The Ciudadanos MP for Cádiz in the Parliament, María Carmen Martínez, is the parliamentary group’s spokesperson for Finances Affairs. On this occasion, she talks to our colleague, Federico Quevedo, about the General State Budget for 2022 that the Government has presented in Parliament to begin its processing.
General State Budget for 2022
The MP assures that the General State Budget for 2022 is “the first concession to nationalists and populists” of “many to come”. However, she defends that “Ciudadanos will be there to temper this government”. In addition, she also assumes the responsibility of reading the draft public accounts in order to “work on them” and “try to improve them with partial amendments”.
Martínez acknowledged that Ciudadanos had improvements in the infrastructure sectors, on work-life balance and in renewable energies and ecological transition. With regard to youth, the deputy emphasizes that “we have the highest unemployment rate in Europe”. She considers that the public authorities should “facilitate the hiring of companies” with “deductions”. In her opinion, this would put an end to the black economy. In this sense, she is categorical with PP and PSOE: “the two-party system wants to keep young people captive, without work”.
Rising electricity prices
On the rise in electricity prices, for the MP the problem does not have the dimension it deserves: “it should be treated as a state problem? It is serious”. Martínez believes that the government should have negotiated beforehand with the electricity companies, with the renewable energy associations and the political parties. But she regrets that “the government is late, late to reach consensus”. Especially, she argues, after “approving a royal decree that intervenes the electricity companies”.
The Ciudadanos deputy criticizes both the PP and the PSOE for their management in their respective governments, which has led to “a tariff deficit that we will continue to pay for”. In addition, she also regrets that the government “does not have a strategy” and “does not want to count on parties” such as Ciudadanos. Martínez explains that his party is “a liberal party. We attend to economic measures but we have a social character”, and this is where, according to the MP, Ciudadanos is committed to “renewables, green hydrogen, wind and photovoltaic strategies”.
The position of the Popular Party
Regarding the Popular Party (right-wing party), Mª Carmen Martínez said that “the PP is not to be found. It says it is liberal but it is not”. The MP adds that the Popular Party is not capable of supporting the rights of LGTBI people in the European Parliament and “votes ‘no’ to the Climate Change Law”, which for Martínez “calls into question” many consensuses in terms of rights.
Listen to the full interview in the audio below:
Through ‘El Balance’, a program hosted by Federico Quevedo on Capital Radio, Influence Spain is able to expand its network of contacts within the national, regional and municipal spectrum.
