Mariano Rajoy claims that job creation is helping reduce poverty and inequality

Lower House, Madrid

Mariano Rajoy claimed, in response to a question from the General Secretary of the PSOE [Spanish Socialist Workers' Party], Pedro Sánchez, on the fight against poverty, that this has been one of the government's "priorities" since the start of the legislature. "It remains so today", he added, "because, despite indicators now changing and the fact that we are seeing positive figures, we feel that there is still a lot to do".

The President of the Government argued that the issue that most affects poverty and inequality is unemployment, and hence we need "policies to help combat unemployment and combine them with suitable social benefits and good public services".

In this regard, Mariano Rajoy reiterated that the government's economic policy has broken the previous trend, which has "resulted in jobs starting to be created in Spain". He also highlighted that, despite the loss of 70 billion euros in revenue in the years 2008 and 2009, the pension system and unemployment benefits have been maintained, the Prepara Plan has been consolidated and extended and the National Action Plans for Inclusion, and for Infancy and Adolescence, have been approved.

All these initiatives, he argued, have this year given rise to the start of an improvement in the figures published by the European Union and international indicators on poverty and social exclusion.

Our institutions work

In response to an issue raised by the MP for the Group-Basque Nationalist Party (PNV), Aitor Esteban, Mariano Rajoy remarked that it is the government's "obligation" and, moreover, its "conviction" to follow the law.

According to the President of the Government, "at this time in Spain, the law and the institutions are operating well". The President of the Government specifically mentioned the State Tax Office, the Comptroller-General's Office, the national police force, the Guardia Civil, the Public Prosecutor's Office and the administration of justice. "This is also a positive fact, and it is good that we also mention the positive things that exist in our country", he stated.

In relation to regional powers in the Basque Country, Mariano Rajoy pointed out that there is no region or land with a greater degree of autonomy in the world. Furthermore, he stressed that the "single National Insurance fund is a principle enshrined in the Constitution".

Commitment to the Canary Islands

The President of the Government stressed that "the majority of the commitments to the Canary Islands" taken on in the Investiture Debate have been met. "The most important commitment in relation to the Canary Islands and to the country as a whole was to turn the situation around and overcome a serious economic crisis which, fortunately, we are starting to find a way out of", he commented.

Mariano Rajoy reminded the MP for the Mixed Group, Ana Oramas, who enquired after this matter, that the Canary Islands is the only region which received increased financing in 2014. Moreover, he announced that the Ministry of Public Works will earmark 1 billion euros in investments for the islands next year.