Mariano Rajoy announces that 2017 Budget includes call for more than 100 additional posts for new judges and public prosecutors to "combat corruption"

Lower House of Parliament, Madrid

As regards the consultation process in Catalonia, he once again argued that Catalonia should remain part of Spain because "that is best for everyone" and what "the vast majority of Spaniards wish to see".

Both the MP for the PSOE [Spanish Socialist Workers' Party], Antonio Hernando, and the Spokesperson for Unidos Podemos [United We Can], Pablo Iglesias, asked the President of the Government about the political scandals that have come to light in recent weeks. Mariano Rajoy stated that the government's intention is "to persevere" with "improving checks and balances", "support those who prosecute criminal offences" and "to impose tougher sanctions".

President of the Government Rajoy stressed that "we are now much more effective in fighting corruption", which can be seen by the fact that we are currently investigating and judging "events that took place more than 10 years ago".

He also highlighted that the 2017 General State Budget includes new measures to "strengthen the Public Prosecution Service and combat corruption". Among these new aspects, it is planned to put out a call for more than 100 additional posts for new judges and public prosecutors, strengthen the workforce of the Anti-Corruption Prosecution Service, implement a Prosecution Office throughout the country and provide the Public Prosecution Service with a support unit under the auspices of Central Government.

In relation to the work of the Anti-Corruption Prosecution Service, Mariano Rajoy stressed that "this service is working very well". In addition to defending the "absolute independence of public prosecutors in prosecuting criminal offences", he pointed out that the judges and public prosecutors "must simply be committed to the law and to the rule of law", because "that is what democracy is".

Catalonia

Pool Moncloa/Diego CrespoIn response to the Catalan MP, Carles Campuzano, Mariano Rajoy reiterated his position in relation to the holding of a referendum in Catalonia.

The President of the Government declared that both he "and the vast majority of Spaniards" wish to maintain the unity of Spain as contained in the Constitution. In this regard, he recalled that "when we approved our Constitution, this confirmed the unity of the Spanish nation and national sovereignty"

He went on to stress that "invoking democratic principles whilst trying to dissociate them from the law is inadmissible", and pointed out that "the most important thing in a democracy is that we are all subject to the rule of law".

Mariano Rajoy invoked the current Constitution to show that "national sovereignty lies in the people of Spain as a whole and hence, this referendum cannot be held".