Business View

The Economic and Social Council (CES) today warned that cut back on education, health and dependency “affect” inequalities beyond the crisis and stressed that Spain is one of the countries with social exclusion, with one in four households at risk of poverty.

In presenting the report of the CES 2011 its president, Marcos Peña, has described the country’s situation as “appalling” and called for a “political understanding” between the public authorities to deliver the “sacrifices” in equity, rather than by the time is not happening “in any way.”

Thus, recalled that Spain is impoverished “faster” than the other European Union partners, and higher incomes are seven times higher than the lowest, when the European average of five times.

He also stressed that the political crisis and to stop it have “negative effects” on the income distribution of Spanish citizens.

“There are some cuts that are not corrected in a generation, and its effect becomes chronic,” said Pena, with the example of a road bump can be arranged within five years without serious consequences, but the lack of investment in prevention a tumor type can not be overcome when it is detected in the future.

For his part, Fernando Valdes CES counselor pointed out that there are countries where two or three generations of young people outside the educational system, and an entire generation is excluded from the labor market.

For Spain Council may suffer “the paradox of the diligent student,” because the restrictive fiscal policy has resulted in “failures” as territorial.

This has increased the rate of dispersion, and the wealth of the richest autonomous community, Basque Country, double that of the poorest, Extremadura.

Although the CES would stress that does not give “advice” or “make amends” for the policies carried out in Spain, also warn of the “vicious circle” that the failure to take down the consumer expectations.

“Being poor and have lower expectations leads to disaffection that affects consumption and slows healing,” he warned Peña recalling that 50% of Spanish households are worse off than before the crisis.

He also stressed the “paradox” of “return” to public services in health, education and dependency, just as these services are less gifted.

Against this background, Pena has emphasized the value and achievements of social dialogue in Spain, which is in his opinion which maintains the cohesion and prevents the escalation of conflict.

Moreover, although he assured not to be “angry” thus CES president stressed that the current government has only sent a bill on holiday to issue an opinion, since most of the rules are adopted decrees .

CiU has agreed to negotiate the fiscal pact taking as one of the main references the last document of PSC, but with the proviso that the final agreement and clearly define concrete funding model you want Catalonia.

CIU general secretary, Josep Antoni Duran Lleida, met this morning at the headquarters of Unio with the first secretary of the PSC, Pere Navarro, in his second bilateral meeting in two weeks and just a week after the summit pact prosecutor.

Just at this summit the Socialists brought a document intended to facilitate consensus, approaching positions CiU, ERC and ICV-EUiA, but using vague and inconcreciones to avoid crashing into the thorniest issues.

Today Duran and Navarro have deepened in negotiating positions closer and have continued in some ways, taking the document from the PSC as a reference point for negotiation, with the bases of the fiscal pact approved by the Parliament.

However, the Union leader has made it clear to Navarro that consensus should revolve around a clearly defined model of financing, unambiguously, so that the Govern know exactly what system should defend to the central executive when you go to Madrid to negotiate and the other political forces to support the proposal can not get open there, claiming they do another interpretation of the agreement reached in Catalonia.

“The mandate of the Parliament to leave the Govern must be very clear and explicit. We can not have a situation in which the uncertainty of the position entails Catalan variously interpreted by some parties and others. A consensus without concretions we could backfire, “he warned.

However, for Navarro, these approaches “generals” of the document are its main strength because in their opinion, provide a broad consensus of the Catalan forces and at the same time, give “wiggle room” to the Government to negotiate in Madrid .

“If the document comes out of the Parliament is absolutely closed and structured to be very difficult to enter into a dynamic of negotiation with the Spanish government” has put forward the socialist.

The paper presented the PSC last week was conceived with a vocation to be “mainstream” and therefore includes goals “shared by all parties,” he explained.

Therefore, in this framework of “willingness to negotiate,” Navarro yesterday lamented that the Secretary General of CDC, Oriol Pujol, spoke of a “clamp” between PSC and PPC to weaken the bargaining position of Catalonia against the Spanish government.

Japanese Finance Minister, Jun Azumi, said today that G7 members cooperate to address the concerns that generated the crisis in Europe after participating in a teleconference held between those responsible for finance of the seven industrialized economies.

Nippon Minister confirmed, quoted by Kyodo, not issue any joint statement after the talks, which was concerned about the further strengthening against the euro and the dollar yen, considered safe haven to the crisis in Europe and the apparent slowdown in the U.S..

With regard to the possible intervention of Japan in the currency market to curb the yen’s appreciation that both hurts your stocks and exports, which account for 40 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP), Azumi hinted that the Government and the Bank of Japan is not currently implemented in the operation.

The minister also said that during the meeting did not discuss the possibility that Greece leave the euro and explained to the members of the G7 that Japan has confidence in Europe’s response to the crisis.

In recent days, stock markets around the world have suffered heavy defeats to the resurgence of concerns about the situation in the euro area and the poor employment data in the U.S., which has led to fears that the world economy is entering a phase of generalized slowdown.

Meanwhile, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and President of the European Commission (EC) Jose Manuel Barroso hold a meeting on the European financial crisis.

Nippon Minister also expressed confidence that during the next G-20, to be held in Mexico on 18 and 19 June, world leaders acometan “political decisions” crucial to improving the overall economic situation in which, detailed, Japan will have a key role.

The PSOE’s parliamentary spokesman, Soraya Rodriguez, opined today that a hypothetical economic intervention of Spain will be the worst and the last option to fall back, and has been convinced that the country “can and must” make every effort to overcome this situation by themselves.

In a press conference following the meeting of the Board of Speakers of the House, Rodriguez noted that the socialist government of the last legislature and had to manage the crisis and made every effort to avoid rescue, while other countries such as Greece , Portugal and Ireland fared even worse.

“We must make every effort to go out alone,” he reiterated, although he admitted that it is necessary to change some rules in the European framework, for example to ensure the refinancing of sovereign debt and support the common currency.

After emphasizing that the PSOE “very aware” that the country is going through “difficult times”, the spokesman ruled that, in these five months in office, the PP has made “huge mistakes” that have damaged the confidence of Spain .

“It’s good that they are aware and are rectifying” has affected, before noting that “it is good to know you can not get out of Spain to doubt everything but themselves”, a tactic that, in his view, has been using the Executive Mariano Rajoy at this time.

In his view, it is necessary to restore confidence in the country and to this end, has emphasized the importance for unity and allow the government to close the gap with the largest number of political forces.

The initiative should take the executive and its chairman, stressed, and then to insist that, by the PSOE, “there are many offers of dialogue and many tips on the table.”

Recalled here that a few days ago was Rubalcaba who, in “an unusual” in a parliamentary democracy, had to call the Prime Minister to arrange an interview with him to try to agree a common position on European policy.

Asked about the negotiations with the PP government to renew organs such as the Constitutional Court, the Ombudsman or the Court of Auditors, Rodriguez noted that so far, have not advanced.

However, it has made clear that the PSOE’s decision “not to collaborate in the farce” RTVE will not affect its commitment to continue talking about a renewal of the other institutional bodies.

A compromise reached by Rajoy and Rubalcaba, who were given until the end of this session to reach an agreement.

Realia is open to consider the purchase of Bankia Kio Tower, which is the twin of occupying the seat of the estate, valued at 200 million euros, said today the president of the estate, Ignacio Bayon.

In a press conference prior to the shareholders, the company president stated that “has not received any invitation” and not even know “if the tower is for sale”, but in any case “price and conditions should be interesting “to consider its acquisition.

He explained that this year Realia has “less investment capacity than last year”, when considered purchasing it because it had 180 million to invest.

Finally, the group spent this amount, mainly to repay debt on its property business in order to “give confidence to the financial system,” reduce costs and facilitate refinancing.

Also used some of that cash to increase to almost 60% its stake in its French subsidiary SIIC de Paris and up to 49% in Revilla brothers.

This year, he said Bayon, the estate has 63 million available who have planned to invest in the development and completion of the shopping center which has 50% with Carrefour in A Coruña (As Gates ) and other economic developments in Paris.

Asked about the possibility that Bankia want to leave the capital of Realia, which controls 27.6%, the president has indicated that real estate is not known whether the bank has taken any decision.

In the event that Bankia sell its stake in Realia, its other major shareholder, FCC (with 30.02% of estate), announced last week that he would be willing to take an additional 15%, which was considered Bayon as “positive” because it would be a vote of confidence.

In any case, Realia wants Bankia, shareholder and creditor of the estate, is “the strongest possible” because it is “best for us,” said the president.

Asked about the possibility of Realia merge with another property, Bayon said he has “nothing concrete” on the table but that in principle would be interested in a company focused on the business assets, solvent present in large markets. “This is a letter to Santa Claus,” he said.

As the business of the company, Bayon plans to close the year with 81 homes sold (5.4 times more than the 15 delivered in the first quarter), despite “competition with the banks is very difficult.”

He recalled that since 2007, the company has reduced by 35% the price of housing and would be willing to lower them to 40%, the high cost of maintenance.

The Minister of Finance and Public Administration, Cristobal Montoro, has today called on the European institutions to speak out clearly on the EU banking union, because the amount needed by financial institutions to recapitalize Spanish is not excessive.

In Onda Cero has relied on the meeting held yesterday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and EC President Jose Manuel Durao Barroso, who discussed the design of short and medium term the euro area, including union bank in the middle of an intersection of leaks about an alleged change of stance in rejecting Berlin Eurobonds.

According to Montoro, the issue of bank union should be resolved before the European summit on 28 and 29 June.

The Minister explained that will be much better if this proposal becomes mature at the summit, because the times demand policy promptly and diligently.

For Montoro statements Merkel, Barroso and European Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs, Olli Rehn, the European institutions to reflect increasingly are more willing to move.

However, Finance Minister reiterated that what Spain needs is to speak out more clearly so that markets can return to relax, as happened yesterday.

In this regard, said that markets always anticipate the decisions and, if they see that the European Union moves and does not close, Spain will have opened the door of the funding normally.

About 40,000 million that the president of Banco Santander, Emilio Botin, has said that Spanish institutions need to recapitalize, Cristobal Montoro has avoided giving a specific figure.

In your opinion, is not “very high” or “excessive”, the problem is where to come, hence there is renewed emphasis on the need to continue to build Europe to give a joint response to the crisis.

Not a number “astronomical” or “unreachable”, does not face a “drama”, but accessible to an amount, he explained the Minister of Finance and Public Administration.

Asked if he thinks raise VAT to 20 or 21% responded that there are no plans to raise the tax and on what needs to be stressed is to fight fraud in their manure.

Of the tax amnesty approved by the Spanish Government has indicated that Montoro is not forgiving anything to anyone, that what is being done is surface and regulate money.

As to whether Spain can be tapped, the finance minister has said that “black men” will not come because it is salvageable from the technical point of view

What you need to do is go back to balance and make structural reforms “and that does not need the black men,” he concluded.

The main business organizations in Brazil and Spain signed today on the occasion of the visit of King Juan Carlos to Brasilia, an agreement to work together in opening new markets in Asia and the Middle East.

The business partnership was signed in Brasilia by the president of the National Confederation of Industry (CNI) of Brazil, Robson Braga de Andrade, and his counterpart of the Spanish Confederation of Business Organizations (CEOE), Juan Rosell.

The Spanish leader leads the business delegation accompanying the King Juan Carlos on a working visit to Brazil and Chile, which began Monday in Brasilia.

At the same meeting between representatives of the CNI and the CEOE was announced the creation of the Brazil-Spain, to be responsible for both initiatives to try to expand exports of both countries as a partnership agreement in the area of ​​education, the need to train Brazilian labor.

The aim of the agreements is to “join forces” to reach new markets for Brazilian and Spanish products in promising regions such as Asia and the Middle East, said Braga de Andrade, at the signing ceremony of agreements.

“Brazil and Spain need to come together to reach those markets. In some Spain has a higher penetration,” said the Brazilian business leader.

“We are also studying the possibility of joint actions such as training and training of Brazilians in Spain and vice versa. We have many things to learn and bring (in Spain),” he said.

For Rosell, the main interest of Spanish businessmen to increase their penetration in Brazil and other markets in which the South American country has competitive advantages to overcome the effects of international economic crisis.

The Spanish leader admitted that the Spanish economy goes through serious difficulties since 2009 and one of the solutions is to increase sales abroad.

“In the first seven years of this century create five million jobs and destroy the last four three million,” said Rosell.

“The new government (Spanish) is committed to promote the necessary reforms to the labor market and the financial market, but we believe that these reforms will not bear fruit tomorrow but are medium and long term,” he said.

Among the businessmen accompanying Spanish King Juan Carlos in his working visit to Brazil is the chairmen and chief executives of Banco Santander, Repsol, Telefonica, Iberdrola, Iberia, Isolux, Abengoa, Gas Natural Group, Indra, Acciona, CAF, Talgo, Navantia and Airbus Military.