“A career of protectionist measures will only have negative effects or impact. For all, starting with the country that imposes them.” Thus has reacted the Minister of Economy, Commerce and Company, Carlos Body, after the announcement of the US President, Donald Trump, to impose tariffs of the “25%” for all cars manufactured outside the US. He has affirmed before inaugurating the event ‘European funds V: Towards the strategic autonomy’ organized by eldiario.es.
“We have to regret the announcement of the tariffs made yesterday by the American administration,” said body. “This is not the solution for the sector. Neither in the US nor in the rest of the world. The sector faces medium and long -term structural challenges. With measures like these, it will not be contributed to go ahead,” said the head of Economics.
Body has also wanted to launch “an optimistic message,” he said in his opening speech of the days of this medium. “Under noise, uncertainty and all these risk scenarios, a window of opportunity for Europe and Spain within Europe opens,” he said.
“It is time to take a leap in the European integration project. We have to be demanding inwards, we must take determined steps. In some cases a previous red line will have to pass open for business. It is very important for Europe to take advantage of the window of opportunity that is opening and Spain will be a crucial actor, contributing to that great European construction project, ”said Carlos Body.
The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has also reacted to Trump’s announcement, which impacts a sector of great importance for the community economy. “I deeply regret the United States decision,” he said in a statement. “Now we will evaluate this announcement, along with other measures that the United States is raising. The EU will continue to seek negotiated solutions, while protecting its economic interests,” he added.
“More than 48,000 million euros in the real economy”
Minister Carlos Corps has extended the first table of the days organized by this means, with the title Present and future of European fundsin which Manuel de la Rocha, Secretary of State for Economic Affairs and G-20 of Presidency of the Government, Ana Mar Fernández-Pasarín, Professor of Political Science and Public Administration of the Autonomous University of Barcelona, Ángel Escribano, Executive President of Indra and Oriol Aspachs, director of Spanish Economy of Caixabank Research.
The Minister of Economy has highlighted the importance of the recovery and resilience plan, and the associated Next Generation funds, for the growth of the Spanish economy, which stood at 3.2% in 2024, as the INE confirmed yesterday. Spain grows “four times more than the Eurozone countries,” said body, which has stressed that our country contributes almost 50% of the GDP progress of the euro partners last year.
In addition, body has insisted that “there are good growth prospects forward.” “The pulse is being maintained, as we see in social security affiliation data,” he said, which means that “the economic forecasts for Spain are still updated” by different agencies, such as the Bank of Spain and the BBVA Studies Center.
“These good results would not be understood without the recovery plan,” said Carlos Body, which has estimated in “more than 48,000 million euros” those that have reached the real economy “of our country. From new or renewed hospitals, health centers, educational centers, broadband facilities and improvements in electricity lines that are already being carried out in the different autonomous communities, has exemplified body, and that contribute to the “territorial cohesion” of the country.
With the impulse of the 12 belongs (Strategic projects for economic recovery and transformation), Body has highlighted the importance of this investment and the agenda of legislative reforms associated with the plan for an output of the crisis of the pandemic “without scars” and also for the modernization of the productive fabric and the country in the medium and long term.
In particular, the minister has emphasized the relevance of the European project to increase the size of our small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and to improve the competitiveness of companies and the Spanish economy. Carlos body has affirmed that “40%” of financing “is reaching microenterprises and SMEs”, which has considered “another point of the success of the execution and design of the funds.”
The event ‘European funds V: towards strategic autonomy’, which takes place this Thursday and tomorrow, will feature the participation of the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, as well as the vice presidents María Jesús Montero and Yolanda Díaz, and other members of the Government, as well as Teresa Ribera, First Vice President of the European Commission. It will also bring together outstanding experts in the field of economy and companies to analyze and discuss the opportunities, challenges and changes that Spain and Europe face right now.
Source: www.eldiario.es
