Onda Cero, Madrid
In relation to the approval of the public accounts for 2018, Mariano Rajoy stressed that the government is "not developing plan B", but rather that it is "in talks to try and approve the Budget". As regards this dialogue process, he explained that "we have to allow some time" because "these things, as you know, are not easy" and "take their time". At any event, he emphatically stated that "there will be a Budget".
He also asserted that, once the issues surrounding the Budget become clear, a Debate on the State of the Nation could be held. "I would like to do this in the spring", he remarked.
On this point, the President of the Government underlined that, fortunately, the Spanish economy has recovered, it is now generating confidence, economic growth and jobs are being created and, furthermore, this year the deficit target of 3.1% has been met and the risk premium has fallen to 80 basis points (in the past it had risen above 600 basis points).
The future of Catalonia
Pool Moncloa/Diego CrespoIn relation to the intention of the President of the Regional Parliament of Catalonia, Roger Torrent, to hold a meeting, the President of the Government expressed his surprise because he had never previously held "a meeting with any president of a regional parliament to see how to organise an investiture session". Mariano Rajoy pointed out that he will not get involved in anything outside of the scope of his powers, such as "anything related to judicial affairs", because "this is a democracy with a separation of powers".
Mariano Rajoy stated that his government took the decisions it needed to take in relation to Catalonia, decisions that were not easy and that they principally focused on the application of Article 155 of the Constitution, with the consensus of the PSOE [Spanish Socialist Workers' Party] and of Ciudadanos, and on calling the elections that were held on 21 December 2107.
Carles Puigdemont
The President of the Government stressed that if Carles Puigdemont is "fraudulently" invested, this will be appealed against before the Constitutional Court. "The Government of Spain will do everything possible to ensure that the law is upheld in Spain, that is our obligation and I will uphold this obligation". He explained that the application of Article 155 has shown that Spanish democracy has instruments to defend itself against those who seek to attack it.
In this regard, Mariano Rajoy underlined that he hopes that the institutions in Catalonia respect the law in order to recover "institutional, economic and social normality", which "is what the vast majority of people want". He added that if Carles Puigdemont returns to Spain, "he will be arrested" under the arrest warrant issued by the courts against him and because that is "the order received by senior police officers in Spain".
Pool Moncloa/Diego Crespo
When asked about the possibility, if the option to invest Carles Puigdemont fails, of Oriol Junqueras becoming the candidate to be invested as President of the Regional Government of Catalonia, the President of the Government clarified that "that is a decision that falls to the courts". He added that, depending on the decisions taken by political leaders, we will see whether they want to continue in a period of instability or whether they want to try and re-build.
1 October
After recalling that no referendum was held on 1 October 2017 - among other things, there was no electoral commission or IT system to count the votes - the President of the Government argued that the police forces "made a tremendous effort over the course of this whole time in Catalonia, against an extremely difficult backdrop".
At any event, Mariano Rajoy underlined that "the responsibility for what has happened in Catalonia lies with those who have broken the law and launched an absolutely ludicrous operation that leads nowhere and is detrimental to everyone".
Respect for the law
Furthermore, the President of the Government expressed "his interest in dialogue" on Catalonia, both with the President of the Regional Government of Catalonia and with the political groups. The only 'red line', he explained, is respect for the law because "a country that does not have a rulebook or where this is not obeyed, is a country that will have serious problems in the future". He added that the law guarantees the rights of everyone.
Mariano Rajoy once again defended the right of all the people of Spain to decide on what they want their country to be. "That is national sovereignty and that is Spain, and that is what it would seem some people still do not understand". He added that when one part calls for their own right to decide, they are taking this right away from the rest of the people of Spain.
Cabinet reshuffle
Mariano Rajoy denied that he was going to make a cabinet reshuffle, although, he clarified, "whenever a cabinet reshuffle takes place, this is announced the following day".
He also mentioned the appointment of José Luis Ayllón as Chief of Staff of the Presidency of the Government. He claimed that he was "the right person" because he is very familiar with the workings of Moncloa Palace and the Catalonia issue.
Wage gap
Pool Moncloa/Diego CrespoAs regards the corruption scandals affecting his party, the President of the Government underlined that it is now down to the courts to act because the government has done its work. "We have approved many laws to make it more difficult for these corruption scandals to take place".
Mariano Rajoy also expressed his support for the fight against the discrimination of women in the workplace and stressed that steps are being taken in the right direction and that accordingly the wage gap is now closing.
When asked about the situation in Venezuela, the President of the Government, after expressing his support for the sanctions that will be imposed by the European Union against the government of Nicolás Maduro, stressed that he wants "the same thing for the people of Venezuela as he does for the people of Spain".
Non official translation
Pool Moncloa/Diego Crespo