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Pedro Sánchez says "knowing how to negotiate is wanting to negotiate, not imposing, without agreement"

EFE Agency Headquarters, Madrid, Thursday 5 September 2019

Pedro Sánchez praised the academic and professional merits of Nadia Calviño, as well as her pro-European mentality. He also said that the Acting Minister for Economic Affairs and Enterprise "perfectly embodies other virtues": cautious idealism, non-conformist pragmatism, social awareness, respectful thoroughness and negotiating experience.

The Acting President of the Government went on to stress that Nadia Calviño is capable of putting herself in the shoes of others and has patience, empathy, a clear roadmap and a desire to reach agreement, which is a fundamental characteristic because, "in our modern Spain, we must all understand that knowing how to negotiate is wanting to negotiate; not imposing, without agreement, and also understand that there can be no winners or losers in good negotiation". Pedro Sánchez added that "a door is always opened to the middle ground in good negotiation, a door that is never the starting position of only one of the negotiating parties. Between two opposing positions that may seem completely opposite, the solution lies in a third".

Respect and freedom of expression

Pool Moncloa/Borja Puig de la BellacasaIn his speech, the Acting President of the Government also highlighted the respectful disposition of the Acting Minister for Economic Affairs and Enterprise, quite the opposite of the "spectacle of insults and disrespect" that is too often the case in Spanish politics and "applied with particular malice" against women.

"One day, the victims are former ministers Bibiana Aído and Leire Pajín, then another day the focus switches to Irene Montero. This is why I wish to publicly convey my backing and recognition to my two colleagues", said Pedro Sánchez, who also congratulated Irene Montero on the legal satisfaction she has obtained.

Insults, he said, are an attack against social harmony, whether they are used against party colleagues or aimed at other public officials, and should therefore be removed from public life. "Freedom of expression must always be defended, and there is nothing more opposed to that than insults", he argued.

Politics and feminism

The Acting President of the Government believes that Nadia Calviño is also a fine example of applying something that politicians have learned over the last decade: namely that the economy is inextricably tied to politics and feminism. Pedro Sánchez said that household accounts and day-to-day economics must be considered and it should be understood that "the wage gap is just as important as the risk premium".

The Acting President of the Government stressed that the Government of Spain has seen that, "when many women enter politics, things can be done differently", in a more lasting and sound fashion, especially at a time of such important challenges as the technological revolution, decent employment, the climate emergency, equality between men and women, social justice and a cohesive Spain within a united Europe.

Pool Moncloa/Borja Puig de la BellacasaThe presentation by Pedro Sánchez and subsequent conference by Nadia Calviño was attended by the Speaker of the Lower House of Parliament, Meritxell Batet; the Speaker of the Upper House of Parliament, Manuel Cruz; the Acting Minister for the Treasury, María Jesús Montero; the Acting Minister for Employment, Immigration and Social Security, Magdalena Valerio; the Acting Minister for Culture and Sport, José Guirao; the Acting Minister for Science, Innovation and Universities, Pedro Duque; and the President of the EFE Agency, Fernando Garea; among other figures from the world of economics, employment and enterprise.

These meetings, organised by the EFE Agency, seek to raise the profile of women in various fields in order to offer female role models, foster equality and open spaces for debate.

Non official translation