The Government delegate in Asturias, Adriana Lastra, has analyzed the impact of the social measures promoted by the Executive of Pedro Sánchez and the consequences derived from the veto in the Congress of Deputies to the Royal Decree-Law that included, among other measures, the revaluation of pensions under the IPC.
"The PP has once again sabotaged the Spaniards for partisan interests. They voted against a measure that guarantees a rise in pensions by 2.8%, affecting more than 300,000 pensioners in Asturias," said Lastra.
The government delegate has detailed that the PP’s refusal translates into a direct loss for Asturian pensioners, who will stop receiving 48 euros per month from the February payroll, which means a loss of purchasing power of 528 euros in the rest of 2025. Although he has stressed that "thanks to this progressive government, pensions have experienced a historic rise". Thus, the average pension has gone from 1,342 euros per month in 2018 to 1,765 euros this January, an increase of 423 euros: “With the PP model, the increase would have been barely 21 euros per month.”
Lastra has recalled that the non-validation of the Royal Decree-Law also to the most vulnerable sectors. In Asturias, each of the 16,100 households benefiting from the Minimum Vital Income, in which more than 38,230 people live, will no longer receive an average of 619 euros this year. "These families also deserve an explanation from the PP, which continues to turn its back on the citizens," he said.
In addition, the government delegate has warned that the rejection of the Royal Decree-Law will impact on essential public services in the region. Asturias will no longer receive 252 million euros in deliveries on account of the Ministry of Finance, “money that would have been destined to strengthen health, education and dependency services”.
Another of the sectors affected is public transport: "The veto has brought down the gratuitousness of the Vicinity and the transport bonuses, which implies a loss of 28.1 million euros." Currently, more than 40,000 Asturians travel free by train and will be able to continue doing so for the duration of the payment, until April 30, but that this measure disappears "will increase the costs for thousands of families," Lastra warned.
Regarding the industrial field, the Government delegate has reproached those who voted against the Royal Decree-Law who have opposed the extension for another year of the 80 percent discount on access tolls to electricity transmission networks for the electrointensive industry. It means that these companies will no longer receive EUR 200 million.
“That the PP is the biggest enemy of the industry we have been able to see this very week by defending without any rubor that they are in favor of something as harmful to the Asturian industry as delaying at least two years the entry into force of the environmental tariff,” said Lastra, “a key tool for the competitiveness of the Asturian industry that the steel and cement bosses demand that it be implemented as soon as possible.” “While the PP calls for delays, our president Pedro Sánchez meets in Davos with the Mittals to guarantee strategic investments in Asturias, such as those related to the production of green steel,” he explained.
Lastra described this attitude of the PP as "a further sign of its lack of direction, not only in Asturias and Spain, but also in Europe".
A progressive government that leaves no one behind
The Government delegate has reviewed the policies promoted by the Executive of Pedro Sánchez since 2018: “This progressive government has shown with facts that there is another way to address the different crises we have suffered in recent years: those resulting from the pandemic, from the Russian invasion of Ukraine, from the effects of the volcano of La Palma or, more recently, the DANA that affected the Valencian Community above all.” “We have opted not to leave anyone behind,” Lastra said before wondering “what would have happened to this country if Pedro Sánchez were not governing, what would have happened to the social measures we have implemented since 2018.”
Thus, the Interprofessional Minimum Wage has increased by 60 percent from 2018 to reach 1,134 euros per month, improving the quality of life of 46,200 workers in Asturias.
The labor reform has allowed a 175 percent increase in indefinite contracts compared to 2019, reaching almost 77,000 in December 2024. And the impact of the government’s measures “is evident,” Lastra said: “There are 53,000 job seekers in Asturias, the lowest figure in 17 years. And Social Security membership also sets a record, with 387,082 workers contributing.”
"This government has shown that there is another way to address crises. Faced with the PP’s bank cuts and bailouts during the 2008 crisis, we have opted to protect people. Without these progressive policies, Spain and Asturias would have been left behind," concluded Lastra.