we might describe as very high political and moral standards. This case has concluded with a 24-year prison sentence for a former minister in your government, and I do not know whether this causes you any sense of contradiction. I don't know whether the Pedro Sánchez who took to that podium in 2018 would today call for the resignation of the current government if a former minister - the then president of the Government of Spain's right-hand man - were convicted of corruption. Thank you very much.

Response: Thank you very much for your questions. Come to think of it, it's curious, because even in the case not involving my family - that of David Sánchez and Begoña Gómez - the Crown Prosecution Service has not requested that the case be dismissed. In the case, for example, of Begoña Gómez - an alleged offence of embezzlement - the State Legal Service, which in theory is there to defend the interests of the public administration, has not even been called upon. So, what are we left with? It is these accusations made by members of the People's Party that you have been reporting on in the media. Aren't these private prosecutions being used to advance a political agenda? I don't think that's an opinion; it's a fact. That's a fact. You might like it or you might not, but that's just the way it is. It is therefore clear - indeed, it is evident - that there is a deliberate intent behind these private prosecutions and, incidentally, on the part of political parties as well. From Vox. From the People's Party. They present themselves as private prosecutors, and the only proposals they have put forward - as far as is known over the years - are to increase prison sentences. Those are the proposals they're putting forward; that's the sort of opposition we're up against. I certainly won't be going along with that. Budgets. You are a well-informed journalist. I have already said it. Our intention is to introduce it in 2026. Our aim is to pass it in 2026. And our intention and aim is that parliamentary terms, as has always been the case during my time in office, should last for the duration laid down in the Constitution. And on the motion of no confidence. If you recall - because you were present in that chamber - I called on Mr Rajoy to accept political responsibility, because he had not accepted any political responsibility. On the contrary, what he did was to cover up and shield systemic corruption that affected his party. In the case of the Socialist Party, whenever there has been even the slightest hint of this, we have taken decisive action. I think there's a huge difference between the two. And there are numerous cases - not only from the past, but also current ones - involving the People's Party and the far-right VOX party, which also show us how some people act and how others act when, unfortunately, cases of corruption such as the one we ourselves have suffered from come to light.

José Miguel Blanco (EFE News Agency).- Good afternoon, Mr President. Ultimately, it has not been possible to approve the decree on housing at this meeting of the Council of Ministers. Can you guarantee that this decree will be approved in September, or do you think there is a risk that it may not be tabled in the end because it is impossible to reach an agreement between parties such as Junts, the PNV and Podemos?

And, on the other hand, at this sort of press conference - as is customary - to ask you about a possible meeting with former president Puigdemont. Following the European court's decision, if you trust him and wish to meet with him in Spain; whether you would like the Spanish courts to act swiftly to grant that amnesty; and whether you believe that Puigdemont's return to Spain will soften Junts' stance in the final stretch of the parliamentary term, for example, on budget matters. Thank you.

Response: Thank you very much. I found it quite funny that it's become something of a tradition for you to ask about this, José Miguel. Even Mr Feijóo wants to meet with Puigdemont. We have managed to achieve - in short - a success with the Amnesty Act, namely that none other than the PP and Junts have come together again. VOX is trailing behind, but we're not quite sure where it stands on the issue. As for the first of these questions, housing is our priority. And the priority is to pass it and reach an agreement on it. I think we've done a very good job within the progressive coalition government. As I have said on many occasions, we are a government in a parliamentary minority, and it is now up to us to forge those alliances with the parliamentary groups. But on that subject, here is the expert: Minister Bolaños. I hope you are able to get some rest, weather permitting, and I wish all the media organisations and members of the public watching us a happy holiday. Thank you.

(Transcript edited by the State Secretariat for Communication)