The continuity of the war in Iran after the attack by the United States and Israel is beginning to affect the pockets of Spaniards. The consequences of the conflict are already noticeable at gas stations and in the price of electricity.
The crisis begins its landing and the parties begin to demand measures, focused on the energy sector and on the purchasing power of citizens to mitigate an impact that is already taken for granted.
It is only a matter of time that, after directly affecting households and businesses, the rise of the bill spreads throughout the shopping basket and the rest of products and services, triggering a new inflationary crisis.
In the Government, they do not rule out adopting this very week the first economic response measures, focused on containing the rise in energy prices. Partners and opposition submit proposals to act now.
What measures are currently in public debate and what can we expect?
The fiscal path
The preferred one, without a doubt, by the opposition. PP and Junts proposed respective plans for tax cuts to pressure the Government with measures that it has already approved in the previous crisis.
VAT on electricity and gas bills. The PP wants to lower it from 21% to 10%. Junts demands to take it to 5%, as the Executive managed to lower it, which extended its reductions to other taxes that impact the bill, such as the Special Tax on Electricity.
Suspension of the generation tax. Both formations agree, along with the PNV, to suspend the application of the Tax on the value of electricity production, which taxes electricity generation at 7%. Its suspension has been a habitual resource of the Government, although it has opposed prolonging it once the difficulties have been overcome.
On the opposite side, Sumar proposes to recover the extraordinary levy on energy companies, repealed by PP, Vox, and Junts.
Market Intervention
Sumar and other forces like Podemos want to recover the known as Iberian exception, the mechanism that allowed the intervention of the electricity market by setting a maximum price in the generation of electricity from natural gas.
The measure was approved after being agreed with the European Commission and it is to be expected that, in case of wanting to promote it again, the Government defends it again at community level.
Alongside her, these forces ask to recover the maximum prices that were approved for purchases of energy supplies during the last crisis.
Support for households
The Government's forecast is, at a minimum, to recover the social bonus discounts repealed by Congress in what is known as the 'social shield'. In parallel, the Ministry for Ecological Transition is working on a reform to adapt this reduced tariff in domestic bills to cases of vulnerability.
Another measure pending recovery is the prohibition of basic supply cuts, included in the repealed omnibus decree-law.
Sumar, furthermore wants to guarantee a ‘freeze’ of the regulated natural gas tariff TUR (last resort tariff), ahead of its review next month.
Aid to professionals
The main subsidy on the table are the fuel discounts for professional drivers.
At the most critical moment of the past energy crisis the Government approved a generalized refueling discount of 20 cents per liter, which was finally limited to professional drivers and which was extended to specific sectors.
Protection to the industry
The most recognizable measure and pending recovery since its repeal more than a year ago is the toll reduction for the electro-intensive industry by 80%. Forces on the left and right of the hemicycle have requested its recovery, such as PNV or Sumar.
The PNV has launched a battery of proposals with aid to industry, such as opening to more sectors the compensations for risk of delocalization and expanding the aid regime permitted by the European Union.