The battery factory is the great promise of the Azcón Executive for this legislature. How close are we to the arrival of this business milestone? It seems that the investment will come from Stellantis.

The arrival of Stellantis means strengthening the future of the automotive industry in Aragon for a sector that has been transformative in our autonomous community. It is not just a new project looking forward but also consolidates what we already have, which are thousands of jobs and thousands of companies that depend on the automotive sector.

The support is total for the company to obtain the aid that may condition its definitive installation in our autonomous community, either through the PERTE that can be obtained or in any other form. Therefore, the Aragon government’s role in accompanying and supporting Stellantis’s project is one hundred percent.

The confidentiality to which we have committed does not allow us to reveal the timeline of Stellantis, but the project is certainly imminent.

Aragon’s logistical drive is growing, and the demand for companies is extremely high. However, the logistical land is slower in processing than the companies’ demand to establish themselves. Can Aragon and logistics die of success?

From the first day, work has not stopped in searching for land because it is linked to the goal of attracting companies. Without available land, it is difficult for us to offer companies an establishment in our autonomous community. When we talk about large projects, logistics is one of the leading sectors and also transformers of Aragon. The parallel work to attract investments and the availability of land is what will guarantee viability. The Azcón Executive announced the creation of a strategic office for the capture of investments. How is the Aragon brand ‘sold’ to attract investments?

It is difficult to attract companies, but Aragon has a series of competitive elements such as energy, which is fundamental for most of those strategic projects. We are one of the autonomous communities that is producing the most renewable energy. This makes us a competitive autonomous community since Aragon is producing 8% of the energy that is produced in Spain and we consume 4%.

Therefore, we have a large margin to offer to the companies that settle in Aragon. This factor is differential. We are a government that is committed and is focused on the search for large projects. We have energy, we have land, we have a government willing to simplify and expedite all administrative procedures, and we also have a government that is focused on a tax model that facilitates these types of investments.

The tax policy of reduction is announced for families and the middle class. Is there any approach to lowering taxes for companies in 2024?

When we act on the taxation of each and every Aragonese, it has an impact on companies, which are made up of people. Therefore, acting on income tax, acting on the Inheritance Tax, or acting on the Wealth Tax means facilitating investments and helps to have more money to carry out projects.

In these budgets, we include the increase of the exemption up to 500,000 euros for donations from parents to children, and that includes shares, properties, or money.

From the opposition, one is always more catastrophic regarding the governing Executive. Once they are governing, is Aragon in such a critical situation after 8 years of Lambán’s government?

Logically, the situation is much better than it was eight years ago. We are in a moment of expansion after the pandemic and there has been an injection of European funds that has facilitated carrying forward that recovery. If we maintain something, because we insisted from the opposition, it is that measures and a change of model were needed in tax matters or in support of attracting companies.

If we were critical, it was because that lack of measures made us lose opportunities that we now want to recover. Opportunities like the battery project, the Olympic Games, or the Space Agency. That is the change that the Government of Aragon has wanted to transmit.

Unemployment continues to fall and the forecasts for Aragon are of growth for 2024; however, there is a lack of skilled labor in key sectors. How is this solved?

From the Popular Party, we have always said that the unemployment figures in Aragon have been better than the average for Spain. It has been something historic, but what we did see is that the active population was decreasing. We cannot celebrate that in Aragon there is more and more employment if there is less and less active population.

What companies are transmitting is that they need labor, and that is what needs to be acted upon. One of the main objectives we have set for ourselves has been to retain talent and attract talent. Carry out a greater relationship and participation of companies both in university academic training and improve vocational training.

This year, the drama of labor accidents has skyrocketed in Aragon with a high volume of deaths. Everyone criticizes the lack of labor inspectors.

From the first moment, the Government of Aragon became aware of it and proposed measures for this problem. Work is already underway to implement preventive measures and an awareness campaign. The fulfillment of the sectoral agreement