"30 Million Won Given to Every Youth"... Controversy Over Labor Minister's Remarks in Spain

Minister of Labor: "Raise More Taxes on the Wealthy to Secure Funding"
Opponents: "There Are Many More Urgent Issues Than That"

In Spain, politicians are scrambling to win votes ahead of the early general election. Amid this, the progressive Minister of Labor has sparked controversy by proposing to provide a basic inheritance to all young people.

On the 5th (local time), the British Guardian reported that Yolanda Diaz, Minister of Labor, recently stated, "Let’s provide all Spanish youth aged 18 to 23 with 20,000 euros (about 28 million won) to be used for education, job training, entrepreneurship, etc., along with administrative support."

Diaz, who comes from the Communist Party, serves as Minister of Labor and Second Deputy Prime Minister in the current coalition government led by the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party, and is currently one of the most popular politicians in Spain.

Recently, she has been leading the electoral alliance "Sumar" (Solidarity), which brings together 15 left-wing parties, campaigning for the general election. At a large political event held in Barcelona last January, about 2,000 citizens gathered, and around 1,000 more were turned away due to lack of space.

Minister Diaz’s remarks are interpreted as an effort to guarantee equality so that young people can enjoy opportunities regardless of their background or assets. However, conservative politicians criticize Diaz’s proposal as an unrealistic pledge.

Yolanda D?az, Spain's Second Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Labor

The budget required to implement Diaz’s pledge is estimated at 10 billion euros (about 14 trillion won), which corresponds to 0.8% of Spain’s gross domestic product (GDP). Diaz advocates raising funds by imposing taxes on the wealthy who earn more than 3 million euros (about 420 million won) annually.

However, the conservative camp argues, "Spain’s unemployment rate is among the highest in Europe, and there are more pressing social issues, including this problem, that need to be addressed first."

A spokesperson for the right-wing People's Party pointed out, "Currently, 27% of the population is at risk of social exclusion, families cannot make it to the end of the month, and self-employed individuals are struggling to make a living," adding, "The government should focus on other issues instead of unrealistic pledges."

Moderate left-wing Spanish Minister of Economy Nadia Calvino also criticized, saying, "We must continue responsible fiscal policies going forward," and "Those who want to provide unconditional subsidies must explain how they will secure funding."

Meanwhile, the Spanish general election originally scheduled for December 10 has been moved up to July 23. After the ruling party suffered a crushing defeat in the nationwide local elections held on May 28, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez dissolved the parliament and decided on an early general election.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.