The president of the employers’ association CEOE, Antonio Garamendi, expressed this Monday his rejection of the amnesty for Catalan independence politicians. and has defended agreements between the two major parties because they would be “good” for the country. However, he has assured that businessmen want “moderation” and has spoken out in favor of Spanish unity and the 1978 constitution, which, he stressed, does not provide for amnesty.
Yolanda Díaz: “Amnesty can only come from a historical pact, without one-sidedness”
Further
This is how Garamendi spoke after an hour and a half meeting at the PP headquarters with the leader of the PP and candidate for the presidency of the government, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, as part of his round of contacts with parties and social actors before the investiture planned for September 26th and 27th. The president of Cepyme, Gerardo Cuerva, also took part in this meeting.
In statements to the media upon his departure from Genoa, Antonio Garamendi placed this meeting with Feijóo – which he said went “very well” – in the “institutional” framework after the King had named him as a candidate for investiture.
“He explained to us what proposals he is making and will present to Congress. The institutional normality that these things must have and, by the way, we always demand,” he added.
No to amnesty
Asked how he assessed the statements of Vice President Yolanda Díaz, who assured that the “Catalan conflict” could be the subject of a “political and social” agreement and that businessmen and unions should also be involved, Garamendi emphasized that businessmen “always They said “the same thing” and were “in the same room and in the same situation”.
“I want to be clear: the CEOE, the Cepyme, the self-employed and the Spanish businessmen are on the side of the unity of the country, the unity of Spain, the Constitution of 1978, which has given us stability for 45 years,” and we broadcast and “We go through moderation,” he emphasized.
In this sense, Garamendi defended the parliamentary monarchy, the separation of powers and the rule of law. “We will not engage in partisan politics and statements from one side or the other. What we just want is moderation, moderation, moderation and the work that we have been doing for so many years,” he said.
In addition, he pointed out that the parties working on this moderation represent 95% of the vote in Spain, adding that the CEOE “does not depend on who governs” but that we “have the institutions, the forms and respect the times”. “We will always be there for dialogue and work, but always within the framework of the constitutional order,” he emphasized, underlining that they had “always” said this.
Asked again if they would sit down at a table to talk, as the vice president suggested, Garamendi replied that it was not a question of whether they would sit or not. “There is talk of amnesty. Do we agree? No,” insisting that amnesty is not included in the 1978 Magna Carta.
“I say it very clearly. We agree with the 1978 Constitution and a fundamental agreement reached by our country’s politicians. And what we want is for the two main parties to sit down and reach an agreement, which is what the rest of us are doing,” he explained, stressing that this “would be very good for Spain.”
