Pedro Sánchez: "Spain is a successful model that works, with more jobs and growth, less inequality and more coexistence

El Beatriz Auditorium, Madrid

The President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, today inaugurated the fourth edition of the forum 'European Funds: Innovation for sustainable growth', organised by elDiario.es in Madrid, where he vindicated "the Spanish model of success that lays the foundations for a new prosperity" and "is working, with more employment and higher growth than the European average, less inequality and more coexistence". The event was attended by the Third Vice-President of the Government of Spain and Minister for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge, Teresa Ribera; the Minister for Home Affairs, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, and the Minister for Health, Mónica García.

During his speech, Pedro Sánchez stressed that, thanks largely to the economic policy developed by the Government in recent years, "the Spanish economy is going like a rocket", as evidenced by the "spectacular data" of recent months. "Spain is moving in the right direction", he concluded: "It leads economic growth among the main European economies, creates 4 out of 10 jobs in Europe and exceeds the record of 21 million national insurance contributors. The European Commission yesterday revised its growth forecast for the Spanish economy in 2024 upwards to 2.1%, three times the eurozone average, which means that Spain will continue to be the fastest growing country in the eurozone in 2024 and 2025".

On employment, he welcomed the fact that in April Spain surpassed the all-time record of 21 million national insurance contributors, and that the milestone of almost 10 million women in work was reached, and an all-time low youth unemployment rate. Four out of every ten new jobs in the eurozone are created in our country, all of this, said Pedro Sánchez, with "better jobs", as temporary employment in the private sector reached a new historic low in the first quarter of the year, Spain has had 3.5 million more permanent contracts since the labour reform came into force, membership of 30-year-olds has grown by 11.4% since the labour reform and high value-added activities have created one in every five new jobs.

European funds: modernisation of the productive fabric, green and digital transformation, reindustrialisation and territorial cohesion

The president of the Government of Spain has indicated that a "very relevant" part of Spain's "excellent economic results" is due to the impetus of the NextGenerationEU funds from the Recovery Plan, which constitute a "historic opportunity" for which it was necessary to "fight and overcome resistance" and which our country is now taking advantage of to modernise the productive fabric and tackle the green and digital transformation of the economy.

In this regard, he stressed that the 160 billion euros of funds allocated to Spain for 2021-2026 is enabling Spain to lead the roll out of 5G technology in Europe, to increase cybersecurity capabilities, develop the data economy and undertake the digital transformation, with programmes such as the Digital Kit, which has benefited 370,000 SMEs and self-employed people, 50,000 of them in demographically challenged municipalities.

In parallel, European resources are contributing to Spain's progress in the field of energy transition, with a "profound transformation" in areas such as the decarbonisation of industry or the promotion of electric and connected vehicles, as well as being at the forefront in leading the ecological transition towards green hydrogen, he stressed. This is in addition to improving social and territorial cohesion, with "countless" successful jobs for SMEs in small municipalities in the provinces of Cuenca, Lugo, Palencia and Albacete. "The impact of the recovery funds is proving decisive in reindustrialising the territory and strengthening territorial cohesion. Jobs and opportunities where they are most needed," he added.

Finally, during his speech, the president of the Government of Spain once again condemned the attack on the Prime Minister of Slovakia, Robert Fico, and wished him a speedy recovery: "No form of violence has any possible place or justification in our society," he stressed. He also thanked German companies for their involvement in the defence of democracy and "good politics", that which "drives stronger and fairer growth". "Coexistence and reunion generate stability, economic prosperity and social well-being," he said.

Non official translation