Spanish prime minister in Warsaw for intergovernmental talks

PM Tusk with Mariano Rajoy in Warsaw: photo - PAP/Jacek Turczyk

The centre-right Spanish PM’s delegation includes ministers of economy, environment and foreign affairs.

This is the eighth time Poland and Spain have held intergovernmental consultations and coincides with the 35th anniversary of the restoration of Polish-Spanish diplomatic relations.

“I am satisfied to see that nothing has changed as far as our common vision on cohesion funds go,” Prime Minister Donald Tusk told journalists at a press conference after a meeting between the two heads of government.

“This means that Madrid and Warsaw will able to efficiently cooperate within the EU for a positive long-term programme of fiscal growth,” he continued, adding that both Poland and Spain have a real chance of gaining weight in terms of negotiating the EU’s budget perspective for 2014-2020.

For his part, Tusk’s counterpart Mariano Rajoy said that Spain and Poland are joined by “years of cooperation and a common vision in a globalised world.”

PM Rajoy also noted that the Thursday talks in Warsaw mark the first meeting of his government with other countries’ deputies.

“I am happy that [my inaugural meeting] is in Warsaw and that our first partner is the government here,” Rajoy opined.

The Spanish government is currently trying to regain some confidence in finance markets by enacting a deep and painful austerity programme, which include cuts of 27 billion euros to its central government budget.

An extra 10 billion euros savings a year will be found from reforming its health and education systems.

Spain is also suffering from a 23 percent unemployment rate, the highest in the EU. (pg/jb)