Pedro Sánchez argues for a "fair distribution" of the costs of the crisis and calls for strengthening unity in response to the war in Ukraine

Barcelona

Vis-à-vis Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the Chief Executive has called for "unity" in the response to this conflict, as was seen in the pandemic with the centralised purchase of vaccines by the EU and the mutualisation of debt through the European funds of the Recovery Plan. "We must all work together to strengthen our common project, which is none other than the European Union," he said.

At an event that was also attended by the Minister for Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda, Raquel Sánchez, the President of the Government stressed that Spain is the fourth country in the European Union that is taking in the most Ukrainian refugees, and he called for a comprehensive response to future challenges, increasing investment in defence.

"If we want to address not only the economic and social consequences of war, then we also have to address the climate challenge, the digital transformation, and the need to increase our investment in defence, and not to attack, but to deter attack," he explained.

€15 billion to protect families and businesses

Foto: Pool Moncloa / Borja Puig de la Bellacasa

Faced with the economic response to the impact of the war, Pedro Sánchez has highlighted the "need to reform the electricity market" in Europe so that "the evolution of the price of gas is decoupled from the evolution of the electricity bill". "That is where the Government of Spain is going to be: protecting small and medium-sized enterprises, families, and the working middle class of our country, promoting reforms," he said.

At the national level, he stressed that the new plan of measures approved last Saturday in the Council of Ministers makes a "fair distribution" of the crisis derived from the war, with an investment of €15,000 billion to cushion the effects of the economic consequences of the war, and above all in view of the increase in prices.

"This is a time for transformation," he remarked, refusing to use the pandemic or the war as "excuses" to avoid these reforms. "It is now that we have to make these transformations so that our societies can move forward, both in Catalonia and in Spain," he said.

Commitment to dialogue

Foto: Pool Moncloa / Borja Puig de la Bellacasa

The Chief Executive has called for these changes to be carried out through "great consensus, great agreements". Sánchez stressed that this has been achieved with the labour reform, with the recently approved law on science and with the law on vocational training.

In view of this, he stressed that the government will be in "permanent dialogue with the social agents" and with the rest of the institutions. "I have always believed that no matter how hard crises are, and undoubtedly also the disagreements, committing to dialogue is worthwhile", he emphasised.

"The Government of Spain is committed to dialogue, to public-private partnerships. In short, it is committed to making inclusive transformations that allow all of us, not only employers, but also workers, to earn our future", he concluded.

Non official translation