• Polarization, a dangerous strategy to entrench itself in power and turn half of Spain into an enemy
  • Politics With his new anti-crisis package, Sánchez seeks a "majority that guarantees stability": reduction of transport for all and increase of VAT on electricity to 10%

Pedro Sánchez is preparing to consummate next Friday the government crisis that is forced by the departure of the First Vice-President and Minister of Economy, Nadia Calviño, to occupy the presidency of the European Investment Bank.

This was announced in his speech after the last Council of Ministers of the year, which approved a macro-decree negotiated with the parliamentary partners that includes the social shield measures that the Executive has designed for the new year. Some are maintained and others are being cut in an attempt to balance the effort to alleviate the impact of the inflation crisis on citizens' pockets and at the same time comply with Brussels' demand to begin withdrawing economic stimuli to return to the discipline of fiscal rules.

The president has taken stock of the year that is ending and has outlined the objectives of the next year, the first of a new complex legislature in which each step will have to be measured with the acquiescence of the pro-independence and nationalist formations that supported the investiture and support the coalition executive in parliament.

Pedro Sánchez described 2023 as "intense" and stressed that Spaniards "decided for a progressive agenda against that of the right and the far right". "Spain said no to the repeal of advances and the policies of regression that characterized the years of the PP government and said yes to concord, understanding and a nation proud of its plurality," he stressed.

The president has been proud of the majority that supports his government, an Executive that intends to "dialogue with everyone and negotiate to the point of exhaustion to reach an agreement with all those who want to do so". In his speech, Sánchez has made comparisons on several occasions with the measures adopted by Mariano Rajoy's government during the financial crisis and has focused almost exclusively on economic aspects, completely ignoring decisions such as the suppression of sedition, the reduction of embezzlement and, above all, the forthcoming granting of an amnesty to the leaders of the independence movement.

"The government will continue all this," he said, referring to the economic measures, "and will not give up its main task of protecting and improving the lives of citizens." Sánchez recalled that a year ago there was talk of a foreseeable "technical recession" and Spain, he said, has been able to expose the "prophets of chaos" with growth that will reach 2%, with inflation that stands at 3.2% and with a price per megawatt of 58 euros. "The figures speak for themselves and of the consistency and social commitment of the Government", he said, recalling the effect that the European funds have had on this success, for which, he stressed, "we are fighting tooth and nail".

Despite his triumphalism, he has assured that these data "are not for complacency but for hope". "In the face of every catastrophic prophecy, a positive fact has been imposed," he said. In addition, he added, "we are a clean government without the taint of corruption."

She also referred to her foreign policy, which she defined as "feminist" and a defender of human rights and international legality, and described the management of the Spanish presidency of the EU as "historic".

Only in the process of questions, Sánchez has mentioned issues such as the blockade of the CGPJ of which he has assured that its renewal is "imperative", adding that "if the PP says no a thousand times, the Government will extend its hand a thousand times". In addition, he has taken it for granted that he will remain at the head of the Executive throughout the legislature: "Yes, of course," he said.

Regarding the approaches and proposals of the independence movement, he assured that they are known - "nothing new under the sun", he said - and defended "finding a meeting point between maximalism, celebrating a referendum of self-determination", which he says he does not share, and "reforming the system of regional financing". Afterwards, Sánchez lashed out at the PP, assuring that its policy of "insults" and "harassment" is not acceptable, which demonstrates, in his opinion, the "low level of the opposition" and shows how the right is allowing itself to be dragged along by the far right.

  • Pedro Sanchez
  • PSOE
  • Government of Spain
  • General Council of the Judiciary