Yolanda Díaz’s proposal to involve the large food chains in an agreement that limits the rise in prices of basic products was greeted with suspicion by most political actors, but it has ended up becoming a debate that now transcends the sphere of the feeding. The recipe of the European Central Bank to deal with historical inflation data throughout Europe has materialized in a rise in interest rates that will significantly increase the cost of many mortgages. And several partners of the coalition government demand measures to alleviate the perfect storm that can come over many homes.
Podemos, ERC and Bildu agree on the diagnosis that, with the shopping basket and receipts for basic supplies skyrocketing, the rise in mortgages can trigger a “massive risk” of defaults for families who cannot afford the cost of housing. life. A scenario that could cause housing problems for many of them and even an economic problem for credit institutions. And that is why they ask Pedro Sánchez to act urgently.
“People cannot wait months for us to convince the PSOE, risking massive defaults as happened in 2012. We have to act now,” said the Minister of Social Rights and Secretary General of Podemos, Ione Belarra, on her social networks. Belarra’s party was the first to propose this week a shock measure against the rate hike. Specifically, Podemos proposes to force banks by law to offer their clients the possibility of benefiting from a reduction, for one year, of the variable rate to 0.10%. “This measure would translate into a reduction in the monthly mortgage payment of between 100 and 150 euros for families with economic problems, also avoiding situations of delinquency or non-payment to the banks themselves,” they argue in the formation. Podemos also asks that the measure be included in the decree law of the Contingency Plan.
In the socialist part of the Government, from where some criticism rained down on the second vice president for her idea of agreeing price limits on basic foods, this time they prefer to be prudent in public with the Podemos proposal but make it clear that they do not see it as viable. “I share the analysis made by United We Can and also UGT that the tightening of monetary policy, which is necessary, does not translate into an increase in mortgages that puts families in more difficulties,” Pedro Sánchez began by exposing after being asked. for this reason during his interview on Tuesday on TVE. However, and avoiding at all times to disqualify the proposal, the president hastened to clarify that these limits “are not allowed in the EU treaty.” To protect vulnerable families, Sánchez explained, “the Government has proposed a tax on the extraordinary profits of financial and energy companies.”
A position that Podemos considers a simple excuse. “We hear the same excuses as always for not carrying it out: that the EU won’t let us,” replied Ione Belarra. “It is not true that the European Union Treaty does not allow limiting mortgage increases. This prohibition is not in the Treaty nor in the European directive that regulates the matter. There is no provision that prohibits this measure, ”he assured.
From the socialist wing of the Government, they ask their coalition partner for caution. “You have to be careful with the expectations that can be created so as not to generate frustration for citizens,” they point out. And they affirm that “the concern for the consequences of the increase in mortgages” is within “the entire Government”. Socialist sources in the Executive assure that they had no prior knowledge of the Podemos plan and that, in any case, the limits on interest rates set by the ECB are not legal. “If what they propose is to put limits, that cannot be done. But this problem can be addressed directly or indirectly and we are going to work on it”, point out those same sources.
But Podemos is not the only member of the Executive that demands urgent measures. The ERC spokesman in Congress, Gabriel Rufián, described the Podemos proposal as positive but also proposed an alternative idea. “I told them about the price of melons, it sounded Chinese to them and I told them that I was going to destroy them. Today there are people who receive their mortgage receipt with the same fear. Proposal: mortgage rescue fund for families who can no longer pay it ”, he told the President of the Government during his intervention in the control session on Wednesday.
Rufián had previously made ugly that the Executive’s measures are, in his opinion, “stingy and not very brave”, and once again took the opportunity to cast a criticism of Yolanda Díaz. “What’s the use of talking about finding a cheaper food basket if you don’t even talk about it among yourselves, if some don’t even talk about it with your party?”, the vice president pointed out in clear reference. Sánchez, who decided not to use his second shift to reply to Rufián, had previously defended that different interventions that the Spanish Government has been defending in recent weeks were being considered in Europe. “If we can conclude anything, it is that, in energy matters, there is no more credible government in Europe than the Government of Spain,” said the president, referring to criticism of his economic measures.
Also from EH Bildu they demand from the Executive policies that stop the impact of the rise in mortgages. “We believe that more can be done, we must dare to demand that the banks cancel the planned increase in mortgages. And, if they don’t want to do it, it will be necessary to generate an express procedure such as that of evictions to recover the 60,000 million from the bank bailout, ”the Basque spokesman, Oskar Matute, asked the economic vice president, Nadia Calviño. Matute delved into his thesis of demanding “a code of good practices” from banks and even proposed “intervening in the real estate market and putting an end to evictions for all people without a housing alternative.” “That is siding with the people and not be a stronghold of the privileges of a few”, he added.
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