Spain’s new Minister for the Economy “feels sympathetic” for the Catalan Government’s “austerity efforts”

Madrid (ACN).- In a radio interview on Monday morning, the new Spanish Minister for the Economy and Competitiveness, Luis de Guindos, from the Conservative People’s Party (PP), said he is “very sympathetic” to the Catalan Government’s “austerity efforts”. According to the new man in charge of Spain’s economic policies, the spending cuts the Catalan Government have been undertaking over the past 12 months is “in line with others we are experiencing in the autonomies, in the Spanish Government and at European level”. Furthermore, De Guindos stated that the drug prescription fee proposed by the Catalan Government is part of Catalonia’s “responsibility efforts”. De Guindos’ opinion differs from that of the previous Spanish Government, who had serious doubts Catalonia could take such a decision on its own. The Catalan Health Minister explained that the drug prescription fee will include exceptions based on personal “economic reasons” in order to avoid people with lower incomes to be left out.

The Spanish Minister for the Economy and Competitiveness, Luis de Guindos, was asked in a radio interview on Monday with SER about the budget austerity measures undertaken by the Catalan Government, which is being run for the past year by the Centre-Right Catalan Nationalist Coalition ‘Convergència i Unió’ (CiU). In particular, De Guindos was asked about the Catalan Government’s proposal to charge patients with a symbolic €1 fee for every drug prescription. “I guess the Catalan Government has accurately studied it, has very carefully analysed it, and is part of its responsibilities”, he said. De Guindos refused to personally position himself for or against the measure. He also refused to assess if the drug prescription fee will be implemented in the rest of the Autonomous Communities because “each one of them will have to consider and analyse it”, and “not all of them are in the same situation”. In any case, De Guindos said he agrees with the spending reduction measures undertaken by the Catalan Government: “Obviously I feel very sympathetic with the austerity measures undertaken by the Catalan Government. It is something we are experiencing in the autonomies, in the Spanish Government, and at European level”.

The Catalan drug prescription fee to include exceptions

The Catalan Minister for Health, Boi Ruiz, gave more details about one of the main austerity measures for 2012: the drug prescription fee. The Catalan Government will charge patients €1 for each drug prescription. Ruiz explained on Monday that the measure would have an “exception” based on “economic measures”. People with lower incomes may be excluded, or could have reductions. Ruiz insisted that this fee does not mean partially privatising healthcare, and said it is a fee similar to others paid in other public services.