Mariano Rajoy claims that "encouraging EPA figures" are a "stimulus" to continue tackling the crisis

Moncloa Palace, Madrid

After awarding the gold Medals for Merit at Work to 12 individuals and one confederation at an event held at Moncloa Palace, Mariano Rajoy said that this is one of the "most gratifying" events that a President of the Government can take part in.

"Particularly on days such as today, in which we have seen some very encouraging employment figures released in Spain", he pointed out, in reference to the Labour Force Survey (Spanish acronym: EPA), the President of the Government underlined that in the second quarter of this year, the largest fall in unemployment has been recorded since the EPA began to publish its figures, back in 1964.

Mariano Rajoy stressed that, as well as giving him "tremendous pleasure", these figures are a "stimulus" and "fuel" so that, together with all my collaborators and with all the people of Spain, who are the ones actually creating jobs, we can continue to tackle the toughest economic crisis that Spain has faced for many decades".

Precisely because Spain has found a way to overcome this crisis, added Mariano Rajoy, "our country is better off" and is now heading up growth in advanced economies and creating jobs "at a very good pace", opening up "horizons of hope to society as a whole". For any government, he argued, "jobs are the most accurate barometer".

Commitment to understanding

Pool Moncloa/CPSIn his speech, the President of the Government recalled that 40 years ago the Spanish people embarked on "the longest period of liberty, prosperity, progress and well-being that Spain has known, a ceaseless task that relies on the effort and hard work of everyone".

Spanish society, declared Mariano Rajoy, committed to empathy and harmony, "with a view to forging pacts through dialogue", which opened the gates to "an open, tolerant and dynamic Spain, that praises life stories such as those we are rewarding today, stories of personal effort that we are particularly proud of and which, as compatriots, we wish to celebrate and to share".

A country that values work

The President of the Government listed the merits of each of the award-winners, from the worlds of sport - Paul Gasol and Teresa Perales, culture - Pedro Iturralde and Aída Gómez, the media - Paloma Gómez Borrero, María Teresa Campos and Tico Medina, gastronomy - Cándido, business and finance - the Spanish Confederation of Business Organisations, Magín Alfredo Froiz and Amado Franco Lahoz, trade unions and labour relations - Joaquín Navarro Fernández and Miguel Cuenca Valdivia, law - Javier Moscoso del Prado, and politics - Gerardo Fernández Albor, who was the first President of the Regional Government of Galicia. The agreement to award these medals was agreed by the Council of Ministers on 9 June.

Today's awards, pointed out Mariano Rajoy, comprise "a good snapshot of the country we want to see, a country with values and which values work, a desire to success and a shared effort". The government's obligation, added the President of the Government, is to acknowledge these merits on behalf of all the people of Spain. "We want to continue working and, with references such as those we have seen today, I am sure that we will ensure that the best years in Spain's history are those that lie ahead of us", he concluded.