Héctor Gómez (Santa Cruz de Tenerife, 1978) says that he will not take a vacation this year. “We have a lot of work to do”, he says before specifying that he lives in Tenerife and that this and sport make up for “the little time” available.
One month before the elections, what measures are on the table?
There is enough time to push for action. In tourism, we are finalizing the bases for the distribution of 1,000 million euros for the sector. In the industry, in the next ten days the second call for the Electric and Connected Vehicle (VEC) will be issued, with more than 850 million in the battery section. And in the future there will be a third call for 1,200 million euros with possibly more than 250 million. We also have Perte agro and decarbonisation. We will sign important bilateral agreements with other countries. And to this is added the preparation of the Spanish presidency of the European Union.
Why should Elon Musk choose Spain for a Tesla factory and not France or Italy?
What we tell the big brands interested in Spain is that we are the most competitive country in terms of renewable energy prices. We offer a very wide range of coverage, boosting business activity. We are extremely competitive and offer all the conditions for projects to be profitable. There is not only the project you mention. We work with confidentiality. Renault has announced its intention to have the headquarters of Horse (its subsidiary of combustion engines and hybrids) in Spain.
Can we expect the arrival of a large Asian investor willing to invest in batteries?
There are conversations with many of them. These decisions will be known in a short space of time. In the coming months they will decide with all the information they need to make this decision. For our part, we are making it easier for them.
Will it give him time to define the third call for the Perte of the electric vehicle?
We are convinced that the second call will sell out. The bases of the third must be agreed with the European Commission and our goal is to remove it as soon as possible.
How to solve the deficit of electric car charging points?
We are making efforts. About 1,000 charging points are installed in Spain per month. We have a working table with the sector and in Moves III we have enabled a very important item for the implementation of charging points. We have made it mandatory that for every 40 parking spaces, there is one dedicated to recharging. We have also liberalized the activity and made administrative processing as flexible as possible. All the instruments to reduce this gap are being launched. I think we will reduce it in a very short time. And it will be exponential.
Buyers of electric cars complain that subsidies take time to be paid.
We are negotiating with the sector so that instead of ten or twelve months, the aid is received practically at the moment of the vehicle’s acquisition. It is another aspect that we are working on to make this purchase really attractive.
If you had to buy a car now, which one would you choose?
Right now I don’t need to buy a car, but the electric vehicle is a very attractive option because the vehicles are doing really well, they offer all the guarantees and they have more and more autonomy. These are cars that are really good right now. I think it would be a very feasible option, although the market offers many other goodies with hybrids in very good condition and we have a horizon until 2035 with fuel vehicles.
The tourist season begins amid reports of staff shortages.
In the coming months, we will surpass the data of 2019. In the labor market, we are aware that we have to make an effort and new instruments have been launched in dual professional training. There are also sectors and autonomous communities in which the national workforce does not cover the demand and obviously the foreign population must cover certain positions.
Can the possible strikes at the airports affect the tourist season?
We appeal to understanding and dialogue. We are recovering and I think dialogue and also sensitivity must be prioritized. We always offer to mediate.
Do platforms like Airbnb need to be regulated?
We have already worked on it in the European framework. We have agreed to establish control criteria. In the legislative field, we do it with the autonomous communities. We want to homogenize and create a standard of quality and legal security so that our destination continues to be of excellence.
Are you in favor of expanding the antiopes shield launched during the pandemic?
It was a right decision. More than 80 operations have been analyzed and it has not led to a decrease in foreign investments in Spain. 2022 was the best year in history, with more than 34,000 million euros of foreign investment in Spain and this first quarter we have already exceeded it by more than 20%, with 10,000 million.
Is rail a weak point?
It was a decision of the shareholders and we respect it. It is an exceptional case. Spain is a country that offers all the guarantees and legal security, in addition to an extremely competitive framework.
How can a political change affect the major subjects of your ministry?
The opposition parties have shown a denialist attitude in relation to climate change and therefore to the European Green Pact and the transition process. It is not compatible to be a denialist and manage a country like Spain. If we are denialists, we will not bet on a renewable energy framework nor will we be competitive for the industry.
Aren’t the economic successes going away?
We are talking about management, not disinformation. Lines have been crossed such as, for example, not respecting Spain’s position on European and international issues. There is a policy of decibels in terms of verbal aggression never seen before. Spain needs less tension, less verbal aggression and less snarls on the part of the political spectrum.
