The Council of Ministers met on Tuesday, to approve new measures to deal with the coronavirus pandemic. The meeting of Ministers was the first in the history of Spain to be held by videoconference at the Palacio de la Moncloa.
The Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, was accompanied in person by the First Vice President, Carmen Calvo; the government Spokesperson, María Jesús Montero; and the four ministers with powers delegated by the state of emergency (Defence, Interior, Health and Transport).
The main measure announced by the Prime Minister was the mobilisation of 200,000 million euros, almost 20% of GDP, to combat the economic effects of the epidemic. Of this, 117,000 million will come entirely from the public sector with the remaining 41.5% of the money private.
Sánchez said that the amount is “the largest mobilisation of economic resources in the recent history of Spain.” The new measures include 600 million for the provision of basic services to autonomous communities and local authorities, while supplies and communication services are guaranteed, as well as the right to housing, with a moratorium on mortgage payments for people in special situations.
In addition, he announced a line of guarantees of up to 100,000 million that will allow the availability of between 150,000 and 200,000 million if the government joins with the private sector, as well as a line of guarantees of 2,000 million.
30 million is also allocated to vaccine research.
