WEBVTT - Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez Talks Re-Election Plans 0:00:02.520 --> 0:00:07.000 Bloomberg, Audio studios, podcasts, radio news. 0:00:07.760 --> 0:00:10.559 Prime Minister Spain thank you for talking to Bloomberg. It's 0:00:10.600 --> 0:00:14.040 a pleasure to have you. It's a pleasure. I just looked. 0:00:14.080 --> 0:00:16.480 Out of all Europe's leaders, you are the one who 0:00:16.560 --> 0:00:21.919 seems most prepared to disagree with President Trump. You champion 0:00:22.000 --> 0:00:26.920 the cause of recognizing Palestine, you push you pushed against 0:00:26.920 --> 0:00:30.720 the five percent limit on defense spending, also been very 0:00:30.720 --> 0:00:34.360 close to China. I mean, when you heard his speech yesterday, 0:00:34.440 --> 0:00:37.440 did you which seemed to depict Europe as kind of hellhole, 0:00:37.920 --> 0:00:39.400 did you think that was Do you think that was 0:00:39.440 --> 0:00:40.000 aimed at you? 0:00:40.520 --> 0:00:45.320 Well, I think i'm respectfully at disagree with President Trump 0:00:45.400 --> 0:00:50.520 a statement because you know, he took migration and climate change, 0:00:50.600 --> 0:00:52.960 as I would say, the. 0:00:52.840 --> 0:00:57.320 Major challenges that we have to fight against for. 0:00:57.440 --> 0:00:59.720 And I said, well, look, if you took the experience 0:00:59.720 --> 0:01:03.680 of his pain is the contrary. So thanks to claim 0:01:03.840 --> 0:01:09.840 to these green policies, we have dropped the electricity prices 0:01:09.880 --> 0:01:14.640 since twenty seventeen till now by fifty percent, so that 0:01:15.120 --> 0:01:18.880 enables us to gain competitiveness, and thanks to that, we 0:01:19.400 --> 0:01:24.520 are witnessing this extraordinary outcome of the economic growth in Spain, 0:01:24.560 --> 0:01:27.399 we represent thirty percent of the total economic growth of 0:01:27.400 --> 0:01:31.399 the European Union. And when it comes to migration, in 0:01:31.600 --> 0:01:36.039 the last seven years we have received two million migration migrants, 0:01:36.680 --> 0:01:39.039 while at the same time we have dropped by forty 0:01:39.080 --> 0:01:40.679 percent the unemployment rate. 0:01:41.120 --> 0:01:42.280 So only all, what. 0:01:42.240 --> 0:01:45.840 I'm trying to say is that green transition and migration 0:01:46.000 --> 0:01:50.920 when it comes on regular basis are positive for the 0:01:51.000 --> 0:01:53.480 economic development of a country. 0:01:53.760 --> 0:01:56.840 Do you think your fellow leaders in Europe could be 0:01:56.920 --> 0:01:59.240 braver about making those comments. 0:01:59.440 --> 0:02:04.280 I think that we that we need to keep Transatlantic 0:02:04.320 --> 0:02:06.760 bond and to strengthen that Transtalentic bond. 0:02:07.360 --> 0:02:08.200 It is in the. 0:02:08.280 --> 0:02:10.840 True that we need to combine it with other policies 0:02:10.840 --> 0:02:15.520 such as, for instance, trade diversification. That is why we 0:02:15.639 --> 0:02:20.560 are we've been very vocal in reaching this agreement between 0:02:20.560 --> 0:02:23.760 the European Union and Americasur, which it would be definitely 0:02:24.160 --> 0:02:27.639 a game changer in in our economic ties with other 0:02:27.680 --> 0:02:30.320 regions of the world. And second, what we do, what 0:02:30.360 --> 0:02:32.880 we need to do within the European Union is to 0:02:32.919 --> 0:02:37.200 do our homework, as the former central banker Maria Draghi 0:02:37.960 --> 0:02:40.760 always remind us, and that means that we need to 0:02:40.800 --> 0:02:44.560 deepen single market, that we need to review our competition 0:02:44.639 --> 0:02:48.799 policy in order to scale up a big companies in 0:02:49.040 --> 0:02:52.000 Europe and try to be you know, as good as 0:02:52.080 --> 0:02:56.680 competitive as a global corporation are in in the U. 0:02:56.760 --> 0:02:59.160 S and other and other parts of the World's. 0:02:58.720 --> 0:03:01.400 Very interesting that you look at what's happened. Your economy 0:03:01.400 --> 0:03:03.880 has grown very well two point seven percent. You look 0:03:03.880 --> 0:03:07.320 at what's happening in other countries on the periphery, like Greece, 0:03:07.880 --> 0:03:10.000 there is a very interesting thing. A few years ago 0:03:10.120 --> 0:03:12.560 we were used to saying the periphery is the problem 0:03:12.919 --> 0:03:16.799 and the core is great. Now it's the other way around. France, Germany, 0:03:16.960 --> 0:03:20.080 Britain barely growing at all. Do you think it is 0:03:20.160 --> 0:03:22.280 now the center of Europe that is the problem in 0:03:22.280 --> 0:03:22.920 the economy. 0:03:23.400 --> 0:03:24.120 No, not at all. 0:03:24.160 --> 0:03:28.280 I mean Germany is a big country, big economy, also France, 0:03:28.360 --> 0:03:33.840 and we always suspect a positive let's say, dynamic in 0:03:33.919 --> 0:03:37.119 their economy is that it isn't it true that from 0:03:37.160 --> 0:03:40.640 the south we can contribute to the economic growth of 0:03:40.720 --> 0:03:44.600 the European Union. So for instance, when you see that 0:03:44.840 --> 0:03:50.320 sixty percent of the electricity generation in Spain comes from 0:03:50.680 --> 0:03:56.160 renewable sources, that means that we have a potentiality that 0:03:56.240 --> 0:04:00.400 we can contribute to the autonomous static autonomy. 0:04:00.200 --> 0:04:01.920 Is exposing that you to France. 0:04:02.240 --> 0:04:07.000 Yeah, well, okay, we need to interconnect better our greeds, 0:04:07.560 --> 0:04:11.840 but we are We're trying to convince our friends in 0:04:11.880 --> 0:04:15.080 France to do so. So only know what I'm trying 0:04:15.120 --> 0:04:17.480 to say is that if you see the economic figures 0:04:17.480 --> 0:04:21.440 of the self in Europe, especially Spain, that represents and 0:04:21.480 --> 0:04:25.320 as said before, thirty percent of the total economic outcome 0:04:25.360 --> 0:04:29.240 of economic outcome of the European Union. That means that 0:04:29.320 --> 0:04:34.040 we have achieved many reforms that were demanded by the. 0:04:33.960 --> 0:04:36.240 European Commission over the last years. 0:04:36.400 --> 0:04:40.279 So we have achieved to reform our labor market, our 0:04:40.320 --> 0:04:45.279 patient system, our educational system, and also our energy policy 0:04:45.480 --> 0:04:50.120 and digitalization, along with the contribution of migration. So it 0:04:50.200 --> 0:04:56.040 is true that these pillars also show that the economic 0:04:56.360 --> 0:05:00.600 background or pillars of Spain are quite solid if you 0:05:00.680 --> 0:05:03.760 compare to previous periods such as the one before the 0:05:03.960 --> 0:05:04.920 financial crisis. 0:05:05.120 --> 0:05:07.280 Also a selfish question from the point of view all 0:05:07.320 --> 0:05:10.640 the foreign investors looking at this, Many people want to 0:05:10.680 --> 0:05:12.640 invest in Spain for all the reasons you said, But 0:05:12.760 --> 0:05:16.360 you want to introduce one hundred percent tax on them 0:05:16.360 --> 0:05:18.440 if they want to buy a house there a second time. 0:05:18.760 --> 0:05:19.840 No, not at all, not at all. 0:05:19.880 --> 0:05:23.440 What we need to face is a real challenge that 0:05:23.480 --> 0:05:27.120 I think that across Europe and also in England in 0:05:27.160 --> 0:05:30.520 the UK you're suffering, especially the youth, but not only youth, 0:05:30.920 --> 0:05:35.960 which is the lack of or the impossibility to access 0:05:36.000 --> 0:05:40.640 to a house or to emancipate in the case of 0:05:40.680 --> 0:05:44.760 our youth. What we did is for all British people 0:05:45.080 --> 0:05:47.839 or European people that want to buy a house for living, 0:05:49.040 --> 0:05:51.440 they won't pay taxes. 0:05:51.880 --> 0:05:53.279 Yeah, but this is the point. 0:05:53.480 --> 0:05:57.240 We need also to understand that we need to solve 0:05:57.240 --> 0:06:00.120 a problem of housing that we have in Spain. But 0:06:00.279 --> 0:06:04.479 all in all, if you see now the figures of 0:06:05.240 --> 0:06:09.320 the real estate sector and how we are speeding the 0:06:09.360 --> 0:06:14.560 process of construction in Spain is quite amazing. Nowadays we 0:06:14.680 --> 0:06:21.240 have increased by sixty three percent construction of how let's say, 0:06:21.279 --> 0:06:26.560 public housing, whilst the private sector has increased the like 0:06:26.680 --> 0:06:29.200 thirteen percent during the last year. 0:06:29.640 --> 0:06:32.839 It's a bit about the relationship to the economy and politics. 0:06:32.880 --> 0:06:34.560 The economy seems to be going very well for you. 0:06:35.040 --> 0:06:38.240 In politics, it's harder your party is behind the Patty 0:06:38.240 --> 0:06:41.320 do popular. We also got Vox coming up this much 0:06:41.400 --> 0:06:44.880 more right wing outfits and in the current polls you 0:06:45.360 --> 0:06:49.159 would lose if the election. What do you think the 0:06:49.200 --> 0:06:51.680 problem is? You've got a good economy, unlike most other 0:06:51.720 --> 0:06:54.560 European prime ministers, and yet you're still behind. 0:06:54.440 --> 0:06:57.480 Pulls that polls. I mean, of course you have to 0:06:59.320 --> 0:07:01.160 look into it. You have to see. 0:07:01.520 --> 0:07:05.440 What I am defending is that unfortunately we're seeing not 0:07:05.480 --> 0:07:09.240 only in Spain but across Europe political collapse of the 0:07:09.279 --> 0:07:13.800 center right traditional parties, which by the way, it started 0:07:14.240 --> 0:07:19.800 after the financial crisis, with the failure of governments, with 0:07:19.840 --> 0:07:26.600 all this rhetoric of austerity UH, banking UH and the 0:07:26.640 --> 0:07:30.840 financial rescue that we had to pay with taxes all 0:07:30.880 --> 0:07:34.480 around Europe. And what you see now from the center 0:07:34.600 --> 0:07:37.600 right is that they are copying not only the way 0:07:37.760 --> 0:07:40.360 of doing politics of oi right, but also the contents. 0:07:40.720 --> 0:07:45.160 So you see now that they are like identifying migration 0:07:45.320 --> 0:07:47.440 with insecurity, which is a fake. 0:07:48.000 --> 0:07:48.920 It is not true. 0:07:49.480 --> 0:07:52.040 And and by the way, as I said before, when 0:07:52.080 --> 0:07:54.200 when you when when you see the figures in Spain, 0:07:55.320 --> 0:07:57.920 you can see that we had a we we have 0:07:58.000 --> 0:08:00.360 the contribution of migration, but at the same time, we're 0:08:00.360 --> 0:08:06.960 reducing unemployment rates in Spain and our sectors such as construction, 0:08:08.400 --> 0:08:12.680 agro industry, or social services or tourism, which in Spain 0:08:12.840 --> 0:08:16.920 are quite important. We're up to twenty thirty percent of 0:08:16.960 --> 0:08:21.360 the total workers comes from different countries and other Spain. 0:08:21.800 --> 0:08:26.280 So what we need to do is to face that 0:08:26.360 --> 0:08:29.120 we need migration. But for that migration, what we need 0:08:29.160 --> 0:08:33.120 to open is a path of regular migration. And this 0:08:33.160 --> 0:08:35.560 is what we are doing with many countries in Latin America, 0:08:35.640 --> 0:08:38.480 also with the US administration, with the previous administration, we 0:08:38.559 --> 0:08:43.200 reach a very interesting program in order to have this 0:08:43.640 --> 0:08:48.280 circular migration coming from the US and of. 0:08:48.200 --> 0:08:50.680 Course some countries in North Africa. 0:08:51.200 --> 0:08:56.079 But in all the contribution of migration to the economic 0:08:56.240 --> 0:08:58.920 growth in Spain is quite quite positive. 0:08:59.240 --> 0:09:01.839 A few bridling for that fight. So you will, you 0:09:01.920 --> 0:09:05.000 will definitely lead the Socialists in twenty twenty seven into 0:09:05.000 --> 0:09:05.400 the election. 0:09:05.960 --> 0:09:07.120 Yeah, I will do it, for sure. 0:09:07.160 --> 0:09:09.200 This is something that I have already spoken with by 0:09:09.240 --> 0:09:11.680 family and with by party, and if they allow me, 0:09:11.760 --> 0:09:16.360 I'm confident that we can repeat a majority and to 0:09:16.440 --> 0:09:20.680 keep the work ahead. Not but let me add, coming 0:09:20.720 --> 0:09:24.640 back to migration, that the dilemma that all Western societies 0:09:24.960 --> 0:09:31.120 we're facing is whether we open up and grow or 0:09:31.240 --> 0:09:37.200 we close off and shrink. This is the real dilemma 0:09:37.240 --> 0:09:39.840 that we need to face. So the challenge that we 0:09:39.960 --> 0:09:43.640 have within the Epean society is how do we integrate 0:09:44.120 --> 0:09:44.800 this migration. 0:09:45.000 --> 0:09:47.000 So you think it's easier in Spain because you've got 0:09:47.040 --> 0:09:49.680 a lot of people from Latin America where everyone speaks 0:09:49.679 --> 0:09:51.640 the same language, that that's at least part of the 0:09:51.760 --> 0:09:52.880 argument why you might. 0:09:52.760 --> 0:09:53.320 Have been better. 0:09:53.840 --> 0:09:57.959 So when you listen to some center right parties and 0:09:58.240 --> 0:10:00.839 the far right there saying not what we we need 0:10:00.840 --> 0:10:04.679 to expel all these migrants come into our Okay, So 0:10:04.720 --> 0:10:11.720 what we do with demographics, because either you have natalis 0:10:12.160 --> 0:10:18.600 how do you say family policies? Yes, class migration, but 0:10:19.160 --> 0:10:23.960 they don't propose anything in these two policies, no migrants 0:10:24.520 --> 0:10:29.600 and less welfare state and therefore less family policies. Uh, 0:10:30.000 --> 0:10:38.199 and that means social services, wealth, healthcare and social security 0:10:38.240 --> 0:10:39.000 and so on and so forth. 0:10:39.000 --> 0:10:42.719 So what I'm trying to say is that if we don't. 0:10:44.800 --> 0:10:47.960 Have this contribution of migration, what we will face in 0:10:48.000 --> 0:10:51.760 the coming years in Europe is that we have anest technicians. 0:10:51.800 --> 0:10:55.280 We don't we won't have the capacity to growth and 0:10:55.360 --> 0:10:59.360 therefore there would be more cuts in our welfare state. 0:10:59.840 --> 0:11:02.120 So so this is this is something that we need 0:11:02.160 --> 0:11:08.120 to explain to our citizens that if we particulate a 0:11:08.200 --> 0:11:12.839 positive migration policy, that would be for the good of 0:11:12.880 --> 0:11:16.000 the Europeans and the Western societies. So, just to give 0:11:16.000 --> 0:11:19.240 you a figure, ninety four percent of the total migrants 0:11:19.280 --> 0:11:26.559 that are living nowadays in Spain came from regular let's 0:11:26.559 --> 0:11:31.080 say systems, and they are they came on legal basis. 0:11:31.640 --> 0:11:35.080 So we're talking about only six percent and this is 0:11:35.160 --> 0:11:38.400 this is the reality. So I think that we need 0:11:38.400 --> 0:11:42.960 to fight and to give a positive, let's say message 0:11:43.880 --> 0:11:46.520 about the contribution of migration to our societies and to 0:11:46.600 --> 0:11:47.439 our prosperity.