Pedro Sánchez: "Recovery has to reach especially the most vulnerable"

In the Lower House of Parliament, the prime minister of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, has advocated for a "useful policy" for citizens, with specific measures such as the increase in the minimum wage or aid for the island of La Palma. He also underlined the commitment to strengthening the education system and dialogue with Catalonia.

During the control session in the Lower House of Parliament, Sánchez summed up the Executive's project for Spain in achieving "a fair economic recovery."

This government has faced the biggest pandemic of the last hundred years" in a more than reasonable way," as shown by the fact that an international index placed Spain as the second safest country against Covid-19, thanks to the success of vaccination and health professionals, Sánchez pointed out.

In his response to Pablo Casado, the leader of the right-wing opposition Partido Popular (PP), the prime minister argued that the government is dedicated to "useful politics", moving from "the abstractions that Spaniards often hear in these Parliaments" to specific measures. As examples he gave the approval in the last Council of Ministers of the increase in the Minimum Wage, the extension of ERTEs and aid for the victims of the volcanic eruption on La Palma.

"We do politics to benefit citizens because if the pandemic has been suffered by all Spaniards, economic recovery must reach all Spaniards and, in particular, those who have suffered most and are most vulnerable and need the shelter of politics," he said.

The head of the Executive has called on the opposition to abandon "the bickering" and "insults", to collaborate in the task of "moving Spain forwards in the face of this pandemic" and to comply with the Constitution and democratic legality with regard to the renewal of institutions such as the General Council of the Judiciary.

Education

With regard to the education system, an issue raised by Inés Arrimadas, the leader of the Citizens (Ciudadanos) party, the president recalled that last year at this time the coronavirus vaccine was not available, while now 80% of the target population has been fully vaccinated.

Thanks to the efforts of the education community and the planning by the Executive, he added, 99.5% of classrooms have remained open.

Sánchez stressed that the government is implementing the educational reform and has set in motion the processing of the new Vocational Training Law, an area in which around 225,000 new places are going to be financed and up to 25 qualifications are going to be created in three years

Catalonia

Pedro Sánchez has assured that the government is aware of the actions of all its departments in the international sphere, following the question on the matter posed in the control session by Míriam Nogueras, a member of the Plural Parliamentary Group.

In his reply, the head of the Executive indicated that the international rankings certify that Spain has "a social and democratic state based on the rule of law."

He also remarked that 80% of Catalan citizens "want agreement and dialogue and do not want unilateralism" and this is "precisely what this government defends."