Mariano Rajoy asserts the government strategy to combat corruption is prevention, pursuit, discovery and punishment

Lower House of Parliament, Madrid

In response to a question from the Socialist MP, Antonio Hernando, the President of the Government reiterated in the Lower House of Parliament his "absolute confidence" in the Minister for Justice, in the Chief Public Prosecutor and also in the Chief Anti-Corruption Prosecutor.

Mariano Rajoy also pointed out that the government strategy to combat corruption is "to pursue four goals": to prevent it and improve controls, to pursue it, to uncover it and to punish it. He added that, in this battle, "which can never be enough, we are improving both the controls and public awareness".

After highlighting "the countless laws" that have been passed "to improve the fight against corruption", the President of the Government defended "the presumption of innocence" in preference to "this concept of presumption of guilt that is becoming widespread".

Elimination of special privileges

The leader of Ciudadanos, Albert Rivera, referred to the elimination of special privileges, one of the points included in the investiture pact.

After recalling the recognition of special privileges in Article 71 of the Spanish Constitution, Mariano Rajoy stated that, at present, the number of people with special privileges in Spain includes 2,000 elected public officials, 15,000 judges and public prosecutors and 263,000 members of the armed forces and State law enforcement agencies (the latter under a partial privilege regime).

According to the President of the Government, this is not a "trivial" matter, and hence requires "a broad consensus" with "the highest number of votes in favour possible". That is why "I propose holding a debate on this matter and studying the issue so that having taken an informed decision we can then bring it here for approval at the right time", he added.

EU measures to combat terrorism

Gabriel Rufián, MP for ERC [Republican Left of Catalonia], asked about the long queues being experienced at El Prat Airport after border controls were stepped up. President of the Government Rajoy clarified that this is "a measure adopted by the European Union in the fight against terrorism", a decision that is "reasonable" and "commendable", above all in the wake of the "regrettable attacks" in the United Kingdom, Belgium, France and Germany.

The President of the Government also remarked that the same situation is being experienced at many other European airports, although "we are all coordinating" and "taking measures to ensure the minimum disruption".

Lastly, he recommended that the MP, Gabriel Rufián, should extend his concern at the situation at El Prat Airport to the problems being experienced in the underground metro in Barcelona, which is the responsibility of the Regional Government of Catalonia.