Juncker receives the New Economy Forum Prize

USPA NEWS - The President of the European Commission, Jean Claude Juncker, received Wednesday in Madrid the New Economy Forum Prize for his contribution to economic development and stability in Europe. The award was presented by the Spanish Prime Minister, Mariano Rajoy, also responsible for the laudatio.

Juncker, Rajoy said, "is convinced cohesion and solidarity in Europe" and "a humanist and pro-European to the core." During his speech, Rajoy praised the Luxembourg politician, whose political life described as "extraordinary, a life dedicated to public service, to the best of politics" and "a project that is unparalleled as is the European integration." In opinion of Rajoy, Juncker has "the ability to humanize responses to crises of all kinds," because, in his view, is "a true humanist" who has managed to "find a balance between the need to adopt technical measures to bear fruit very committed to the inevitable challenges and respect for the dignity of persons."

Rajoy said that Spain has also pursued the same purpose: "The measures we have adopted are measures that have an economic goal -improving the competitiveness and balance the accounts- but in the end have a recipient, who are the people." So when "circumstances so require, must always defend those who are in a more difficult situation," such as pensioners or people who are unemployed, he said.

"The results are for the people," said Rajoy. In this sense, he move that this year unemployment will fall by 650,000 people, "a record in the history of Spain in this matter, we should encourage everyone to continue working because they are still many people who are in difficulty." The Spanish Prime Minister also stressed that Juncker sees the economy "as a tool to serve the people and not vice versa." So it has driven the Investment Plan for Europe, known as “˜Juncker Plan´, which aims to "revive investment in the Union, encouraging investment in strategic sectors such as energy and telecommunications."

He also highlighted the momentum that the current Commission has given the union of energy. In this sense, Rajoy thanked expressly supported the Plan of Action of interconnections between Spain, France and Portugal, an agreement was signed on March 4 in Madrid. The Spanish Prime Minister also referred to the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Agreement with the United States (TTIP), an initiative that promotes "tirelessly" Jean-Claude Juncker. This alliance, said, "it will increase economic flows between the two richest airlines in the world," which will rise "at 550 Euros a year in disposable income of each family" without compromise "European developments in the social, health and cultural" field.

As for the "immigration drama," Mariano Rajoy stressed the action that is developing the European Commission, led by his president: "Proposals to relocate or resettle 40,000 and then 120,000 people more, potential beneficiaries of international protection, they left the Juncker Commission." At this point, President Rajoy said that Spain's position, which "unequivocally has offered its expertise on migration flows and their availability at the time to implement the measures adopted in Europe."

Before concluding his speech, Mariano Rajoy referred to the "growing detachment of citizens" regarding the EU, compared to which Juncker has proposed "actions to increase the legitimacy of the Union, deepening citizen participation and strengthening institutional democracy." The President of the European Commission is convinced, according to Rajoy, "that the best means available to us Europeans to address global challenges is further progress towards an ever closer union."