Pedro Sánchez: "This Government puts feminism and equality at the centre of all political action"

Lower House of Parliament, Madrid

In the control session of the government held in the Lower House of Parliament, the chief executive pointed out that 60% of those who benefit from the increase in the Minimum Interprofessional Wage are women, as are the majority of the people who benefit from the revaluation of pensions.

Pedro Sánchez also highlighted the recovery of national insurance contributions for non-professional carers, normally women, and the increase of €1.8 billion in investments in the national dependency system with the aim of reversing the cuts, which were particularly detrimental to the group that is responsible for the care economy, the female group.

In his reply to Concepción Gamarra, a member of the Popular Parliamentary Group, the president also referred to the importance of equalising paternity and maternity leave to make progress towards joint responsibility.

"We are making progress on laws in favour of real and effective equality", said Sánchez, who was interested in the position of the main opposition party with regard to the Law on Equal Representation, promoted yesterday by the Council of Ministers.

"This is a government that places feminism and equality between men and women at the centre of all political action," added the president.

Government with equal representation

The President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, during his speech at the control session in the Lower House of Parliament | Pool Congreso

The chief executive recalled that International Women's Day, which is celebrated today, arose from a demand to improve the working conditions of women in the textile sector.

"Today many, many women and many men too will be demonstrating in the streets of Spain and all over the world. And we are going to demonstrate with them because their demands are our demands," he said in response to Santiago Abascal, a member of the Vox parliamentary group.

The president also recalled that he presides over the government with the most women ministers in the history of democracy, as well as one of the governments with the greatest number of women ministers in the world.

On another note, Pedro Sánchez expressed his "surprise" at the fact that Santiago Abascal is not leading the motion of censure presented by his party, but rather it is being led by "a veteran politician who, from what we are seeing in the media, does not seem to agree with his extremist positions".

Fulfilling the coalition government's programme

The President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, during his speech at the control session in the Lower House of Parliament | Pool Congreso

With regard to honouring the government's promises, an issue raised by Sergio Sayas, a member of the Mixed Parliamentary Group, Pedro Sánchez defended that the government "is fulfilling its investiture commitment and the programme of the coalition government".

"It is incredulous to hear you preach about political compliance, as someone who has been expelled from his political party for failing to fulfil his obligations and commitments", said Sánchez, who defended that "one cannot sell oneself, either in life or in politics".

Non official translation