​Mariano Rajoy would like State Pact against Gender-based violence to be signed in December, but says "it is already being implemented"

Lower House of Parliament, Madrid

In response to a question from the spokesperson for the Socialist Group, Margarita Robles, the President of the Government, Mariano Rajoy, highlighted the "important" nature of maintaining "the spirit of consensus under which we have always worked" on the fight against gender-based violence.

After mentioning all those people, bodies and institutions involved in the State Pact against Gender-based violence, the President of the Government announced that "we would like to sign the agreement in December on the basis of what we have agreed already". In this regard, he added that this "is a good pact" and also expressed the "government's will" to "maintain this agreement over time".

Besides stating that this State pact "is already being implemented", the President of the Government recalled that the fight against gender-based violence will be able to count on "the 2018 budget that was approved yesterday in the Lower House of Parliament".

Progress in the fight against gender-based violence

Although the President of the Government admitted that "there is still a great deal to be done" in the fight against gender-based violence, he recalled that "we are not starting from square one" and that "progress has been made" in recent years. In this regard, he highlighted the growing number of reported offences, the increasing number of calls to the 016 hotline and that "restraining orders have increased".

Pool Moncloa/Diego Crespo

Furthermore, Mariano Rajoy said that "successive governments" have worked "hard to combat gender-based violence" and that this is reflected in the various laws approved to this end. "Laws were passed in 2003 and 2004; many during the previous legislature and in this one too", he said.

Elections in Catalonia

The MP for Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya (ERC) [Republican Left of Catalonia], Gabriel Rufián, asked about the elections called in Catalonia. Besides recalling that "we are talking about legal elections that have been called in accordance with prevailing legislation", the President of the Government also stressed that "the result will obviously be respected".

The President of the Government said that whoever wins the elections on 21 December only has to do one thing, "Govern, respect the legislation already in place, respect minority rights and refrain from damaging the economy of the citizens of Catalonia".

Official Secrets Act

Pool Moncloa/Diego CrespoIn response to a question from the MP for Partido Nacionalista Vasco (PNV) [Basque Nationalist Party], Aitor Esteban, about the application to Operation Copérnico of an agreement by the Government Council of 1986 and the Official Secrets Act, the President of the Government recalled that "we are talking about sensitive information that, if disclosed, could damage or jeopardise State security and defence".

Mariano Rajoy described the application of these regulations as a "highly justified" and "reasonable" step, to which every government since 1986 has committed because "publishing certain plans or actions could represent a risk to security, action and, therefore, people".

Furthermore, the President of the Government expressed his willingness to speak "sensibly and with common sense" about a possible amendment to this law.

Non official translation