PP Firmly Opposes Diesel Tax Increase and Defends Nuclear Energy Amid Energy Policy Debate

The Popular Party (PP) has publicly rejected the Spanish government's proposal to increase the diesel tax, a measure linked to agreements with the European Commission for accessing community funds. Alberto Nadal, PP's vicesecretary of Economy and Sustainable Development, criticized the government's management of the European recovery funds, stating the impact has been largely ineffective, mainly allowing Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to govern without a proper budget. Nadal claimed the government has abandoned €60 billion in available loans and altered the Recovery Plan several times, diminishing its goals. Highlighting economic concerns, Nadal described Spain's growth as merely extensive without notable investment improvement since 2019.

Defending energy policy, Nadal emphasized the essential nature of nuclear energy in Spain's energy mix, cautioning against plans to close nuclear plants and condemning failure to secure necessary energy interconnections with Europe. He also expressed criticism toward government social shield measures, labeling them as propaganda that neglects underlying productivity issues. The PP proposed deflation of the Personal Income Tax (IRPF) to ease taxpayers' burdens, alongside commitments to preserve pension purchasing power and promote investment and better training to improve economic conditions.

Separately, the Ministry of Transport has initiated regulatory reforms concerning Renfe's compensation for delays, following a Senate amendment championed by the PP. The new Sustainable Mobility Law mandates compensation exclusively for Renfe passengers, but the State Attorney's Office ruled that Renfe is not legally obliged to implement these indemnities without further regulation. Consequently, the Ministry aims to amend railway sector regulations to address this fairness issue raised by Transport Minister Óscar Puente, who questioned why only one operator should bear compensation responsibilities.

The developments underscore the PP's firm stance against increased diesel taxation and their support for nuclear energy as critical to Spain's energy future, while also influencing transport indemnity policies.