Politics
Sanchez makes a self-satisfied balance of the year 2020 in an idyllic Spain
Attacks the opposition
Pedro Sánchez, president (Source: Pool Moncloa)
USPA NEWS -
The President of the Spanish Government, Pedro Sánchez, presented this Tuesday an idyllic balance of his management during the year that is ending, despite the fact that it contradicts the general impression of the citizens. This rendering of accounts is something unprecedented in the history of Spain and Sánchez offered a detailed quantification of all the commitments made by the Government in different areas and their degree of compliance so far, as well as the forecast of execution in the next six months.
Sánchez said that with accountability "the quality of our democracy improves and the value of the word given is reaffirmed," and affirmed that in this way "institutions are strengthened and trust in politics is restored by promoting more democratic quality." In his opinion, "times have changed and politics has to change with the times. When Spain changes, its Government also changes with its society, with its country. And it advances in the quality of our democracy."
Despite the difficulties of 2020, the activation and fulfillment of commitments “has been higher than expected. Specifically, 90.9% of the 1,238 commitments acquired as a Coalition Government have been implemented and about a quarter, 23.4%, have already been fulfilled this year,“ said the President of the Spanish Government, who, in view of this intense rhythm of compliance, stressed that "we are a semester ahead of the expected compliance. But that is not a reason to slow down the rhythm, but, on the contrary, to maintain it firmly. We came to change the things and we are meeting the objectives."
The data from the analysis of the report predict that in the next semester 32.6% of compliance will be reached, that is, one third of the total in approximately one third of the mandate. The president considered the approval of the 2021 General State Budgets decisive, to which he attributes a direct boost over 33% of the commitments acquired.
Sánchez portrayed 2020 as "the year of great calamity," and pointed to 2021 as "a turning point for our country. I would like to be very graphic: 2020 has been the year of great calamity and great resistance. But 2021 can be, should be, the year of a great recovery and for that we need great confidence," said the president. Sánchez appealed to a "great confidence in ourselves as a country, and called for unity and agreement. With confidence we reconquered freedom and got rid of the dictatorship; hopefully we join Europe. I trust Spain; I trust in the capacities of the Spanish to overcome adversity," he said.
In the first semester of 2021, coinciding with the fulfillment of a third of the time of the mandate, the Government expects to have completed important projects on which it had acquired commitments, until completing 32.6% of the total. The Cybersecurity Plan will be approved in these months, as well as the preliminary drafts of the general laws of Telecommunications and Audiovisual Communication, assuming an important boost in the axis of Digital Spain. Likewise, work is being done on the development of a Digital Transformation Plan for SMEs.
In relation to the ecological transition, the Government's report indicates the Draft Law on waste and contaminated soils and the future Mobility Law, which will include the creation of a National Mobility System. On the other hand, the Draft Bill of Sexual Freedom is being processed, one of the most significant works of a feminist Spain. Likewise, work is being done to modify the legislation in front of the agencies that offer the practice of surrogacy, as well as the Spain Plan protects against sexist violence, and the National Strategy for Sexist Violence.
In relation to a cohesive and inclusive Spain, the Organic Law to regulate euthanasia will be approved imminently. In addition, work is being done on the Draft Law on measures for equity, universality and cohesion of the National Health System; in a new Professional Training Law, a Family Diversity Law, the first State Housing Law, the Spain Entrepreneurial Nation Strategy, the Draft Law on Democratic Memory and the Strategy for the Demographic Challenge. Finally, work is being done on the Draft Organic Law on Criminal Procedure.
Political balance
Sánchez highlighted the intensity of the legislative activity of the current Government in the face of the immobility of the previous stage. "Two and a half years ago, Spain began a change in the political cycle that, among other things, meant putting an end to the poorest period in legislative production in the history of our democracy," he said. This activity responds both to the need to undertake the reforms and transformations that Spain needs and to the arrival of the pandemic in early 2020, the president explained. Regarding this last point, Sánchez reported that since the beginning of the pandemic, the Government has sent 10 Bills of Law and 2 Bills of Organic Law to the General Courts, and 34 Royal Decree-Law have been approved in the Council of Ministers.
"Because it was the responsibility of the Executive to address without delay the urgency caused by the pandemic on all fronts. And to do so from values completely different from those in force during the previous economic crisis. Now - I want to remind you once again - the mandate was to come out together, leaving no one behind," he explained before stating that legislative activity in response to the COVID 19 pandemic has reinforced the principles of equality, social justice and progress that defined the inauguration program.
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