Speech by the President of the Government of Spain at the extraordinary plenary session on the Royal Decree-laws on housing

SPEECH BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE GOVERNMENT OF SPAIN, PEDRO SÁNCHEZ

Thank you very much, Madam President. Honourable Members, there are days when this House debates highly technical issues, which may seem far removed from the concerns of the public, and there are days when we debate very concrete, very specific measures with such social significance that they transform people's lives - the lives of ordinary people, whom we must serve through our laws and our political debates. I believe this is one of those days. I also believe that people can sense and feel that this is one of those days.

In a few minutes, the president of Parliament will call you by name so that you may all state your vote explicitly and publicly. And I would like to ask you, when you do so, to set aside for a moment political calculations, your party's talking points, and the pressures coming from above. I ask you to put all that aside and think of the people - think of those who need the protection of the state the most. Think of the millions of young people who cannot become independent, of the families living in distress because their rent keeps rising, the pensioners who face old age with dread because they do not own their own homes, or the thousands of children who tomorrow might see their clothes, their schoolbags or their toys thrown out onto the pavement because their parents have been evicted. These people, Honourable Members, exist; they are real; they are our fellow citizens, however they may vote; and their lives, their future and their dignity also depend to a large extent on how you vote here today.

That is why I am not merely asking you, but imploring you, to be courageous and consistent. The measures we have put forward are ambitious, but, above all, they are necessary, reasonable and balanced measures, which have been devised through dialogue and which provide concrete solutions to very serious and real problems faced by the public. They contain no extremism; rather, they are the result of months of technical analysis and negotiation with all of you and with the parliamentary groups that chose to engage in that dialogue and negotiation. They also reflect a commitment and a firm determination to curb speculation, to help those who need access to affordable rent or to buy a first home, and to protect tenants, certainly, as well as small property owners against abuses by large-scale holders and so-called vulture funds.

In short, Honourable Members, what lies behind these decrees is the desire - which I believe is widely shared by the Spanish public - to bring order and humanity to a market which, if left unchecked, will ultimately destroy our society. It is clear that these measures alone will not solve all the problems - they will not - but it is undeniable that they will help to alleviate them.

And if they fail today, the damage to our country will be immense. Because it will affect the daily lives of millions of Spaniards. But it will also affect the growth of our economy, our international standing, and the public's confidence in democracy and its democratic institutions. And if that damage does occur this time, the blame will not lie with the troika, nor with the risk premium, nor with the banks. It will lie with those who vote 'no' from their seats in Parliament. That is why I ask you to rise to the challenge that the public is setting for us.

In this regard, I ask both the Honourable Members from the PP and Junts to take this step and rise to the expectations of the public. The time for falsehoods, ambiguities and absurd excuses ends here. Now, it is up to you to demonstrate whether your concern for citizens' well-being outweighs your desire to harm this government. You must show whether you are here to serve the interests of real estate elites - a legitimate aim, perhaps, but certainly not the interest of ordinary people. Do the right thing, for history will judge you sooner than you think and more harshly than you imagine.

(Transcript edited by the State Secretariat for Communication)