The European Union has distributed EUR billions to the most welcoming, or obedient countries. Marshall launched its own Plan to “cope” with the economic precariousness generated by the crisis. But money does not fall out of the blue: as Urko Apaolaza pointed out in this report, a number of conditions will have to be met that have nothing to do with the execution of money and projects, and, of course, future generations will have a high level of indebtedness. European loans are currently granted in exchange for structural reforms and budgetary austerity, ELA criticised. Spanish labor reform, an example. Money is “freed” or delivered as the ordered is fulfilled, not before.

Anyone who wants to receive money will ultimately have to make system changes that meet a number of objectives. They are giving much to talk about pension reform. France has delayed the retirement age for two years – 62 to 64 – and has put the full pension contribution in 43 years. The French Government has set itself the objective of “taking care of the system”. That is precisely what Europe needs: to make a ‘sustainable’ pension system. That is, cutting rather than increasing public spending when society is getting older.

France appears to have complied with the cuts. However, to raise the EUR 164 billion that the Spanish State is planning to receive, it has not yet refined the possible new pension reform, and Europe is already tightening, as it has committed itself to “passing” this study at the beginning of the year. The latest proposal by the Spanish Minister of Social Security, José Luis Escrivá, states that the time limit for calculating pensions is not that of the last 25 years listed, but that of the last 30 years, but of them the worker could choose 28, excluding the two he wants. It would extend the basis of contributions.

The Spanish Government has major internal conflicts: to begin with between the two parties they support, and at the moment it has hardly any parliamentary support. The European stock market is still threatening.