The CEOE cries out against the political situation in the State: "It is adrift"

Barcelona / MadridThe president of the Spanish employers' association CEOE, Antonio Garamendi, has raised his tone regarding the political situation the State is going through and which is marked by different judicial fronts: "The [Spanish] panorama is devastating [...] We are heading for institutional drift," Garamendi denounced during the closing of the CEOE General Assembly held this Wednesday in Madrid. The employers' leader also called to "lift the carpets, because the cases of corruption are incredible".

The president of the CEOE, however, went further: he asked the parties to have "breadth of vision" and the Spanish government in particular for "solutions that turn [the current situation] around". In any case, he wanted to avoid these words being interpreted as a demand for Pedro Sánchez to advance elections, although he implicitly referred to the possibility of a motion of no confidence: "Parliament has the formulas. I am not in politics," he said later, in an address to the media. During his speech, Garamendi also took the opportunity to launch a strong defense of the Civil Guard, the police, the army, and the judges in the face of the "attacks" that, in the opinion of the employers' association, they are receiving from the Spanish government: "It is brutal. It is dangerous".

Controversy over sick leave

This Wednesday's assembly coincided with the controversy generated around labor absenteeism after yesterday, Tuesday, the president of the employers' association of Castilla-La Mancha (Cecam), Ángel Nicolás, attributed some young workers' sick leave to sentimental reasons: "Now we have a leave not because the company has mistreated them, but because their girlfriend has left them." Nicolás, who is also vice-president of Cepyme and general manager of the mutual insurance company Solimat, called young people "idiots" and stated that "anything that happens to them at work is already a problem.

Even before this Wednesday's conclave, Garamendi distanced himself from these words: "I would never say that," he said in statements to Antena 3. During his speech, Garamendi assured that this does not represent the employers' association's position on mental health and defended that behind every medical leave there are people who need attention, support, and treatment. In any case, he did reiterate that "it is a health crisis" and urged the major trade unions and the Spanish government to open a negotiation table to address the increase in sick leave for temporary incapacity (IT). In fact, this Tuesday he himself already proposed that, if reforms are not adopted, Social Security should fully cover the cost of the first 15 days of sick leave for temporary incapacity.

However, Gabriel Rufián did not hesitate to respond frankly to Ángel Nicolás, calling him an "idiot." Second Vice-President of the Spanish government and Minister of Labor, Yolanda Díaz, also strongly criticized the statements: "No one who calls young people idiots can represent any institution," she wrote on social media, where she demanded an immediate rectification.

Sick leave linked to mental health problems has increased in recent years, especially among young people. According to data from the Independent Authority for Fiscal Responsibility (Airef), in 2024, more than 200,000 sick leave processes for mental disorders were registered among young people in the private sector, with an average duration of close to 80 days.

Elections in the autumn

The CEOE General Assembly this Wednesday has not implied any headache regarding Antonio Garamendi's position as president, even though this is one of the files he will have to face in the fall, when his current term ends and the CEOE will hold elections again. Garamendi did not want to specify if he will run again: "I will ask and listen to the territories and sectors, and based on that I will make a decision," he said. If he runs, he would begin his third term (each term lasts four years).

In addition to the electoral event, the CEOE will also have to face the update of the agreement for employment and collective bargaining (AENC). Its negotiation is bipartite, with the majority unions, but the employers' association sees it as difficult to open it due to the "interference" of the Spanish government in labor matters. Garamendi once again attacked Yolanda Díaz's ministry this Wednesday for "trampling" dialogue and "imposing" a political ideology. On the other hand, during his speech, he praised the role of the Minister of Economy, Carlos Cuerpo, for the measures regarding the war in the Middle East: "I want to thank him [for the initiatives]," he said. At the end, Garamendi received the warmth of the CEOE members present at the conclave. "I am not the Pope," he told them when they had been applauding him for just over a minute.