Pedro Sánchez announces the publication in November of the catalogue of Francoist symbols for their removal

Lower House of Parliament, Madrid

The President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, stands in front of his seat while being asked a question during the Government control session (Pool Congreso)

The President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, announced in the control session in the Lower House of Parliament that the Official State Gazette (BOE) will publish the complete catalogue of Francoist elements and symbols before the end of November "so that they can be removed once and for all" from the streets.

The leader of the Executive made this announcement during his response to Mertxe Aizupurúa, a member of the Euskal Herria Bildu Parliamentary Group, in which he reviewed the measures adopted by the Government to end the glorification of fascism, "taking up the baton from other progressive administrations".

Among them, he highlighted the approval of a Law on Democratic Memory which he described as "courageous"; the reform of the Associations Law, to enable the legislation that would make possible the closure of the Francisco Franco Foundation; and the events scheduled for 2025 to commemorate the beginning of the democratic transition.

The President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, is photographed in his seat in the Lower House of Parliament | Pool Congreso

Support for the self-employed and housing measures

President Sánchez once again defended the measures adopted by his government in the area of housing in his response to the MP for the Junts per Catalunya Parliamentary Group, Míriam Nogueras, in which he also backed the recent proposal to abolish daylight saving time and called for support for self-employed workers.

"This is the government that has done the most for the self-employed in the history of democracy", the president asserted, backing up this statement by citing the unemployment benefit and the direct aid implemented during the pandemic, which, according to the leader, "saved many businesses."

With regard to housing, Pedro Sánchez noted that the number of social housing units under construction has increased by 63% in the last year, compared to 13% for private housing units. However, he once again acknowledged that this is "a complex problem" that his government is committed to solving in order to establish "the fifth pillar of the welfare state."

The President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, observed a minute of silence, along with the other deputies, for the latest 21-year-old woman murdered due to domestic violence | Pool Congreso

Latest social and economic measures

During the control session, the leader of the Executive also referred to the measures approved at the last Council of Ministers, which include the injection of 500 million euros for the comprehensive care of people with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and the reinforcement of the Dependency System, aid worth 27 million euros for farmers affected by last summer's fires, and the approval of the sustainable tourism strategy.

"This government has not given up governing," the president concluded in his response to Alberto Núñez Feijóo, of the People's Party Parliamentary Group, after listing all these measures.

In his speech, Pedro Sánchez also mentioned the issue of pensions, asserting that the 1.7 million new jobs created guarantee the future of the pension system.

Non official translation