Spain sees coronavirus pain easing, seeks new national economic pact

Spain’s coronavirus death toll slowed on Thursday as Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said the worst would soon be over.
Sanchez was speaking to a near-empty parliament as over 300 lawmakers participated remotely.
He also urged all sides in the politically-fractured nation to join an economic revival pact as they did after dictator Francisco Franco’s death in the 1970s.
The prime minister said latest data showed Spain was close to the start of a decline in the epidemic that has ravaged the nation.
“This war against the virus will be a total victory, the fire starts to come under control,” he said.
Spain’s daily coronavirus deaths decrease as toll surpasses 15,000.
Lawmakers were set to approve a two-week extension of a state of emergency, keeping most people at home until April 26.
After two days of increases, the daily death toll decreased to 683 people in the previous 24 hours, taking the total to 15,238, second only to Italy, though the ballooning U.S. toll was likely to overtake Spain.
Confirmed cases in Spain rose to 152,446 from 146,690.
The government’s proposed new economic deal is inspired by the 1977 “Pacts of Moncloa”, named for the presidential palace in Madrid, to transform the state-run economy along market lines for the post-Franco democratic era.
It seeks to unite political parties, unions, companies and regions behind a common economic reconstruction policy and state welfare funding as Spain, like other western nations, piles billions of euros into aid and stimulus.
“I propose a great pact for the economic and social reconstruction of Spain, for all the political forces who want to lend their shoulder to take part,” said Sanchez
Sanchez, a Socialist led a leftist coalition government after a series of inconclusive elections.