​"Spain can't be understood without Europe, and the European ideal can't be complete without Spain", says Mariano Rajoy

Royal Palace, Madrid

In his speech, Mariano Rajoy stressed that Spanish accession to the European Communities "marked the achievement of the European dream of modernity that had been claimed for by our greatest thinkers."

The President of the Government added: "Spain can't be understood without Europe, and the European ideal can't be complete without Spain." He admitted that over these years, "our country has made progress in all areas, largely thanks to its participation in European integration," though he pointed out that "Spain has contributed much to the EU" both in times of a booming economy and calm and during crises and storms.

Spain demonstrates that the European strategy for emerging from the crisis works

In talking about the economic crisis, Mariano Rajoy highlighted that "Europe was capable within a short time of taking enormously far-reaching decisions", such as the creation of financial instruments to assure stability, greater Economic and Monetary Union, and the liquidity measures taken by the European Central Bank.

At the same time, he added, Spain "pushed through a programme of structural reforms in all areas, restored balance to public finances and restructured part of its financial sector with European aid."

According to Mariano Rajoy, European solidarity and Spanish responsibility have made Spain "a benchmark of how the European strategy for emerging from the crisis is working." Although there is still much to do, he added, Spain is now the fastest growing European economy, capable of achieving a total of 20 million people in work during the next term of government.

Job creation and preserving Europe's social dimension

Pool MoncloaThe President of the Government also referred to the future of the EU. He said the main concern of European citizens is job creation and preservation of the social dimension. To achieve these objectives, growth has to be boosted, investment increased and reforms to foster competitiveness have to be implemented.

Mariano Rajoy named some of the specific EU proposals for the future: the Juncker Plan, the Transatlantic Partnership with the United States and the Youth Guarantee Plan. To this should be added the creation of an Energy Union (to achieve "affordable, secure and sustainable energy") and the development of a union of freedom, security and justice (with a truly European migration policy).

The Spanish proposals

On all these items, the President of the Government explained, "Spain has ideas and initiatives" that will enrich the process. On this subject he pointed to the proposal to improve governance in the Eurozone, prepare a specific budget for the Eurozone and create a common debt agency.

At the same time, Spain is also pushing for "global political action for cooperation and development and for action on the causes that lead to migration."

As he explained, we want "a Europe of solidarity, with clear rules; a common home of freedoms but also of duties; a continent with common borders for all that are also defended by all; a competitive Europe in a world that is not going to wait for anyone; and a Europe with a social soul, which is sustainable for the coming generations."

More and better Europe

In the words of the President of the Government, "Spain contributes something very important for the future of the Union: the solid commitment of Spanish people "who feel proud of forming part of the European family and who are asking us for more and better Europe."

At the close of his speech, the President of the Government insisted that "Spain is a great country" to which the exit from the economic crisis should serve as "encouragement to face up to the future with hope."

Homage to Jacques Delors

EFEMariano Rajoy had words of commemoration and thanks for Jacques Delors, who was President of the European Commission when Spain joined the EU. He said that together with the President of the French Republic, he would ask the European Council to grant him the Honorary Citizen of Europe award.

The commemorative ceremony, which was presided over by King Felipe IV and King Juan Carlos I, was held in the Hall of Columns of the Royal Palace of Madrid, where the Treaty of Accession was signed thirty years ago. Speaking before Mariano Rajoy were the President of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz, and the former President of the Spanish Government Felipe González. King Felipe IV closed the ceremony with his speech.