Sánchez will approve tax cuts for sectors affected by the war

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  • The Government begins the work of documentation to promote investigation against Putin for war crimes before the International Criminal Court

  • It will accelerate the execution of the projects of energy efficiency and development of renewables and asks the communities to accelerate European funds

The Government will approvetax reductions to the affected sectors“for the war in Ukraine. The president has not yet outlined what they will be, but it is a clear response to the demand verbalized by the autonomous leaders of the PP. In addition, the Executive will proceed to a “reduction and streamlining of the deadlines and procedures for the implementation of energy efficiency projects and development of renewable energies”. And they will be enabled 5,400 reception places of the state system managed by the central Executive to care for refugees plus other 12,800 seats provided by communities and municipalities.

The head of the Executive predicts that the conflict will be “long” with the risk of becoming “chronic”, for which he demands “maximum unity” from the presidents

Those were some of Sánchez’s main messages at the start of the XXVI Conference of Presidents, which is being held this Sunday at the Benahorita Archaeological Museum in The Aridane Plains, on the Canary Island of La Palma. Before the regional leaders, behind closed doors, he predicted that the conflict will be “length“and with the risk of becoming chronic”, for which the “maximum unit” is required. He also asked them for “maximum collaboration” in the exchange of information in order to apply the sanctions to the Russian oligarchs with “maximum efficiency”. that Spain has already begun the work of documentation to “promote the procedures before the International Criminal Court“to initiate proceedings for war crimes and crimes against humanity” against Vladimir Putin. And he added that the role of mediation and dialogue of Chinawhich has so far sustained Moscow, may be key to finding a diplomatic solution.

The president made a brief appearance before the media accompanied by the host of this XXVI Conference of Presidents in La Palma, the socialist Ángel Víctor Torres, president of the Canary Islands. But it was later, before the regional leaders, before whom he exposed the announcements that he carried under his arm. Sánchez was very insistent on the idea that he wanted to leave this summit with those he baptized as La Palma Agreements, to imitate the current of joint and unitary work between administrations that followed the eruption of the Cumbre Vieja volcano. That is, an institutional pact with the autonomous communities articulated around four axes.

The Government asks for support for the proposal that it defends in Europe to decouple gas from electricity. He promises to do “everything in his power” to protect the most affected sectors

The first, perhaps the one with the greatest impact for citizens, is the national response plan. In advance, and as he had been doing in recent days, the president assured that he will “everything in your hand” so that the industry, the most vulnerable groups and electro-intensive consumers are not “hostages of energy blackmail & rdquor; of Putin. This is where the tax cut fits in for the most affected sectors. In addition, the sectoral conference will be convened with the first and third vice presidents, Nadia Calviño and Teresa Ribera, and the economic ministers, and he asked the communities to contribute their proposals for the response plan, a shock program that will be, he repeated, “opened” to the contributions of the territories and political groups, and “dynamic“, adaptable to the evolution of the war.

Review of fiscal rules in Europe

Second element, the unanimous support for the Executive in the face of “decisive” European Council on March 24 and 25, in which Spain will defend “cutting off the contagion & rdquor; from gas prices to electricity prices. The Cabinet thus wants to improve its negotiating position, that the communities support it in its approach of decoupling gas from the price of electricity. Spain offers itself as a “solution to Russia’s energy dependency”: the Executive is committed to the construction of gas interconnections, green hydrogen and renewable energies. Sánchez also defended that Europe has to look for alternative markets, strengthen the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), ensure affordable prices for nitrogenous fertilizers and review tax rules, so that they combine the sustainability of public accounts with the boost to growth, and adapt both to the new economic reality of the war and to the end of the pandemic. The Twenty-seven, in addition, have to promote a migration and asylum pact that guarantees “solidarity” in the distribution.

There will be three reception centers and perhaps a fourth in Malaga. 5,400 places are prepared in the state system and another 12,800 in communities and municipalities. 23 million humanitarian aid will be sent

Third axis, reinforced cooperation for the reception of Ukrainian refugees (there are already three million displaced persons, the largest exodus since World War II). There will be three refugee reception centers (Madrid, Barcelona and Alicante) and a fourth is being studied in Malaga. The Government will “guarantee the communities” the economic resources for the reception of Ukrainians and will send, through the AECID, a first humanitarian aid package of 23 million euros (the largest ever made to a single country). It also demands “co-responsibility“to the autonomies in the distribution of unaccompanied minors.

And fourth point, “put aside the partisan fight” of European funds, since they are “a fundamental element to consolidate economic recovery and job creation.” It was clearly a message addressed to the PP, now that the leadership change from Pablo Casado to Alberto Núñez Feijóo is underway. Sánchez demanded that the presidents “accelerate the execution of the funds” related to the deployment of renewables, energy efficiency and the rehabilitation of homes, especially “before next winter”, to increase energy autonomy. The Government, for its part, will proceed to reduce and streamline the deadlines and procedures for the execution of energy efficiency projects and the development of renewable energies.

As planned, the Government will “strengthen cooperation and collaboration” with communities to fight cyber attacks. And, in that sense, a new cybersecurity law will be approved. Sánchez did not make any reference to a measure that, in principle, he wants to adopt this month: the removal of the mask indoor. It was not scheduled for this summit, as this newspaper already pointed out, and it was finally left out of it.

applause and cheers

The autonomous leaders arrived at the Benahoarita Archaeological Museum of Los Llanos de Aridane starting at 9 in the morning. The president of the Junta de Andalucía, the popular Juanma Moreno, has already marked advanced the line that his fellow party members would follow, advanced yesterday Saturday by Feijóo.

The Andalusian leader insisted to journalists that this regional summit could not conclude without the decision to lower VAT on electricity and fuels super-reduced rate, 4%, to mitigate the escalation of energy prices. Meanwhile, the Lendakari, Iñigo Urkullu, addressed another of the priority issues of this conference, the reception of Ukrainian refugees: he defended that the legal situation be clarified and that the reception of those who are fleeing due to the war be coordinated. The Madrid president, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, made no prior statements, and at times she was seen chatting with some PP barons and at others, silent, isolated.

The ‘president’ Aragonès did not join the family photo: he arrived just after the King, who had held an informal breakfast with those attending the summit, left

Shortly before 9.30, Sánchez arrived, timidly applauded by the few palm trees that were in the vicinity of the Archaeological Museum. More alive received the King as soon as he made his entrance. Both, the monarch and the president, greeted all the autonomous leaders and members of the Executive, and then all together they took the protocol family photo. “Ayuso, we love you!”, was heard shouting from one of the balconies that looked at the facade of the center. In the joint photo were all the presidents, except the Catalan, Pere Aragonès, who chose to skip the greeting to Felipe VI and the subsequent informal breakfast with him. The monarch left around 10:40, fired at the exit by the socialist leader (a “president, handsome!” was also heard) and just a few minutes later the ‘president’ arrived.

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Sánchez directs this conference accompanied by nine ministers: the vice presidents Nadia Calviño and Teresa Ribera, and the heads of Foreign Affairs, Interior, Treasury, Presidency, Territorial Policy, Health and Inclusion. All of the PSOE. In the previous call, the one that was scheduled for February 25 in La Palma but had to be suspended due to the outbreak of war in Ukraine, the second vice president and leader of United We Can in the Government, Yolanda Díaz, was present. This Sunday, she is not on the island: the person in charge of Labor continues her visit to Chile after attending, with the King and the Minister of Equality, Irene Montero, at the inauguration of the new president, Gabriel Boric.



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