Juan Bravo, Deputy Secretary of Economy for the Popular Party (PP), was the keynote speaker at the colloquium held on March 14 at the Círculo Ecuestre. After an official welcome from Enrique Lacalle, president of the Círculo Ecuestre, Bravo held an enriching conversation with Lola García, deputy editor of La Vanguardia.
Throughout the event, in which Bravo was accompanied by prominent members of the Popular Party of Catalonia, such as the leader in Barcelona, Daniel Sirera, and the party's general secretary in Catalonia, Santiago Rodríguez Serra, the speaker and moderator addressed the most current political and economic issues, offering an in-depth look at the challenges and opportunities facing Spain in the current context.
In his remarks, Bravo first analyzed Donald Trump's aggressive tariff policy and the economic uncertainty arising from the international conflicts between the United States, Russia, and Europe. In this regard, Bravo emphasized that "it is difficult to know what will happen today, but we have an obligation to know what we want to do in Europe". He stressed the importance of "talking about productivity and growth" and recalled the words of the president of the Popular Party, Alberto Núñez Feijóo: "intelligence and diplomacy". According to Bravo, "it's not about accepting everything the United States tells us, but neither is it about insulting them. We have to treat it as a commercial process".
Regarding a possible new trade relationship with China, Bravo stated that "it requires deep reflection. Our historical ally has been the United States, but there are new markets we have to explore, such as China, India, and Mercosur". In this regard, he mentioned that "free trade has always been the best option for global growth" and reiterated his willingness to "sit down and negotiate options and agreements. Neither give in to everything nor insult anyone".
Defense and National Strategy
In the current debate on defense investment and Spain's contribution to NATO, Bravo stated that "we long ago committed to 2% of GDP for defense with NATO, and we haven't done so. Therefore, the first thing is to fulfill it". In addition, Bravo asked the government to be specific about defense measures: "Before thinking about how much we're going to spend, I ask myself: on what, how, and when?" In this regard, he criticized the fact that "Sánchez hasn't designed a roadmap" and called for a state pact to implement this operation.
Fiscal Policy and Economic Competitiveness
On the economic front, Bravo defended a fiscal policy that reduces taxes and encourages investment at a time when companies are demanding fewer bureaucratic obstacles and greater legal certainty: "More investment is needed. Let's provide a stimulus for companies. I'll change your tax so you can invest". He emphasized the need to promote research, development, and innovation, and collaboration between the public and private sectors: "Let's achieve a win-win situation: collaboration in which we don't require taxes to facilitate investment and growth for companies".
Bravo also criticized the current management of public spending, asserting that "the only solution to all problems cannot be to raise taxes and, at the same time, you (the government) have twenty-two ministries, public companies in which you lose money, because you want to invade companies". In a context of high inflation and tax pressure, Bravo pointed out that "in Spain we have a lot of unnecessary political spending and a lack of resources for healthcare and social policies".
Relations with Junts
Regarding relations between the Popular Party and Junts, Bravo defended a pragmatic approach to economic matters. He stated that, ideological differences aside, "2 plus 2 equals 4", referring to the need to support economic measures that benefit citizens.
Asked whether mutual support for certain initiatives is the beginning of greater collaboration, Bravo emphasized that "we try to present proposals that aim to improve, and we are delighted that they prosper". He noted that his party is committed to initiatives in key sectors such as housing, energy, and support for SMEs, and that "if someone else proposes it, we support it, and if we propose it, we try to get them to support it".
However, he was blunt in setting the limits of this relationship: "We have differences on other issues. That's why we don't govern together". Regarding issues such as the delegation of immigration powers to Catalonia, Bravo expressed his total opposition: "If you ask me if we think it's okay for a pro-independence party to be making this pitch, it doesn't seem right. We don't agree. Otherwise, we'd be the same party. Now, I think it's necessary to reach an understanding".