In the midst of the electoral campaign of November 29, the Partido Popular and Vox have reiterated their commitment to implement a tax cut if they manage to form a Government, a proposal that has been called into question by PSOE and Frente Amplio, who question how they will be able to carry it out without touching spending on essential public services.
During the economic debate prior to the general elections, organized by La Sexta, the first vice president and Minister of Economy, Carlos Cuerpo, has recalled that this very week several specialists have warned about the possible increase in the public deficit resulting from the tax cuts proposed in the PP electoral program.
"The next consequence is cutting public services. We have seen it in the Community of Madrid and we have seen it in the communities where they govern. Sacrifices," the person responsible for economic affairs in the Executive has said, warning of the consequences that, in his view, those measures would bring.
In response to the criticism, Cuerpo has emphasized that the disposable income per household member, taking into account the evolution of prices, tax pressure, and the increase in population, has grown by 8% since the start of the inflationary escalation in 2022; an advance that has placed Spain ahead of the United States, France, Germany, and Italy.
In light of these figures, Juan Bravo, the PP’s deputy secretary for Treasury, has replied that the Ibex has doubled its value since Pedro Sánchez’s arrival at La Moncloa, while the real net of salaries "has fallen to 3.8%".
For his part, Pablo Bustinduy, Minister of Social Rights, Consumption and Agenda 2030, has backed Cuerpo’s thesis that the Spanish economy has been growing for several years above that of neighboring countries, but he has denounced that this improvement is being "captured" by 1% of the population, especially through the housing market.
In addition, he has accused the PP of eroding workers’ "indirect wage" through the progressive deterioration of public services, which, as he has explained, forces many families to assume the cost of private alternatives in healthcare, education, or care.
By contrast, Vox spokesperson José María Figaredo has defended that it is "fundamental" to lower taxes, with special emphasis on the lower brackets of the IRPF, and has argued that this reduction is compatible with maintaining the current level of benefits and services for citizens.