Spain's Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Friday drew positive conclusions from the seven months he has spent in office after Mariano Rajoy of right wing People's Party (PP) lost in a no confidence vote at the start of June, Xinhua reports.
"Spain is doing better and this change will be consolidated in 2019," said Sanchez in a press conference held here at his official residence.
Although Sanchez leads a minority government with just 85 deputies in the 350-seat Spanish Congress, he insisted his "aim" was to "see out the mandate" until the next scheduled general election in 2020, rather than hold the next election in the coming year.
He highlighted the "pro-European and progressive spirit" of his government, focusing on the social measures that have been approved over the last seven months, such as raising the minimum wage from 735 to 900 euros a month (1 euros = 1.14 U.S. dollars), raising pensions and returning the right for migrants to have access to the Spanish national health service.
"In seven months, this government has done more for social justice and the modernization of the economy that the last government did in seven years," affirmed Sanchez.
He added there were "half a million more people working than a year ago and Spain is leading the main European economies in terms of growth. The economy grew by 0.6 percent in the third quarter of the year."
The prime minister explained that his government's other aims for the New Year were to strengthen Spain's role in international affairs and to continue working for a solution to the problem of Catalan separatism "through dialogue."
Sanchez also had words for estimated 300,000 British residents in Spain as the Brexit draws near at the end of March. He said "their rights will be preserved whatever the scenario" as a no-deal Brexit looks increasingly possible.