Bad moment for the business community or at least for its public image?
No. In 44 years of existence there have been potholes, but this pandemic has served to reinforce the role of business organizations. The human resources of the companies have helped: cleaning the streets, transporting products or attending boxes. From there, these times are of political polarization.
Just from politics?
Society is a reflection. But what he wants is for his problems to be solved. Six months from now, when this has improved the most (now we have some complicated data again), people are going to forget. I do not know if it will be good or bad, but he will forget about pardons and many things. But it is true that politics is polarized and that does not help.
Does Garamendi subscribe to what he said about the pardons or was he wrong by not avoiding the puddle?
We, as part of civil society, must have an opinion. We have always used Antonio Garamendi’s reflection. We are used to negotiating and negotiating means not to run over and give in. The issue of pardons is a problem that politics has generated and it must solve it. There have been pardons in other times even with crimes of blood.
What message does a critical right-wing opposition leave with the business community and the Church? Is something happening in this country?
We always try to reach agreements, no matter who governs. Just as we arrived with President Alberto Fabra. We have a strategic vision. If the opposition does not like that, it is their right.
It has been said that sociologically the business community is on the right and perhaps that is why it is surprising that the PP criticizes them. But it is still a false belief that being on the right.
The businessman I do not know why he must be on the right. It will surely be something more conservative, because certainty is in his mentality and this is not given by the poles.
They called them gangsters.
There are our accounts. I assume the presidency with a high percentage of public income, but last year we closed the year with 22% between agreements and payments for projects. That of gangsters are malicious phrases, but neither the unions nor the bosses are. And the former presidents of the Government help little, whose turn has already passed and for whom it is very easy to express an opinion. Aznar was precisely a president who produced more grievances for this community than for other communities.
You have also had problems with the right. Bonig said they did not represent true entrepreneurs.
Not me, in any case they would have had them. In 2012, six months after assuming the presidency, we made the decision to oppose the expansion of the Valencia Conference Center against the current of the chamber, the fair and the opposition. In the same way, we made the decision to go to the financing demonstration in 2017. What did the PP or someone from the PP not like? I can say that in those days I had more calls supporting me than the other way around.
Are you afraid of reprisals or tension with Carlos Mazón after what happened with Casado, given the closeness between the two?
No. Carlos is a person with a vision of the future to know that what our opinions do is that they reinforce who is ruling. If the business community, workers and civil society support you, you have a much bigger letter to go to a minister. And I have to admit that the first thing Carlos did was come to the Congress of Deputies to be with the platform. To be fair, Isabel [Bonig] in the last few months I had already moved it.
So better Mazón than Bonig for entrepreneurs?
We may have personal tastes, but we are loyal to institutions and parties whoever they are.
What conclusion do you draw from the management of the pandemic by the Consell? What grade would you give it?
The polls give the president a fairly reasonable grade for this situation, which could have burned a lot more. Overall, it has been one of the best performing communities. From the beginning it has counted on the main sectors and trade union organizations. Unfortunately the financial situation is not that of other communities and what has been possible has been given, but it has been quite reasonable. There are sectors much more affected, but our organizations in hospitality, hotels and leisure have been very responsible.
Would the management carried out by the one in Madrid change, for example?
No. The comparative data is much more positive. Each one has its own model and a management has been carried out that could have been improved, but the regional government has worked well in general terms, although the most affected part must be remembered.
Are you satisfied with how the Government’s co-governance with the autonomies has worked?
Not at all.
So does Spain need a federal advance or, on the contrary, to centralize itself?
The federal thing is not very clear to me. Is it the German model? Because there are landers there, but there is a police, a health, an education. And here I am not so clear. If he had been president of the Government, he would have had meetings with the regional presidents every week.
Sánchez had them for 14 weeks.
And how many weeks have we been in a pandemic? In these situations it is best to share the information and the decision.
Is the country model not too convincing for you?
When it is said that everything happens through Madrid, it seems that we are blaming it and it is the capital and it must have its status. But everything cannot happen through Madrid. I said this 20 years ago at the CEOE and they looked at you badly. We have advanced. It is important to have infrastructures between Madrid and the Valencian Community, but also between Alicante, Valencia and Castelló. And our exit to Europe is Catalonia. Same as the connection with Zaragoza and Bilbao. We have to change this country, but from consensus. And he said about Madrid because we lack positioning: we are not here. That is the job to do and not blame Madrid.
Does Puig’s discourse against centralism share it?
I agree on some things in infrastructure. In fiscal dumping I am clear that competition between communities is good. In any case, if there has to be a fiscal harmonization, let it be downward, because I already know how these films end: upward. So I do not share the position on the centralism of the president on the tax issue.
After two years of the second Legislature of the Botànic …
Is not the same. I already tell you.
Do you see a worn out government?
I see a government also polarized, between them.
More than in the first legislature?
Yes, and the problem is not the third actor who has entered. From the beginning Compromís did not digest the advance of the elections well and I do not know if it can be considered a vendetta, but port, fair, concessions, the public health company, even Valencia … There are parties that in recent months were doing more opposition than the opposition itself. It is also true that at the last moment the tense situation always reaches the Presidency and there it is resolved.
Do you think this legislature will end?
I’m sure it doesn’t end. What’s more, it would be best if it didn’t end.
How difficult do you see the situation?
I think we all have to be focused on solving the problems of citizenship. There is an example now with the Torrevieja Hospital, it is the same error as in Alzira. The citizen does not care whether the hospital is public or public-private management. All these messages of nationalization, such as ITVs, which are going to cost us as many millions as taxpayers, but what is the problem in this Government with public-private collaboration?
What happened with the ITV is in court for a corruption case.
Yes, but watch how it ends. There is a position that everything is public and in certain situations it is not the best.
Doesn’t it give more guarantees of an optimal service?
No. But in the end, a problem of this Council is the excess of bureaucratization. Officials should know that a stop license to a company is less economy, taxes and employment.
Is it possible to carry out the expansion of the port of València with this level of political and social confrontation?
If you say it because of the publicity on the buses, I am glad that Compromís is doing this campaign, because it serves to reduce the EMT deficit. The utility is not very clear to me. What is going to happen is that this is going to be prosecuted. All the farces and lies that are being told about the Albufera, the beaches, the minister’s letter … But the expansion will continue.
Are the conditions for a rise in the minimum wage in place?
That is the government’s decision. We have already said that this is not the time. The Government is not very clear either.
How does ‘baby boomer’ assume that he will have to work more or receive less pension?
How many years do we live longer than two decades ago?
In other words, Minister Escrivá knew what he was saying.
Perfectly. And I assume it.
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