Speech by the President of the Government of Spain at a meeting on policies to support people with disabilities and those with dependency needs

SPEECH BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE GOVERNMENT OF SPAIN, PEDRO SÁNCHEZ

Many thanks to the media for covering this press conference ahead of the Council of Ministers meeting. It may be somewhat unusual, but I believe this is a time for celebration - a very important day for the consolidation of social rights and, consequently, of freedoms in our country.

I would like, first of all, to thank the Minister for Social Rights, Consumer Affairs and 2030 Agenda, Pablo, and of course the Secretary of State for Social Rights, the Director-General of IMSERSO and, finally, the Chair of the Spanish Committee of Representatives of People with Disabilities (CERMI), and the Chair of the Platform for Older People and Pensioners…

Well then, officials, ladies and gentlemen. Good morning, everyone. Sooner or later, we all need someone to care for us. Today, we had a conversation with people living with disabilities, but - of course - also with caregivers, and primarily with the women who care for people with disabilities.

It is one of the few certainties we have in life, whether due to the passing of the years, an illness, an accident, or any other unforeseen circumstance. Sooner or later, we will all be carers, or we will all be the ones being cared for. And so, I believe that sustaining life through caregiving is one of the most important commitments a society can make.

It was mentioned earlier that, with the announcement we are about to make today here at the IMSERSO headquarters, we are making our country a better place and, without a doubt, a better democracy too. I therefore believe that this is one of the main responsibilities of any executive, and certainly of this government, which is committed to social progress.

And there could be no more fitting venue than the headquarters of IMSERSO - an institution that, throughout its history, has symbolised Spain's commitment to those most in need of support. It has also played a pivotal role - Director - in transforming caregiving into a collective responsibility (something I believe is important to emphasise) rather than one that falls exclusively on the family.

This becomes abundantly clear in meetings such as those we have held with family members like Alejandra, with people in need of support such as Laura, Noelia and Isabella, and with institutional leaders who strive every day to improve the circumstances and lives of all these people. Because behind every person there is also a family member who gets up early, a daughter who asks for a reduction in her working hours - as we were told earlier - and a spouse who gives up their career to care for the love of their life. And all of them - especially the women - share something fundamental: the need for support, companionship and dignity. In this brief conversation, we also discussed improving living standards.

Ultimately, the coalition government has always understood this reality. We demonstrated this - as we have also mentioned - by amending Article 49 of the Constitution, which also goes some way towards explaining the announcement we are going to make today; a measure that is to be approved by Royal Decree-Law at today's Council of Ministers meeting.

Because, ultimately, the greatness of a society is not measured by its skyscrapers or the profit and loss accounts of large companies. It is measured by how well it looks after those most in need and, therefore, by how well it supports those who require such support. That is why a progressive administration drove one of the greatest advances in our welfare state by recognising the System for Autonomy and Care for Dependent People as the welfare state's fourth pillar.

A new pillar of social protection, a pillar that was established with the clear aim of ensuring that anyone in a situation of dependency could receive appropriate care regardless of where they had previously lived - incidentally, we have also discussed the situation in rural areas, not just in urban ones-regardless of how much they earn or the resources available to their family.

That is why it was this administration, this government, that took on the important task of rebuilding and strengthening a system that had been virtually dismantled and abandoned for years following the financial crisis and the misguided response to it - namely, the austerity measures adopted by both Europe and Spain.

It hasn't been an easy journey - as I noted earlier. In 2018, we started from a woefully inadequate funding baseline for the National Dependency System. Between 2012 and 2020, the contribution from the General State Administration remained stagnant at historic lows; since then, however, we have tripled the General Administration's investment in long-term care - rising from just over €1.3 billion to nearly €3.8 billion by 2025. I repeat: from €1.3 billion to €3.8 billion by 2025.

In any case, I am not here simply to talk about figures, because, above all, I want to convey something of great importance and relevance to the public: this year, we will complete one of the most significant transformations of the long-term care system since its inception in 2006 - marking its 20th anniversary.

Today, at the Council of Ministers, we are taking a decisive step towards establishing a system that is much stronger, more humane and, therefore, fairer. A system that leaves no one behind when they most need the support of society as a whole. That is why the Council of Ministers meeting, which will begin in just a few minutes, is set to approve a Royal Decree-Law representing the largest investment in long-term care in our democratic history. Specifically, we are talking about an additional €2.218 billion to provide better and more extensive care for those who need it most. This investment, therefore, represents almost a fivefold increase in state funding since we took office, and will enable us to fulfil one of the key commitments of this parliamentary term - which I set out in my investiture speech before the General Courts- namely, that the General State Administration should fund 50 per cent of the Long-Term Care System, raising its contribution to over €7.2 billion by 2027. €7.2 billion by 2027.

This Royal Decree-Law increases the minimum amounts received by the autonomous communities, which, as you know, have jurisdiction in this area; consequently, people with a Level II dependency rating - those who cannot live independently but do not require round-the-clock care - will receive double the funding to ensure they receive the care they need. And those with a Grade III assessment - the group facing the greatest vulnerability and need, as you are well aware here at IMSERSO - will see that support more than doubled. For when the level of dependency is higher, society's response - as an expression of the social responsibility we championed earlier - must clearly rise to meet that challenge. And all this whilst maintaining the Grade III+ that we approved - isn't that right, Minister? - less than a year ago for people in extremely difficult circumstances, such as patients with ALS.

What will this enable us to achieve? Well, it will enable us to improve the circumstances of no fewer than 1,600,000 people - and their families - who currently rely on the system. And with this momentum, we will achieve three objectives that I consider to be fundamental and which, of course, have been shared with us by the representatives of civil society, whom I would certainly like to thank for their engagement with the institutions.

The first thing we need to do is reduce waiting lists. As mentioned earlier, this is probably the most important goal we are facing. When someone asks for help, time is obviously of the essence, and when a family needs support, every day counts. We have already shown that it is possible: since 2020, we have cut waiting lists by 51 per cent, but this is still not enough. And now our aim is to keep making progress until no citizen has to wait longer than is reasonable to receive the care they need. Therefore, the top priority is to reduce waiting lists.

Secondly, ensuring more and better care; we discussed this very point earlier in the conversation. Because if this investment achieves anything, it will be to increase the intensity of care and strengthen the support provided to dependent individuals. The most important thing, of course, is not the hours or the amounts; the most important thing is what those hours represent: More companionship for those who feel lonely, more autonomy for those who need it, and - crucially - greater peace of mind and certainty for families who have spent years shouldering these caregiving responsibilities with great effort, sacrifice, and, above all, deep affection.

And, finally, the third objective is to improve - as we have also discussed - the working conditions of carers. Because clearly, behind this system - this fourth pillar of the welfare state - there are thousands of professionals carrying out essential work, work which - as they know far better than any of us here - is extremely demanding; work that is profoundly human and all too often goes unnoticed. This is work that does them credit and - as President of the Government of Spain, I would also like to say - that makes us proud as a society; and so I believe we must be clear.

We are also talking about a sector predominantly made up of women who have endured very precarious working conditions for far too long, and this must change. We cannot expect first-class care under second-class working conditions, and there is nothing more important than the people who look after our loved ones. The importance of their work must be reflected in this: in decent wages, in better working conditions and in the social recognition they deserve - to which I would like to bear witness today from this podium.

Ladies and gentlemen, I believe today is one of those days that you remember - days that remind you why it is worth dedicating yourself to public service. I think today is a very special day. And to those who wonder why this Executive, this Government, wants to carry on despite all the difficulties and the obstacles along the way, I say that the answer is this: the answer lies here. We are continuing to do this - to improve people's lives, to expand and consolidate social rights, and to build a fairer and better Spain. And that is exactly what we are celebrating here today and what we are going to approve today at the Council of Ministers. Because building our nation and strengthening our democracy means looking after those who need it most. It means, ultimately, safeguarding the dignity of everyone.

That's all. Thank you very much, and congratulations to you all.

(Transcript edited by the State Secretariat for Communication)

Original speech in Spanish

Non official translation