Lower House of Parliament, Madrid
The President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, answers questions during the control session (Pool Congreso)
The President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, has assured that Spain is “an example of economic development, prosperity and the fight against inequality”, in a control session in the Lower House of Parliament in which he also highlighted the Executive’s commitment to Europeanism and causes such as the fight against the Palestinian genocide in Gaza.
“A country that represents 40% of the growth of the Eurozone, that has 22 million people in employment for the first time in history, is a country that works”, said President Sánchez in his response to Alberto Núñez Feijóo, to whom he defended a “clean” government committed to international humanitarian law.
Pedro Sánchez highlighted among the latest actions of the government the investment of 2.5 billion euros in grants and scholarships, the proposal for debt relief to ease the financial burden of the Autonomous Communities, promotion of the debate on shortening the working day and the adoption of measures in support of the Palestinian population.
The President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, along with the First Vice-President and Minister for Treasury, María Jesús Montero | Pool Congreso
Challenges for the remainder of the legislature
In his response to Gabriel Rufián, a member of the Republican Parliamentary Group, the president assured that the government is fulfilling all its commitments, as demonstrated by the economic and employment figures, although he acknowledged that “there are still difficulties, for example, in the area of housing”.
Among the most important issues that the government will tackle in the remaining two years of the legislature, Pedro Sánchez highlighted the promotion of housing policies, to which he added the economic financing system, reducing the working day, the State pact to tackle the climate emergency and the unblocking of the amendment to the Gag Law.
“Do you know that during the last year, thanks to the government’s impetus, there has been a 63% increase in the construction of social housing and only a 13% increase in free market housing? It may seem insufficient to you, it may seem insufficient to me, but this is the way forward”, the president pointed out to Rufián.
The President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, addresses the Chamber during the control session | Pool Congreso
Immigration and the demographic challenge
In his response on migration policy to Vox member Santiago Abascal, Pedro Sánchez outlined the current situation with facts and figures. “During the last 10 years, 94% of migrants living in our country have arrived through regular and legal channels; only 6% have arrived through irregular channels”, he explained.
In 2025, the president continued, the arrival of migrants through irregular channels in Spain has fallen by 30% in overall terms and by 50% in reference to the Canary Islands. “What this government is doing is applying a public policy on migration, border control, the fight against the mafias that traffic in human beings and also promoting regular migration”, he stressed.
The President of the Government of Spain also defended the phenomenon of migration as one of the responses to the “demographic winter” which, according to forecasts, will reduce Spain’s workforce by 4 million people in 25 years’ time and will therefore put the welfare state at risk.
In this context, the president highlighted the need for pro-birth policies, promoted through measures such as the recently approved extension to parental leave and childcare leave and concluded: “Our society’s choice is to be prosperous and open, or to be poor and closed”.
Non official translation