Sánchez endows his speech with epicness and focuses his action on the middle classes

taketonews

  • The president rearms his story after the Andalusian setback and explains a second anti-crisis package that aims to reach the bulk of the population

  • He addresses the economic and political power: “This is a government upsetuncomfortable. They won’t break us and we are going to continue defending the working class”

  • Does not rule out a change of teamsalthough he supports his ministers and his leadership: “If I were going to do it, I wouldn’t say it, and if I told them no, they wouldn’t believe me”

Pedro Sánchez retraces his steps. he goes back to your own ‘Resistance Manual’ to face the last stretch of the legislature after the severe blow suffered by his party in Andalusia last Sunday. Reaction to. He equips his speech and focuses the action of the Executive on the “middle and working classes” of the country. It is addressed to the great majorities, those who decide the elections, but it also sends a resounding message to “certain economic powers, with terminals media and politics” who are trying to knock him down: they will not bend him or alter his roadmap. He will resist. “This is an annoying government”, “uncomfortable”, he admits. “They won’t break us“.

The president wanted to go out himself this Saturday to defend the second response package to the war in Ukraine, which will last six months (three more than planned), until December 31, which will cost more than 9,000 million euros and that seeks to cut inflation by about 3.5 points. But that appearance in Moncloa, after an extraordinary Council of Ministers that did not take longer than necessary, although it was preceded by long negotiations and tensions with its partners from United We Can, obeyed a reason, a logic. Sánchez, when presenting the new anti-crisis royal decree law, visualized a clear strategic shift. A first response to those who in his party demanded a “revulsive” after the crash of 19-J to face with greater guarantees the regional and municipal elections in May and the general ones scheduled for December 2023. A way out for those who saw with anguish that the government’s management doesn’t work, I don’t know “profitable“. A reply, too, for those in United We Can who believe that the coalition “story” was missing. Sánchez is clearly equipped.

The second package will last until December 31, will cost 9,000 million and aims to contain inflation by 3.5 points

The chief executive recovered to a certain extent the essence of the primaries that fought against Susana Díaz in 2017to appear as a leader resilient, capable of confronting economic power —now identified with the energy companies—, even if it costs, because it is sensitive to the concerns of citizens. In his words, an Executive who “he knows well for whom he governs“, “for the middle and working class”.

Strictly speaking, it was this Friday in Brussels when Sánchez already anticipated the anchors of his new political speech. Then he announced that this second decree would last until the end of the year and avoided concrete details, but he did reiterate, as he did this Saturday, that he sought to help the most vulnerable families, the most affected sectors and the companies, but above all the middle classes.

For the “45 million Spaniards”

The socialist ministers, in fact, insisted in recent days against the purple ones that it was key articulate general measures, aimed at the bulk of the population. Hence the announcement of the reduction in VAT on electricity from 10% to 5% (taxes on the bill are reduced by 80%) and its refusal to discriminate based on income in the discount for 20 cents per liter made out of fuel. And that is why this June 25 the president put more emphasis on reducing the 50% of the price of transport passes monthly payments issued by the State (such as Renfe) and 30% of the cost of season tickets issued by autonomous communities and town councils, which they can complete up to a 50% reduction, but with “own resources”.

The Government will continue “dedicated to protecting the Spanish population”, transforming the economy and deploying the recovery plan. The roadmap, he stresses, will remain

Not in vain, the socialist wing of the Executive assumed this measure proposed by United We Can without so many problems, but instead was suspicious of a check of 300 euros for the most vulnerable families. After much tension in between, this idea was nuanced: it will be a single direct aid of 200 euros for workers, self-employed and unemployed with incomes of less than 14,000 euros per year. But the 15% increase in non-contributory retirement and disability pensions is added (previously agreed with Bildu), and also in the minimum vital income. These specific measures for citizens with lower incomes affect four million peoplebut the package as a whole, he stressed, “benefits 45 million Spaniards“.

United We Can did ask to raise the corporate tax on electricity companies by 10 points, and do it now. Sánchez agrees to the tax surcharge, but it will not be done so immediately. It will be a new tribute that “extraordinary profits will be taxed of energy companies” and that will be processed as a bill of socialists and purples to enter into force on January 1, 2023. The justification for this new tax was purely political: “The burdens of this painful situation must be distributed with justice, those who are in better conditions must contribute more and what cannot be done is for some to benefit at the cost of harming the majority“.

Sánchez emphasized his government’s effort to contain inflation and respond to the effects of the war (a total hose €15 billion between the two decrees, more than one point of GDP) and promised that it will continue “focused on protecting the Spanish population”, maintaining the “course” of transforming the economy, gaining strategic autonomy and energy independence and deploying the recovery plan (Awaiting the disbursement of 12,000 million by Brussels, for which 31,000 million will already be delivered “thanks to the fulfillment of the milestones” signed with the Commission). That roadmap that inspires the Executive, well, will continue, he promised. Regardless. Because his Cabinet, he repeated over and over again, “knows very well for whom it governs.”

Labor “more than reasonable”

And it is for the middle classes, not for the powerful, as he was in charge of remarking on fire. With an eloquent roundness: “It is true that this government is beaten a lot by certain powers, but they must be aware that this It is an autonomous government that he serves who he serves, the working middle class of this country and that, with words and deeds, he is going to make a fair distribution of burdens”. When asked to give more details, he pulled more on that thread: “It turns out It is clear that this is a government that is bothersome to certain economic interests that have their media and political terminals. It is something that is at street level and anyone can see it. This is a very uncomfortable for certain economic powers, and it is a reality that we have been suffering for four years. But I already tell those interests that of course they will not break us And we will continue to defend the interests of the middle and working class of this country.”

“This is an autonomous government that serves who it serves, the working middle class of this country and that, with words and deeds, is going to make a fair distribution of burdens,” he recalls.

The reflection has been heard strongly in recent weeks within the Government, but that message took a giant leap when it was assumed by the president in a solemn appearance and in Moncloa. Sanchez feel harassed, victim of attacks from the economic, political and media right, and is revolting. And so he warns that they will not twist his arm and that he will persist. the same thing i said in his primary fight five years ago, when he wove an epic speech that did win him the support of the militancy. Whether that formula works for him now remains to be seen.

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But in the PSOE, very sunk by the fiasco at the polls in Andalusia last Sunday, he also suggests changes in the Executive to the president. Or in his team in Ferraz. Sánchez did not want to rule out any scenario. In a very striking way, and using more explicit and sincere terms than just a year ago, when the remodeling of the Cabinet was in the making and he was trying to deflect the shot. “I have a problem: if I were to do [un cambio en el Gobierno y en Ferraz], I wouldn’t sayAnd if I tell them I’m not going to do it they wouldn’t believe me. Therefore, what I can tell you is that I feel absolutely comfortable and back to my Council of Ministers and my federal executive”. All the members of his Executive, both from the PSOE and from United We Can, do a “commendable, extraordinary job of dialogue, negotiation and agreement,” he said. Their work is “more than reasonable”, with “rights and wrongs”.

Sánchez, as was customary, made a “call to all political forces”, including the PP, so that they “totally and absolutely” validate the royal decree law. It will not be the text that other formations had “signed”, but it is a “mighty pack in which many citizens who vote for different political options can be recognized”. Again, that vocation of transversality, of reaching more Spaniards and that they notice the imprint of the Executive. A new narrative for a president and a Government in low hours.

Negotiation to the end

The two coalition partners, PSOE and United We Can, closed the royal decree law this Saturday, after intense and tense negotiations throughout the week, in which the main obstacles were the 300 euro bonus for vulnerable families (the aid will be of 200 euros for workers, self-employed and unemployed with incomes of less than 14,000 euros per year, which can be requested from the month of July) and the tax on electrical, which will finally be approved later. The purple ones were satisfied with the result, as revealed both the second vice president, Yolanda Díazas the head of Social Rights and the 2030 Agenda and Podemos leader Ione Belarra.

“How has the decree been closed today? The same process that we have always followed: this is a collegiate body, the Council of Ministers, and therefore what has happened is work between all the ministers involved,” said Pedro Sánchez himself, who expressly cited those responsible for the Presidency, Félix Bolaños; Treasury, María Jesús Montero, “the vice presidents…” (in the plural, which included Díaz), “each and every one of the ministers.” Sources close to the head of Labor agreed that it had been a task “collective“, but that everything was finished this Saturday, but they avoided details so as not to promote the image of “decision”. “All these actions have a very firm purpose: help families, accompany them and make this crisis less difficult. We are a coalition government determined to follow next to the people. Let’s keep working to expand protection for citizens, @sanchezcastejon,” Diaz wrote on his Twittercelebrating the step taken by the president.



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