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Mr Pedro SANCHEZ, Spanish Prime Minister. Copyright: European Union

This article is brought to you thanks to the collaboration of The European Sting with the World Economic Forum.

Author: Joe Myers, Writer, Formative Content


  • Pedro Sánchez outlined some of the major challenges Spain and rest of the world are facing.
  • He touched on issues including climate change, gender equality and taxation.
  • He reminded the audience that economic growth at any cost is not acceptable.

Pedro Sánchez, Prime Minister of Spain, addressed Davos on Wednesday morning.

His speech focused on five major challenges – and the transformations necessary to overcome them – that Spain and the rest of the world are facing:

  • Economic growth and quality jobs
  • Digital transformation
  • Ecological transformation and climate change
  • Gender equality
  • Social justice

Here are some of his key quotes on these challenges:

“We say little about taxes, about fiscal justice. And let us not fool ourselves. There can be no social justice without tax justice.”

“The climate emergency is a disaster that knows no borders and we are the last generation that will be able to effectively address it.”

Pedro Sanchez on Climate Emergency

“Citizens will believe in democracy, if democracy believes in each and every one of them. If it strives to provide them with opportunities.”

“Half of the world’s population cannot continue suffering sexual aggression, employment discrimination and lower income, but neither can the other half – the men – continue to allow the waste of women’s talents and the flagrant violation of the most basic human rights. It is not fair.”

“Economic growth at any cost is not acceptable. Growth that widens the social divide is not acceptable. Growth that creates pockets of working poor is not acceptable. We need to grow and distribute at the same time.”

“Artificial intelligence, biotechnology and robotics are not mere links in the chain of ongoing economic change, but true levers for total transformation.”