Pedro Sánchez asserts that Spain is the "locomotive" in Europe that "pulls the whole convoy and leaves no one behind"

El Beatriz Auditorium, Madrid

The President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, during his speech at the closing ceremony of the General Assembly of the Spanish Confederation of Social Economy Enterprises (CEPES) (Pool Moncloa/Borja Puig de la Bellacasa)

Pedro Sánchez has defended the "Social Europe" and has stated that Spain is the "locomotive of growth in Europe" that "pulls the whole convoy and leaves no one behind". He said this during his speech at the closing ceremony of the 32nd General Assembly of the Spanish Confederation of Social Economy Enterprises (CEPES), held in Madrid.

In contrast to the Europe "of cuts and lack of solidarity" of the previous financial crisis, Pedro Sánchez has highlighted the current Europe of "solidarity and openness" that "protected its own and others" during the pandemic and has contributed to the fact that Spain now has fewer unemployed people than in September 2008, when Lehman Brothers went bankrupt. In this respect, he referred to the latest "resounding" employment figures for the month of May, when unemployment fell by more than 60,000 people, half of the contracts were permanent and there have been 49 consecutive months of seasonally adjusted increases in Social Security contributors.

"Spain is growing in a robust and sustainable manner", said Pedro Sánchez, alluding to the increase in GDP in 2023, when it grew six times more than the European Union average, the record 21.3 million contributors, the increase in productivity per hour, the consolidation of the current account surplus and the recovery of household disposable income to 2007 levels. "Today we are the locomotive of growth in Europe", a locomotive that "pulls the whole convoy and leaves no one behind, because it shares the same values that identify the social economy: that we all arrive together and at the same time", he emphasised.

The social economy, a "strategic sector"

During his speech, Pedro Sánchez defended the fact that "the Spanish model works" by creating more jobs while increasing social protection, distributing the fruits of growth "fairly", making progress in the reindustrialisation of the productive fabric, strengthening the welfare state and investing "more than ever" in innovation, while reducing debt and the deficit. To a large extent, he said, this model works thanks to the companies and entities of the social economy, a sector that brings together more than 43,000 companies and entities, responsible for 10% of our GDP and which supports 12.5% of employment throughout Spain, with 2.2 million employees.

Within the framework of this "Social Europe", Pedro Sánchez thanked the social economy for its contribution by "putting people at the centre, generating an impact on society and contributing to social and territorial cohesion".

The president praised CEPES and the achievements of the social economy in Spain as a "benchmark at European and global levels", such as the European Action Plan on the Social Economy approved in 2021, the EU Council Recommendation on Social Economy or the incorporation of CEPES and Social Economy Europe in the European Union-CELAC summit. "The European limelight of the Spanish social economy goes further", he added, referring to the Social Economy and Care PERTE through which the Government identifies the sector as "strategic".

Social Economy PERTE

The plan has been allocated 1.6 billion euros, of which 1 billion euros has already been committed to almost 2,000 beneficiary entities, in addition to the creation of the Social Impact fund, with 400 million euros, aimed at strengthening the social entrepreneurship ecosystem. The head of the Executive also urged the promoting of the Social Economy Strategy 2023/2027 to continue.

Support for the International Court of Justice to stop the war in Gaza

Given the complexity of the current geopolitical context, Pedro Sánchez has pointed out that Spain maintains its commitment to coexistence and peace as "indispensable issues for prosperity, from Ukraine to Palestine".

"Spain is committed to peace, prosperity and international legality", he added, after lamenting the death of at least 27 new victims in a school in Gaza and the "unbearable" figure of 36,000 Gazan victims, together with the malnutrition suffered by 90% of the children in the Strip, according to the United Nations. Pedro Sánchez has once again conveyed his "absolute condemnation" of the Hamas attacks of 7 October and the demand for the immediate release of the hostages, as well as the entry of humanitarian aid and a permanent ceasefire.

"In view of the failure of the Netanyahu government to comply with the request of the International Court of Justice to stop the war and in support of respect for the international law of the United Nations, we intervene in the proceedings initiated by South Africa," added Pedro Sánchez. In this sense, he stressed that it is "urgent that we all support the Court so that the precautionary measures to stop any military operation are complied with and it is essential that we all strengthen the United Nations, supporting the role of the Court as the highest judicial body of an international system based on rules". "Spain is going to stay on the right side of history," he added.

Non official translation