Mariano Rajoy highlights third-quarter employment growth

College of Europe, Bruges (Belgium)

The President of the Government explained that the GDP data released by the Bank of Spain today means that the government remains confident in its forecasts because "economic growth, in Spain at least, remains solid".

He went on to say that all this is helping to create jobs, evidence of which can be found in the "Labour Force Survey that was also released today. However, he added that, "in spite of the undeniable improvements achieved by the Spanish economy, I will not be satisfied until the unemployment figures are lowered substantially, a top priority for my government".

A common energy policy for the EU

Mariano Rajoy also spoke about future European challenges, such as the energy union, the trade agreement between the EU and the United States, common security and immigration. He stressed that the European Union is emerging "from one of the most complicated situations to be faced by Europe since the Second World War". The crisis hit and "we were caught unprepared", he said. However, the crisis has allowed us to achieve more in the last three years, "in terms of building economic governance, than in the previous 20 years".

Pool MoncloaThe President of the Government believes that "the European Union and its institutions must do more, faster and more efficiently, to create a true common market capable of effectively guaranteeing the free circulation of people, services, capital and goods".

These efforts must begin by tackling an issue that will be discussed by the European Council today: the common energy policy for the European Union. In his opinion, the EU must look to the southern Mediterranean to overcome its dependency on gas from the east.

In this regard, "the Iberian Peninsula, Spain and Portugal, can act as an energy bridge between the south and the European Union. To that end, it should cease being an energy island and should develop the necessary inter-connections with decisive support from EU institutions and partners", he said.

Europe, a global player

Mariano Rajoy also advocated strengthening trade relations between the EU and the United States through negotiation of the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership. He also offered a warning about what should be the response of the EU to the new global threats because "these threats are complex and inter-connected".

"Europe needs to fulfil its role as a global player, which means also reflecting and acting in global terms" because "the European Union is well placed to offer a response to such challenges".

In his opinion, Europe must contribute to an effective multi-lateral global order based on international law and European values, and, of course, with support from allies and friends, starting with the United States. Mariano Rajoy stressed that "Europe cannot continue to be a consumer of security or delegate such action to others". For that reason, Mariano Rajoy insisted that "we must strengthen our commitment to developing an effective and credible Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP), as we announced at the European Council in December last year".

Immigration affects all European countries equally

The President of the Government also called for a common EU immigration policy because "it is a challenge that affects all European countries equally". For that reason, he argued that "a shared space with no internal borders and a common external border must be regulated to scale and with European resources".

Pool MoncloaThis common policy must include European management of external borders and a single visa, asylum and refugee policy, always from a perspective of scrupulous respect for all immigrants.

Mariano Rajoy believes that this policy should be accompanied by dialogue with the countries of origin and transit for immigration, "dialogue complemented by development policies aimed at raising living conditions in the countries of origin". He explained that "Spain's objective, as a Mediterranean country and member of the European Union, is to create a space of shared prosperity on both sides of the Mediterranean".

Integration is a sign of the times

Mariano Rajoy stressed that the raison d'être for the European project is integration. "It is a sign of the times", he said. He went on to add that "it is the only way we have to guarantee our influence and strength in this complicated 21st Century in which we live". "A Europe held prisoner by secessionist and exclusive nationalist movements would run the risk of becoming diluted and weakened", he said.

To conclude, Mariano Rajoy reiterated Spain's commitment to the EU and to the European integration project. "I am committed to maintaining this pro-European and reformist momentum, to supporting the European legacy with our privileged relations with Ibero-America and the Mediterranean, and to moving forward with the common integration project".

The President of the Government defended a "European identity capable of mobilising the sense of belonging and participation from European citizens in the common European project".