• It advanced 0.5%. GDP slows and Spain reduces its growth to 2014 levels
  • According to the IMF and Brussels, the slowdown looms over Spain: GDP will grow by less than 2% in 2020

Daniel Lacalle (Madrid, 1967) understands that Pedro Sánchez does not want to deliver a Ministry to Podemos because, he says, it would be "lethal" for the PSOE. But what he does not share with the acting president and his economic team is that they do not offer more facilities to companies and that they "threaten" with a massive tax increase to companies and citizens.

Minister Calviño says that there is a moderation of the economy, but in no case a slowdown or even something more serious. Do you agree? We cannot speak only of a moderation, but of a generalized worsening and, in addition, of a worsening in the most important sectors for future growth. Throughout Europe and around the world, different governments are taking the slowdown very seriously, while here the Government falls into complacency. It is taken from a point of view of we are better than the worst in the class, and this is how historically we enter into crises as abrupt as the Spanish: first denying them, and then saying that they are problems of others and not preparing to strengthen us. How does this deceleration fit the fact that there is a functioning Government that can be, in addition, for several more months? In Spain there is no problem, as there may be in the United States, of government closure. The fact that the Executive is in office does not mean that he cannot give signals to the economic agents of tranquility, which facilitate the creation of companies, employment and the improvement of the productive fabric. Of course you can do it, but the problem is that the pillar of government action is, ideologically, unfavorable to companies. Because as much as it is in operation, that has not prevented them from threatening the Google rate and raising taxes as soon as they have possibilities. The excuse that since we are working, nothing can be done , contrasts with the enormous number of clearly negative messages for the investment and attraction of capital that they are giving. It considers that the Government of Sánchez is an anti-business government or contrary to the Companies? More than anti-business, they believe that investment is something that comes over, fallen from the sky, that it is something that will happen yes or yes and that nothing happens if extremely surprising messages are given such as a government president or a minister Give names of foreign companies in a threatening tone. It is a vision that companies must be subordinated to their political ideology. And in the labor market is the slowdown already being noticed? The last data for July was negative and, although it is true that sometimes its forecasts are wrong, the International Monetary Fund warned months ago that there would be a stoppage in the rate of job creation. We tend to say, rightly, , that the IMF is quite wrong. And it's true. But we forget that it is usually mistaken for optimistic. There is a very clear slowdown in job creation, and there is a very clear slowdown in unemployment reduction. If these data that were given in July, with increased unemployment in seasonally adjusted terms and declines in indefinite hiring after the brutal rise in taxes on work in January, were given with a center-right government, we would have all kinds of criticism from the left. If we enter a period of slowdown with such a high level of unemployment, with such a high level of public debt and also increasing expenses, we do so with great imbalances. What measures would you take immediately? You have to put three absolute pillars of the economic policy of the Government. The first is legal certainty, a stable and predictable environment. You cannot constantly put investor security at risk. The second is to end the uncertainty caused by introducing huge swings at the political level. And the third factor is the prosecutor. At a time when you have the two most important powers in the world, the United States and China, lowering taxes and improving the policy of attracting capital, and when you have an environment in which our partners seek to facilitate investment, attract and reduce the tax burden, the Spanish Government cannot threaten with new tax figures that affect consumption and employment. Spain has to attract large investments and great job creators. What would the entry of Podemos into the Government entail with the possibility of obtaining an economic portfolio? The first problem is that it would involve the entry of a political agent whose objective is not progress but the control. The second, and more dangerous, is that it is a Trojan horse for the Government because being a party whose objective is to surpass and absorb the PSOE, its only way to stand out would be to put pitfalls. The reason why in Portugal and other countries it has been avoided to introduce radical parties in the government coalition has been that. The socialist party is a government party that since 1982 has been oriented to govern from a more or less orthodox economic vision. Giving ministries to Podemos is lethal to the PSOE, who knows perfectly well that what he is putting into the Council of Ministers is a burden of depth, and finally, once again, the activity of the Minister of Economy. What do you think of Nadia Calviño's candidacy to preside over the IMF? Was he the right person and time? The candidates he competed with are candidates of a spectacular level and experience, so probably Spain could have been more aware of the cast of candidates and what could be done get. But I do not see it as a failure and, of course and despite all the discrepancies I may have with the minister, I would have been delighted that she had been president of the IMF. Among other things because from the Monetary Fund he would defend what he has always defended and is not defending now.

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