Sánchez Advocates for Increased Defense Spending Amid Political Controversy
Spanish President Pedro Sánchez defends defense budget increases without new parliamentary support as he prepares for a summit on Ukraine in Paris.
Pedro Sánchez, the President of Spain, is set to address the Spanish Congress today, reiterating his support for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and advocating for an increase in spending on security and defense in line with the European Union's agenda.
This comes ahead of a summit in Paris convened by French President Emmanuel Macron to discuss support for Ukraine amid evolving global geopolitical dynamics influenced by former U.S. President Donald Trump.
Sánchez's justification for increasing investments in defense arrives in a context where he lacks parliamentary majority to pass new budgets for 2025, facing criticism from both the opposition parties, including the Popular Party (PP) and Vox, as well as from leftist coalition partners.
Government spokesperson and Minister of Education, Pilar Alegría, highlighted in a Senate session that proposing a new budget without prior assurance of parliamentary support would be counterproductive.
She emphasized that the current government's approach is to move forward with new budgets only when a broad parliamentary agreement is reached, a condition that is currently not met.
The request for parliamentary support has met skepticism from various parties, including Junts, ERC, and Podemos, who form part of the governing coalition.
Alegría pointed out that some regional governments governed by the PP, such as in Madrid and Castilla y León, have faced similar challenges in passing new budgets, with only three budgets approved in six years, aligning with the current situation of Sánchez's government.
She characterized the government's stance as realistic, arguing against the futility of putting forward a budget that might not pass in Congress.
In conjunction with Sánchez's defense spending proposals, the Council of Ministers recently approved a decree to allocate 400 million euros, aimed at raising the salaries of military personnel by 200 euros per month.
This decision does not require Congressional approval.
Minister of the Presidency, Félix Bolaños, emphasized that the existing prorogued budgets are functioning effectively to support economic growth and job creation.
The current budgets, which were last approved at the end of 2022 for the 2023 fiscal year, were automatically extended starting January 1, 2025, due to the absence of new budgets.
Bolaños responded to the opposition's critique of the government's failure to present new budgets annually, reminding them that the Spanish Constitution permits the extension of previous budgets if new ones are not operational by the start of the fiscal year.
Sánchez's forthcoming address is expected to ignite significant debate within Congress, particularly given the contentious political atmosphere surrounding the lack of new budgets for this year.
As the government positions itself for an anticipated 'tense' discussion, officials have indicated that Sánchez will primarily focus on educating parliamentary members about the necessity of increased defense spending rather than getting into specifics about funding timelines or amounts.
This comes ahead of a summit in Paris convened by French President Emmanuel Macron to discuss support for Ukraine amid evolving global geopolitical dynamics influenced by former U.S. President Donald Trump.
Sánchez's justification for increasing investments in defense arrives in a context where he lacks parliamentary majority to pass new budgets for 2025, facing criticism from both the opposition parties, including the Popular Party (PP) and Vox, as well as from leftist coalition partners.
Government spokesperson and Minister of Education, Pilar Alegría, highlighted in a Senate session that proposing a new budget without prior assurance of parliamentary support would be counterproductive.
She emphasized that the current government's approach is to move forward with new budgets only when a broad parliamentary agreement is reached, a condition that is currently not met.
The request for parliamentary support has met skepticism from various parties, including Junts, ERC, and Podemos, who form part of the governing coalition.
Alegría pointed out that some regional governments governed by the PP, such as in Madrid and Castilla y León, have faced similar challenges in passing new budgets, with only three budgets approved in six years, aligning with the current situation of Sánchez's government.
She characterized the government's stance as realistic, arguing against the futility of putting forward a budget that might not pass in Congress.
In conjunction with Sánchez's defense spending proposals, the Council of Ministers recently approved a decree to allocate 400 million euros, aimed at raising the salaries of military personnel by 200 euros per month.
This decision does not require Congressional approval.
Minister of the Presidency, Félix Bolaños, emphasized that the existing prorogued budgets are functioning effectively to support economic growth and job creation.
The current budgets, which were last approved at the end of 2022 for the 2023 fiscal year, were automatically extended starting January 1, 2025, due to the absence of new budgets.
Bolaños responded to the opposition's critique of the government's failure to present new budgets annually, reminding them that the Spanish Constitution permits the extension of previous budgets if new ones are not operational by the start of the fiscal year.
Sánchez's forthcoming address is expected to ignite significant debate within Congress, particularly given the contentious political atmosphere surrounding the lack of new budgets for this year.
As the government positions itself for an anticipated 'tense' discussion, officials have indicated that Sánchez will primarily focus on educating parliamentary members about the necessity of increased defense spending rather than getting into specifics about funding timelines or amounts.
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