The spokesperson for the PSOE in Congress and head of the list for Vizcaya, Patxi López, has pointed out that it would be "illegal" to apply a write-off to the debt that Tubos Reunidos has with the SEPI and has denied any "inflexibility" on the part of the public holding, which, he has emphasized, is "willing to sit down with whoever is necessary to see what the best formulas are."
In an interview granted to Radio Euskadi and reported by Europa Press, López referred to the situation of Tubos Reunidos, currently immersed in a sale process conditioned by a debt of 150 million with the Sepi.
The socialist leader has rejected the existence of "inflexibility" in the Sepi and has recalled that the agency "even by letter has sent that it is willing to see how the conditions of the debt can be relaxed, but the debt cannot have write-offs, because the European Union does not allow it." "Because if one wants to stay within the law, within legality, the European Union prevents write-offs. The conditions for the repayment of the money can be relaxed, but you cannot make write-offs," he insisted.
In this line, he emphasized that the Sepi "is willing to seek the formulas necessary to relax" the debt with the aim that "this project has continuity" and has stressed that "they will be the most interested" in this happening.
López has recalled that the Sepi, four years ago, "put in more than 100 million," "knowing, as all parties knew at that time, that indeed the European Union has certain conditions" and that the agency cannot "commit an illegality."
As he has reiterated, the Sepi "is willing to sit down with whoever is necessary to see what the best formulas are but one cannot say 'now I forgive you the doubt' because it is illegal, it is impossible due to the conditions of the European Union."
For López, "to say 'come on, I forgive you'" would be equivalent to "doing cheap electoralism." "Let's talk about the realities we have on the table, because if not we will be doing demagogy, we will be deceiving," he stated. In this sense, he emphasized that the European Union is "inflexible" because "it has a legality that must be complied with."