The president of the PP in the Canary Islands, Manuel Domínguez, stated on Thursday that the forthcoming general election on 29 November will be «the most important in history» and that the aim is to oust Pedro Sánchez and safeguard issues such as the Economic and Fiscal Regime (REF).
«There are no shortcuts and no other way. If anyone wants to oust Sánchez from La Moncloa, they have to support the PP,» said Domínguez at the launch of the election campaign alongside the candidates for the Congress of Deputies and the Senate representing Santa Cruz.
Domínguez has stated that Spain and the Canary Islands «have a lot at stake» in these elections and has called for a «serious and responsible» central government that will safeguard the Canary Islands‘ unique characteristics and honour commitments such as the 75 per cent discount on transport for residents and the continuation of the 60 per cent income tax deduction on La Palma.
Canary Islands: PP calls for investment and competent administration
He has also called for state funding for the roads agreement and resources for works on roads such as the TF-5 and the GC-1, as well as investment in water infrastructure in Lanzarote and Fuerteventura.
For his part, the PP’s parliamentary candidate, Gustavo González de Vega, has described the elections as an opportunity to «rebuild Spain» through «rigour, experience and sound management», following a parliamentary term which, he has criticised, has passed without a new General State Budget.
Housing construction plan aims to boost supply and protect property owners
González de Vega has identified housing as one of the top priorities and has announced that the PP is proposing an emergency plan for the first 100 days of government, with legislative changes aimed at increasing the housing supply and strengthening legal certainty for property owners.
He has called for amendments to the Condominium Act, the introduction of mechanisms for positive administrative silence, and the acceleration of the eviction of illegal squatters, whilst arguing that the responsibility for caring for vulnerable people should lie with the authorities and not solely with property owners.
The self-employed, migration and REF are coming into focus
He has also proposed measures for the self-employed, including rebates of up to 100 per cent on social security contributions linked to new hires, with the aim of reducing the costs and red tape which, he said, are holding back job creation.
On the issue of migration, he has emphasised the need to increase resources and funding to support those arriving in the Canary Islands, but has called for the focus to be placed on the countries of origin and on human trafficking networks.
He also argued that the PP’s national programme guarantees respect for, and funding of, the special features set out in the Canary Islands‘ Economic and Fiscal Regime (REF).
Senate candidate calls for more housing and less red tape
Senate candidate Inés Vega also focused her speech on housing, the economy and the functioning of institutions, and warned that «on a single salary» it is becoming increasingly difficult to afford either renting or buying a home.
Vega has advocated increasing the housing supply to one million homes and strengthening legal certainty for homeowners, as well as cutting red tape and taxes and making it easier to recruit staff in order to improve wages and quality of life.
The candidate has also accused Pedro Sánchez’s government of having pushed the rule of law «to the limit» and has defended the Senate’s role in setting up committees of inquiry.
In her view, these elections will also determine the institutional balance of the Upper House; she has therefore called for voters to concentrate their support on the PP to prevent the PSOE and its allies from gaining control of the Senate, given the importance this has for the appointment of judges to the Constitutional Court, she said.
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