Pedro Sánchez: "This is a government of dialogue and agreement"

Lower House of Parliament, Madrid

During the control session in the Lower House of Parliament, the President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, once again highlighted the Executive's approach of engaging in dialogue with other political groups and being held accountable in Parliament.

"We passed 200 laws during the last legislature," said the President, who reiterated that 12 legislative initiatives have been passed so far this year and another 30 have been put forth, which are now being processed. "Today we are going to reach an agreement on the ELA with different parliamentary groups," he explained, mentioning the agreement signed with social partners on pensions and Social Security.

New political course

In his reply to Alberto Núñez Feijóo, a Member of the People's Parliamentary Group, Pedro Sánchez asserted that the Government of Spain is approaching the new political year with optimism. "Wherever we look, the data are cause for confidence and optimism," he affirmed.

In this regard, the President highlighted the latest economic data from the Bank of Spain and the National Statistics Institute, which improve growth forecasts and revise upwards the figures for 2022/2023, as well as the appointment of the Minister of Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge, Teresa Ribera, as Executive Vice-President of the European Commission.

Migration policy and coexistence in Catalonia

The President also referred to migration policy in his response to Santiago Abascal, a Member of the Vox Parliamentary Group. Pedro Sánchez assured that the Government of Spain is backing a "responsible, supportive and humanitarian" migration policy.

In addition, the Chief Executive addressed the situation in Catalonia in his response to the Member of the Republican Parliamentary Group, Gabriel Rufián. The President of the Government of Spain pointed out that the decisions made in recent years have achieved a period of "coexistence" and "political and social normality". According to Pedro Sánchez, the implementation of a roadmap for social transformations and a change to the production model has resulted in favourable data "relating to employment, in terms of economic growth, social cohesion and territorial cohesion".

Finally, the Chief Executive cited the importance of opening debates such as that on regional financing and reiterated the importance of fiscal co-responsibility.

Non official translation