With the new normal starting from Sunday, Prime Minister Sánchez said on Saturday afternoon that "tomorrow the state of alarm will be lifted, and thanks to this, we have been able to save thousands of lives". Stressing that "we cannot let our guard down" and that "we remain vulnerable", the prime minister expressed his pride "for what we have achieved together".
"It is only right to give prominence to the people who have protected the entire country. I want to thank all those who have been on the front lines - the health professionals, the police, the state security forces, the workers who have never stopped; those who have reinvented themselves to keep our minds alert; those who taken care of our elders; the scientists; the little ones who have had to endure a negative experience; the elderly who have displayed calmness; the women; all the regional governments; the ministry of health ... and to all citizens for having stayed home. It is an honour to be the prime minister of this country.
"An unknown virus had silently entered our lives. No one knew that we were at the gates of the greatest health shock. It was just the beginning of a nightmare that has been experienced in all countries. The initial common purpose was to save lives, so I activated the state of alarm. Life had to be stopped in order to contain the virus. We did it, and we did it together. We contained the spread of the virus."
Noting that the government is preparing a tribute to the victims of the pandemic next month, Sánchez said that there is another, more lasting tribute "that we can pay to those who have been on the front line and those who have lost their lives". "This is to lift the country. Now comes the recovery. This doesn't consist of restoring an old building. We must rehabilitate the old building of our economy and lay a new foundation that we are working on with Europe.
"We need to recover our economy and at the same time renew it in order to make it more inclusive. Unity has saved thousands and thousands of lives in our country. Unity can save jobs." And on the EU, the prime minister stated: "This time Europe must save Europe, and not as it was done before. I have no doubt that we are going to do it".
He concluded: "This will be my final presentation, and I want to end it by thanking you. You have shown understanding and have dealt with the suffering in an exemplary way."