Pedro Sánchez calls for parliamentary backing for response to tariff hike out of "pure common sense"

Lower House of Parliament, Madrid

The President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, during his speech at the Government Control Session held in the Lower House of Parliament (EFE)

In the Government control session held in the Lower House of Parliament, the president described as "very important" and "pure common sense" the vote to be held tomorrow in this legislative chamber on measures to deal with the tariff threat. "We are responding, anticipating a crisis that neither Europe nor Spain has caused, which is the unilateral and unjustified tariff war that is being proposed by the US administration," he said in his reply to Alberto Núñez Feijóo, a member of the PP.

The chief executive asked the PP to "rectify" its position and support the validation of the Royal Decree-law with these urgent measures aimed at protecting Spanish companies and workers.

The President of the Government also contrasted the opposition's economic forecasts with the indicators of institutions including the International Monetary Fund, the OECD, the Bank of Spain and Eurostat, and also with the evolution of foreign tourism, national insurance contribution data and the revaluation of pensions.

With regard to another of the issues raised by the member of the PP, the situation of ALS patients, Pedro Sánchez assured that the Government's support for this group is "absolute" and "resounding". Furthermore, he assured that the Executive will fulfil its commitment to invest the €200 million necessary to develop what is known as the ELA Law.

Commitment to self-government in the Basque Country

The President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, during his speech at the Government Control Session held in the Lower House of Parliament | EFE

The President of the Government has expressed his respect for the Supreme Court ruling of 19 April, which annulled the transfer of powers to the Basque Country in the area of recognition of foreign university degrees, "following the doctrine of the Constitutional Court". In his reply to Maribel Vaquero, a member of the Basque Parliamentary Group, Pedro Sánchez recalled that jurisdictional control of the royal decrees issued by the Mixed Commissions of Transfers between the Executive and the regional governments corresponds to the Supreme Court.

He also highlighted that since 2018, more than 15 transfers of services and competences to the Basque Country have been agreed. Among the most recent are the refugee reception process, functions on work permits for foreigners, and others in the field of meteorology. "So, we continue along this path, with loyalty, hard work, will and firm commitment, to strengthen the self-government of the Basque Country," he said.

Pedro Sánchez also pointed out the Government's willingness to seek solutions that will allow "the transfer annulled by the Supreme Court to be processed and materialised".

Unprecedented investment in Navarre

The chief executive defended his Government's management of the Autonomous Community of Navarre, in response to Alberto Catalán, a member of the Mixed Parliamentary Group, who asked him about this issue.

The President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, speaks from his seat at the Government Control Session held in the Lower House of Parliament | Congreso de los Diputados

Pedro Sánchez argued that since 2018, employment in that community has grown by 13% and the number of national insurance contributors by 36,000, which is equivalent to the total working-age population of towns such as Tudela, Tafalla and Estella combined. In addition, the 61% rise in the minimum wage benefited 22,000 Navarrese, that is, one in every 14 workers.

The president stressed that the Government has poured unprecedented resources into the region. As an example, he mentioned several investments in infrastructures: the €468 earmarked for the Navarre Canal; the €453 million, between executed and tendered, for the high-speed train, and the €306 million allocated for the works on the A-15.

According to Pedro Sánchez, the Autonomous Community of Navarre has received "a whopping €1.393 billion" from the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, with a total of 14,072 beneficiaries, mostly small and medium-sized enterprises.

In terms of security, the president stressed that the region "has never in history had so many National Police and Guardia Civil officers as with this Government".

Pedro Sánchez concluded by making a plea to Unión del Pueblo Navarro to reach agreements that would be beneficial for the region and for the country, calling on this party to be more constructive in its opposition.

Non official translation