Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez will begin talks with the leaders of his country's main political parties on Thursday to formulate a national pact aimed at helping recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.
In a televised press conference following the weekly cabinet meeting, Finance Minister and government spokesperson Maria Jesus Montero said that the first meeting would be with People's Party (PP) leader Pablo Casado on Thursday.
We need to start building tomorrow's prosperity now, said Montero, adding that The prime minister will start his meetings with Mr Casado on Thursday, and will continue on Thursday and Friday with meetings with the leaders of other parties, starting with those that have the strongest representation in the Spanish parliament.
Everyone who wants to make a proposal will be able to do so and we hope that the offer will be accepted ... The coronavirus crisis has changed everything, all of the priorities and the perceptions of the people, she said.
It is not just about going to a meeting, but about how everyone can work together, said the minister.
Montero also commented on the predictions published by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Tuesday that the crisis would cause Spain's gross domestic product (GDP) to contract by eight percent this year, with unemployment climbing to 20 percent.
She described the prediction as very important, but insisted that this was one of the reasons the country needed agreement between all of its parties so that next year we will be able to have growth at the same level as the countries around us.
Spain on Tuesday reported 567 new deaths from COVID-19, taking the total number of lives lost to 18,056. It also reported 3,045 new cases of the virus, taking the total number of cases to 172,541.
With the 1.8-percent daily increase in newly-recorded cases, Spain has now turned to a downward curve in infections, Health Minister Salvador Illa said at a press conference, stressing that nevertheless people had to remain in confinement.
(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)