The rise in prices inflames social unrest in Spain

Record inflation is fueling anger against the left-wing government in Spain, where transport stoppages and farmers' and fishermen's protests put pressure on the executive to act against escalating energy prices.

“Contain prices” and “stop the deterioration of our living conditions” is the motto of Workers' Commissions and the UGT, the main Spanish unions that called demonstrations throughout the country this Wednesday.

In February, consumer prices reached their highest level in 35 years (7.6%), amid a rise in the cost of energy, driven by the war in Ukraine.

“Every month the bills for electricity, heating, gasoline, food, housing or transportation increase. The whole of society is suffering from this situation,” warn the protests, which join a long series of stoppages and demonstrations.

Since March 14, a platform of independent carriers launched an indefinite stoppage in the face of the rise in fuel prices, an initiative that has caused incidents and road cuts and disrupted the supply of supermarkets and some companies.

The government of socialist Pedro Sánchez is also facing a strike by fishermen, who stopped working since Monday for three days at the request of a federation that groups 9,000 boats, to denounce that they are working at a loss because of diesel prices.

Anger has also spread among farmers and ranchers, affected by rising prices of fertilizers and raw materials. At least 150,000 of them toured central Madrid on Sunday to demand responses from the government.

- Sanchez is waiting for the EU -

The mobilizations for social discontent, the most important since Pedro Sánchez came to power in mid-2018, have been supported by opposition parties, in particular Vox's far-right, which organized its own demonstrations on Saturday in several cities in Spain.

This ultra-nationalist formation, the third force in Parliament and in full swing, takes advantage of the discontent of a part of the population, especially in rural areas, accusing the government of being the “ruin for the middle classes and the most disadvantaged”.

All of this leaves the government in a very uncomfortable position, which has taken multiple measures in recent months to raise low wages and contain energy prices, but sees its efforts being diluted by the inflationary spiral.

To defuse criticism, Pedro Sánchez promised ten days ago a “national plan” to address the economic impact of the war on Ukraine, with tax cuts.

The government put on the table an additional package worth 500 million euros (550 million dollars) in compensation for rising fuel prices for carriers.

On Wednesday morning, Pedro Sánchez told Congress that he was “convinced” to reach an agreement “this week” with carriers.

However, the executive remains evasive about the scope of his plan, while Sánchez seeks a joint European Union response to the energy crisis at Thursday's summit in Brussels.

The EU must “solve” this problem “from a common point of view,” Sanchez insisted on Wednesday.

Madrid has been unsuccessfully asking the EU for months to modify the mechanism that couples electricity prices to the gas market. Sanchez, who met with several European counterparts in recent days, expects a turn.

If there is no agreement, the government assures that it will act on its side and take action by means of a decree law on March 29.

A date considered very late by several sectors in the struggle, which remember that other countries, such as France or Italy, have already announced emergency measures.

GVA/mg/du/pc