Government allocates 180 million euros to boosting Digital Agenda

Moncloa Palace, Madrid

Following the meeting of the Council of Ministers, the Government Spokesperson and Minister for Education, Culture and Sport, Íñigo Méndez de Vigo, highlighted the two agreements designed to boost the Digital Agenda.

The first contains the call for proposals for a sum of 100 million euros to extend new generation broadband in 2017, which represents a 58% increase on the previous year. Telephone operators can apply for these funds that seek to take very high-speed Internet to areas that lack broadband.

Íñigo Méndez de Vigo pointed out that Spain is the leading European country in terms of the roll-out of optic fibre and ranked third in the world, which is an infrastructure "that is a source of opportunities because many new jobs will be in the digital world". The Government Spokesperson also underlined that being connected to the Internet is one way of alleviating depopulation, particularly in the countryside, and plays a "key role" in the world of education.

By means of the second agreement, the Council of Ministers authorised the call for proposals for a sum of 80 million euros to finance R&D projects in the sector of Information and Communication Technologies. The goal is to boost the development of 5G connectivity services, big data processing, cloud computing, the Internet of Things and cyber-security.

Subsidies for production of feature films

Pool Moncloa/J.M. CuadradoAnother call for proposals authorised on Friday by the Council of Ministers is for general subsidies for the production of projected feature films, for a total sum of 30 million euros. 20% of the subsidy granted will be paid out upon recognising the right following the resolution to award the subsidy, another 50% following notification to the Film and Audiovisual Arts Institute (Spanish acronym: ICAA) of the commencement of filming, and the remaining 30% following the resolution acknowledging the cost of the feature film.

According to the Minister for Education, Culture and Sport, this approval of the call for proposals corresponding to the year 2017 "will be very well received by the world of cinema because it will allow Spanish cinema, which is enjoying a buoyant period, to continue producing quality films".

Safety at sports events

The Council of Ministers authorised the signing of the Convention of the Council of Europe on an integrated safety, security and service approach at football matches and other sporting events.

Íñigo Méndez de Vigo explained that this is a renewal of the agreement signed in 1985 following the Heysel Stadium tragedy in Brussels (Belgium), in which 39 people died, the fundamental aim of which is "to make football stadiums safer, as well as adjacent public areas where supporters congregate".

Other agreements

Pool Moncloa/J.M. CuadradoThe government declared the urgent takeover of assets affected by the execution of the works on the construction project on the Almudévar dam, designed to regulate irrigation in Alto Aragón in several municipalities in the province of Huesca, which has been allocated a budget in excess of 102 million euros.

The minister highlighted that this project forms part of the Aragon Water Pact, responds to a major social demand, seeks to alleviate the effects of drought and will have repercussions on the entire social fabric, on the economy and on maintaining jobs.

On another note, the Council of Ministers agreed to lodge an appeal against the unconstitutional nature of certain rules contained in the Extremadura Act on extraordinary measures against social exclusion. Íñigo Méndez de Vigo remarked that they constitute an infringement of the State's powers and that the government is aware of the importance of the issues that this law tackles.

"The government believes that it is a bad idea to split up territorial unity at this time, and hence, this law will be appealed against with the aim of trying to reach an agreement that affects the whole of the country and not just one or more autonomous regions", he stated.

Spanish economy to grow more than expected

At the start of his appearance at the press briefing following the Council of Ministers, Íñigo Méndez de Vigo expressed the government's solidarity with the people and Government of France following Thursday's terrorist attacks in Paris.

After reminding the audience that the President of the Government, Mariano Rajoy, was taking part on Friday in the commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the inauguration of the Madrid-Seville AVE high-speed railway line which "decisively helped modernise Spain", contributed to its progress and national structure, Íñigo Méndez de Vigo outlined various economic figures published during the week.

The Government Spokesperson corroborated that the government will revise its estimate on the growth of the Spanish economy upwards for the year 2017 to stand at 2.7% of GDP. This growth, he underlined, will mean more money for social services, grants, healthcare and pensions. Íñigo Méndez de Vigo also highlighted that, according to the latest forecasts from the IMF, "Spain will grow by more than the rest of the more developed economies in the world, such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and France".

The minister remarked that "the sound and sustainable economic growth has also been reflected in the figures on hotel occupancy over the Easter period. The tourist industry, he added, "is the world leader and is subject to an ongoing process of modernisation, diversification in its offer, heightened quality and the harnessing of new technologies", according to the World Economic Forum.

Spain needs more reforms

Íñigo Méndez de Vigo reiterated that "we have seen good results, a sustainable economy and sound growth, which are sure signs of the right budgetary policy over recent years and of reform policies". However, he pointed out that Spain needs "to continue undertaking reforms to enjoy further growth", and, to this end, advocated stimulating the pension reform and the reform of the social and political pact on education.

Sensible and realistic Budget

The Government Spokesperson recalled that on 3 and 4 May, there will be a debate and a vote in the Lower House of Parliament on the General State Budget. In this regard, he reiterated "the open, pro-dialogue, constructive stance of the government in order to reach an agreement that makes its approval possible because this Budget falls in line with the path agreed with the EU and is balanced, sensible and realistic".

Íñigo Méndez de Vigo argued that by approving the Budget, "all the public authorities, particularly the regional governments and local authorities, will have greater resources assigned", that "the greatest public employment offer since the democratic transition" could be carried out and that temporary employment could be reduced by as much as 250,000 people within a period of three years. He also said that it will serve to "make progress on social policies, to which the government has allocated 56% of the Budget, which will allow the cover and quality of social benefits to be maintained".

On this point, the Government Spokesperson declared that "the government's responsibility is to seek out allies", and called for responsibility from the parliamentary groups to reach agreements.

International agenda of the President of the Government

Íñigo Méndez de Vigo reviewed the international agenda of Mariano Rajoy, who has received the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Cuba, Bruno Rodríguez, and the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Mexico, Luis Videgaray, in recent days.

The President of the Government will travel to Brazil on 23 April, and will be in Uruguay on 25 and 26 April. On 14 and 15 May, he will attend the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing and will hold a meeting with the Chinese President, Xi Jinping.

Current affairs

Pool Moncloa/Diego CrespoWhen asked about the government's assessment of the signing of a document by the Regional Government of Catalonia ratifying its commitment to the pro-sovereignty referendum, Íñigo Méndez de Vigo clarified that the government's position "could not be clearer": a unilateral referendum, in which only some of our citizens can take part "is unlawful and unconstitutional", and has "no political or institutional effects whatsoever". In this regard, he called "for the people of Catalonia not to be fooled by being told things that are simply untrue".
As regards the 18th Mediterranean Games to be held in Tarragona in 2018, the Minister for Education, Culture, and Sport announced that the government will make a financial contribution that will be announced next week.

In relation to Venezuela, the minister and Government Spokesperson expressed the government's grave concern over the deteriorating situation, in particular of Spanish residents in the country, and called for "the parties to return to the path of dialogue and to that which is normal under any rule of law".

As regards the arrest of the former President of the Regional Government of Madrid, Ignacio González, for an alleged offence of corruption, Íñigo Méndez de Vigo stated that "corruption has no ideology or political affiliation", and that the government "stands firm in its intention to stamp it out" through laws and actions. Among the initiatives adopted by the governments of Mariano Rajoy in this field, he mentioned the reform of the Constitutional Law on the Financing of Political Parties, the approval of the Transparency Act, the Constitutional Law on the reform of the Criminal Code, the creation of the Office to Recover Assets, and the ban of cash payments above the sum of 2,500 euros, among others.