Pedro Sánchez expresses the Government's will "to guarantee stability until the end of the legislature in 2023"

Lower House of Parliament, Madrid

In the Government control session held in the Lower House of Parliament, the president acknowledged the work of the the National Intelligence Centre's (CNI) three thousand civil servants and its former director, Paz Esteban, after the Council of Ministers yesterday appointed a new head, Esperanza Casteleiro.

In his response to Concepción Gamarra of the Popular Parliamentary Group, Pedro Sánchez also stressed that, vis-à-vis the "obvious" failure in the security of the Executive's communications, "what the Government of Spain has done is what we have always done: comply with the law, bring these criminal acts to the attention of the justice system and act with absolute transparency before public opinion".

Furthermore, he guaranteed that "with this government, neither public funds nor the State Security Forces and Corps or the intelligence services will be used to cover up criminal acts or to persecute political opponents outside the law".

Furthermore, the Chief Executive recalled that in a few days' time it will be four years since the motion of censure that led to his investiture as president, maintaining that while "the situation today is not perfect", unlike what was happening then, the Constitution is now being complied with throughout the country and Spain has influence in the European Union. Sánchez expressed his regret that the main opposition party is not helping the government in the EU institutions or in the response to the pandemic and the war in Ukraine.

Spaniards deserve and need stability

Pool CongresoWhen replying to Edmundo Bal of the Ciudadanos Parliamentary Group, the president affirmed that the Executive has denounced the intrusion into the telephones of members of the Government through the Pegasus system in the same way that, when he arrived at Moncloa Palace in 2018, he collaborated with the justice system by complying with the Audiencia Nacional's request to declassify some documents on the previous Administration.

Regarding the stability of the Executive, Pedro Sánchez argued that this is demonstrated in the thirteen agreements reached with the social partners, the support of numerous parliamentary groups for the Government's main measures - such as the recent validation of the Plan to respond to the war in Ukraine- and in the approval of the General State Budget.

"And, without a doubt, I would like to express the will of the Government of Spain to guarantee this stability until the end of the legislature in 2023, which is what the Spanish people deserve and need", he assured.

Just and job-creating energy transition

In relation to the electricity model, an issue raised by Néstor Rego of the Plural Parliamentary Group, the Chief Executive stressed that the Government is committed to adapting to climate change and mitigating its effects, and that the war in Ukraine requires Europe to increase its energy autonomy.

Pedro Sánchez explained that, despite the difficulties, the government has brought forward an energy and climate framework that is highly rated by EU institutions, consisting of the first law on climate change in democracy, the National Energy and Climate Plan and the Just Transition Strategy. The goal, he said, is to provide the tools to meet climate objectives and to do so with territorial balance and by creating jobs.

Pool CongresoThe Chief Executive has also defended the fact that Spain is carrying out a rapid deployment of renewable energies and, at the same time, respecting the maximum environmental assessment requirements.

In his speech, he also highlighted the budgetary investments to promote self-consumption, the elimination of the 'sun tax', the promotion of energy communities and large-scale storage and batteries in homes, and the promotion of renewable air conditioning.

Sanchez pointed out that the last renewable energy auction alone mobilised an investment of close to €4 billion and created 36,000 jobs.

Non official translation