Spain's Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy speaks during a Catalan regional People's Party meeting in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, Nov 12, 2017. Rajoy urged Catalans on Sunday to oust separatists from their regional parliament in an early election he has called for Dec. 21. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
Republished November 14, 2017 - 2:04 AM
Original Publication Date November 14, 2017 - 1:16 AM
MADRID - Next year's economic growth figures could be adjusted strongly upward if normality returns to Catalonia following regional elections next month, Spain's prime minister said Tuesday.
GDP growth expectations for 2018 had been increasing, but the government lowered the estimate from 2.6 per cent to 2.3 per cent, citing instability in the prosperous northeast, where a clash with regional separatist authorities has scared both companies and tourists.
In an interview with COPE radio, Mariano Rajoy said the figure could rise to "between 2.8 to 3 per cent" if stability returns.
"That would be many jobs and a big increase in wealth and welfare levels," the prime minister said.
The Spanish government took control of Catalonia's powers and called a snap regional election for Dec. 21 after the Catalan government declared independence.
Several regional government ministers have been jailed, and the region's ousted leader, Carles Puigdemont, is in Brussels with four associates fighting extradition to Spain for trial. They could face up to 30 years in prison on charges of rebellion, sedition and extortion.
Rajoy also said that he has no evidence that the Russian government is behind online interference in Catalan politics, after Spain on Monday warned its European Union partners about a disinformation campaign aimed at destabilizing Europe through volatility in Catalonia.
The prime minister told COPE that 55 per cent of accounts spreading fake news about the northeastern region have been identified as coming from Russian territory and 30 per cent from Venezuela.
"What's evident is that there are people interested in things not going well in Europe," Rajoy said.
News from © The Associated Press, 2017