The delegate of the Government in La Rioja, Beatriz Arraiz Nalda, has affirmed that the central Executive led by Pedro Sánchez has protected, once again, the purchasing power of our elders and also of the workers during 2024.
During the balance of action of the Government of Spain in La Rioja last year, Arraiz Nalda has pointed out that one of the priorities of the Government of Spain is the economy and the data are very positive for our country, which has become the fastest growing of the main economies of the world. “This achievement has been achieved by changing the pattern of growth in our country; creating employment and reaching levels of job creation that we have never had in the history of Social Security,” he confirmed.
In this sense, Arraiz Nalda has specified that the data in our autonomous community are a demonstration of this. As for indefinite contracts, as of January 1, 2025, in La Rioja 37,205 contracts of this type were reached, which is 188% more than in 2019.
Likewise, the Social Security membership, as of January 1 of this year, was 140,086 occupied in La Rioja, 11,591 more than in December 2018.
Another aspect highlighted by the Government delegate is the increase last year in Spain of the average retirement pension of 734 euros per year.
Specifically, in La Rioja, the average pension is 1,399 euros per month, which is 344 euros more than in December 2018 (1,055 euros), maintaining a growing evolution in the last six years.
On the contrary, he criticized that, if the Popular Party’s reform of a 0.25% increase in retirement pensions had been implemented, “today Rioja retirees would receive an average pension of 1,071 euros”.
Therefore, in 2024, thanks to the increase in the pensions of the Government of Spain, Rioja retirees received a total of 4,592 euros more per year than with the reform of the Popular Party.
The delegate also pointed out that “for this government of progressive coalition that leads national policies, it is essential that the wealth generated by the economy reaches all citizens, those who work and also those who worked, and those who are preparing to do so in the future, as are our young people.”
For this reason, it has considered that it is important to value that Spain is one of the countries that is managing to reduce its inequality more, with actions such as the increase to 1,134 euros of the Interprofessional Minimum Wage, which charges around 14,600 workers in La Rioja.
In addition, the income guaranteed by the Minimum Vital Income has been increased, which currently benefits 14,109 people in the autonomous community, more than 19,300 since 2020.
Recovery Plan Data
On the other hand, the delegate has commented that the figures of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan in La Rioja are conclusive. With updated data as of November 30, 2024, this Plan has meant for La Rioja a total investment of 540 million euros distributed in 212 million euros from calls and tenders of the General Administration of the State and 328 euros allocated in sectoral conferences.
The total number of beneficiaries in La Rioja of these European funds amounts to 8,092.
Among the actions financed with European funds, Arraiz Nalda has highlighted the 45 million euros that are destined for the construction of the variant of Rincón de Soto, a long-demanded action in our autonomous community to improve our railway infrastructures, or the more than 10 million euros destined for the rehabilitation, thanks to the PIREP program, of 8 public buildings, among which is the old bus station of Logroño to which 2.5 million euros are destined.
Another 12 million euros are allocated to Housing, specifically to the construction of 125 homes committed to social rent or for two actions in neighborhoods, from which 280 homes in Logroño and Calsalvo benefit.
“Once again, the Next Generation funds become a transforming stimulus for Spain and, therefore, for our region,” he said.
You can consult all the data of the Recovery Plan in this link
Infrastructure in La Rioja
Arraiz Nalda has reported that the level of execution of road infrastructures is progressing at a good pace and has already reached 76.09% of work executed in the Southern Round and 73.78% in the Riojan section of the A-12.
Other projects to be highlighted in 2024 were the opening of the Lodosa-Pradejón link, the award of the drafting of the project to improve the links between the AP-68 and the N-232 in Calsalvo or the approval of the constructive project of the variant of El Villar de Arnedo on the N-232 road.
Security data
It should also be noted that citizen security data have evolved positively in La Rioja during 2024. The delegate pointed out that the number of National Police and Civil Guard personnel has risen to 1,633, a figure well above 1,463 in December 2017.
“This considerable increase in personnel highlights the interest of the Government of Spain in citizen security,” he warned.
La Roja is in fourth place as a safer autonomous community and maintains its high levels of security with a crime rate of 37.3, which is more than 14 points less than the national average.
Regional funding
With a view to 2025, the delegate confirmed that La Rioja will receive the largest deliveries on account of its history with 1.36 billion euros, 8.3% more than 2024. In this way, 104.7 million more funding from the State to the Autonomous Community so that “in La Rioja quality public services can be provided”.
In total, including the liquidation of 2023, La Rioja will receive 1.406 billion euros in 2025 from the financing system.
In seven years of Pedro Sánchez’s government, La Rioja will receive 41.5% more resources than in the seven years of Mariano Rajoy. This amount amounts to 2,470 million more.
“We therefore have a record amount of state funding and we confirm that La Rioja has improved its funding because there is no precedent that a central government has given so much support to our autonomous community,” he said.
For all these reasons, he concluded that “this record amount corroborates the commitment of the Government of Spain with sufficient resources for La Rioja, so that they can provide the highest quality public services for which the regional government and municipalities are responsible”.