At La Moncloa, this Thursday, the lights were on until late, awaiting the announcement by the US President, Donald Trump, who on the so-called 'day of liberation' decided to start a trade war by imposing tariffs, for example, of 20% on the European Union. The Government "deeply regrets" this decision. Pedro Sánchez has called for a summit this morning at the presidential complex with the affected sectors. The Prime Minister will announce a contingency plan that will activate the commercial and financial instruments available to the State to deploy an immediate protection network and a strategy to relaunch the affected sectors.
The Government anticipates that they will use all available tools to address the measures announced by Trump and assist the affected sectors. Among them, a plan of direct aid. EL MUNDO has confirmed that representatives from Asaja, Faconauto, Anfac, the National Federation of Irrigators of Spain (Fenacore), the Union of Steel Companies (UNESID), the National Confederation of Construction (CNC) or the Spanish Wine Federation, among others, will attend. The meeting is scheduled for 12:00 at the presidential complex, chaired by Pedro Sánchez, under the premise of "responding to the tariff threat."
Regarding the impact that tariffs may have on the Spanish economy, government sources explain that it is too early to have an exact figure. "Spain has limited direct exposure, but the indirect effect due to the exposure of our main European partners is greater," they point out. However, they believe that the impact is very asymmetric because there are sectors for which exports to the US represent a significant part of their turnover.
The initial analysis by the Government is that the tariffs imposed by Trump will have a dual effect. On the one hand, "they will harm everyone and will impact citizens and companies worldwide, unfairly and unjustifiably." Including American citizens and companies, who will face higher prices and costs, added to the negative effect of uncertainty on consumption and investment.
Secondly, they acknowledge that the impact of these measures will affect the global economy and financial markets, with consequences that are still difficult to estimate, but that will lead to a more fragmented and impoverished world. "The effect will be particularly harsh for developing countries."
La Moncloa will implement a national plan of direct aid and possibly Temporary Employment Regulation Files (Ertes) for the affected sectors, in a response that will complement the one at the European level, where the European Commission will work with the 27 member countries. "We will respond in a united and proportionate manner, always appealing to negotiation and fair and balanced treatment among strategic partners," government sources explain. "As the President of the European Commission has pointed out, we are finalizing a first package of response to the steel and aluminum tariffs, which should be ready in the coming weeks. And we will prepare additional response measures to yesterday's announcements, without ruling out any measure a priori, but appealing to a negotiated solution."
Feijóo asks to protect nuclear plants
"Defending sovereignty is defending energy security." With these words, the President of the PP, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, has announced the immediate registration of the bill to extend the lifespan of nuclear power plants, "starting with Almaraz," because they foresee enough support for the proposal to move forward.
Shutting down nuclear energy is a "huge strategic mistake" for Spain, Feijóo has stated. He believes that the country cannot go "against" the growing trend in European countries to invest in nuclear energy. "31 countries in the world, half of them European, have agreed to triple their nuclear power by 2050. Spain cannot go against the West," the popular leader emphasized to justify this proposal "in defense of strategic autonomy, supply security, and in defense of our industry."
During his speech at the V edition of the Spanish Economic Forum "Wake up, Spain!", the PP leader announced this proposal as a mechanism to defend "strategic autonomy and security" as well as the Spanish industry against Trump's decision to raise tariffs on European products: "We are going back a century in the trade relations between countries, decades back in International Relations. The entire EU is experiencing a day of enormous concern."
In this context, the popular also looked to his right, where he highlighted and criticized Vox's "condescension" with the measures announced by the US administration because "no one who claims to be a patriot can support this decision," which, as he reiterated, is "an attack on our agriculture, our industry, and ultimately on the people."
In Vox, they have been waiting for this day to assess the tariffs for weeks. Their leaders had been insisting that they "hoped" these tariffs "would not materialize," but, avoiding confrontation with their American partner, they called for not speculating until the details of Trump's trade measure were known. Meanwhile, they argued that the "real tariff" for the Spanish economy came from the internal regulations of the European Union. They maintain this thesis today, once it is known that national producers will be penalized with a 20% tax on their exports to the US.
"Neither Von der Leyen, nor Sánchez, nor Feijóo have defended the interests of Spaniards," stated Vox leader Santiago Abascal in a post on X where he avoided condemning the tariff announced by Trump. He limited himself to affirming that now the Spanish economy "competes under conditions of inequality due to the ideological bureaucracy of bipartisanship," placing the responsibility for the harmful effects that national traders may suffer on Brussels.
Other leaders of his party have specifically referred to the 20% tariffs that Trump announced he will apply to European products. "Reciprocity is not condemnable, it is reasonable," stated MEP Hermann Tertsch on his X profile. "Undoubtedly, many will feel mistreated," he added, in a critical tone.
The tariff issue is particularly delicate for Vox, as the commercial punishment imposed by the US will especially affect producers in the primary sector, a key voting niche for Abascal's party. Thus, party leaders have been balancing their support for Trump while claiming they will defend the interests of Spanish agriculture.
Yesterday, the party's general secretary, Ignacio Garriga, convened a meeting with Vox councilors in rural areas to show support. But today, Abascal avoids pointing to the US as a commercial threat to Spain and insists on blaming Brussels: "We have to expel this corrupt caste that has only brought ruin and loss of freedoms. And we will do it."