SPAIN ON THE ROCKS? A political and economic analysis for 2012 IBERIANS OF THE YEAR: The most influential people and groups of 2011

Sports

La Liga: Barça slip spices up title race »

Sitting pretty: Mourinho's Real Madrid are five points clear of Barcelona.

Spain’s soccer action has resumed after the winter break, with the champions being held to a draw and the managerial merry-go-round in full spin.…

Jan 10 2012 / No Comments / Read More »

Spain’s Syrian efforts received US backing »

Wikileaks cables show that Spain’s Socialist government made substantial diplomatic attempts to calm tensions in the Middle East.

Jan 20 2012 / No Comments / Read More »

La Liga: Sevilla and Betis bury the hatchet as the Andalusia derby returns »

Sevilla and Betis - the best of enemies.

It’s been one of Spanish soccer’s bitterest rivalries in recent years. But while the sparks flew when Seville’s Big Two met again on Saturday, the bottles didn’t.…

Jan 24 2012 / No Comments / Read More »

Spain’s Syrian efforts received US backing »

Spain's foreign minister said Syria had promised to exert its influence on Hizballah to help resolve the Lebanon crisis.

Wikileaks cables show that Spain’s Socialist government made substantial diplomatic attempts to calm tensions in the Middle East.…

Jan 20 2012 / No Comments / Read More »

It’s gonna be a love fest at the Goya awards »

Salma Hayek is nominated for a best actress award in the Goyas.

Expect few surprises when Spain’s film community gather to celebrate the best and the brightest. The main event will be a very public reconciliation between Pedro Almodóvar and the Spanish Film Academy.…

Jan 18 2012 / No Comments / Read More »

La Liga: At Valencia, Soldado finally feels at home »

Soldado feels right at home in Valencia.

The Valencia-born striker has made an impression at several clubs, but at the Mestalla he is now pushing for a place in the national team.…

Jan 17 2012 / No Comments / Read More »

Fraga: a unique figure during an extraordinary time »

Fraga is different: the minister tries the Mediterranean water in 1966.

This conservative politician, who was a minister under Franco and a major presence during Spain’s democracy, may not have been to everyone’s liking but his passing marks the end of an era.…

Jan 16 2012 / No Comments / Read More »
  1. : The former Valencia regional premier has been absolved of wrongdoing in one of Spain’s most infamous corruption scandals. But his party isn’t popping open the champagne – nor... Jan 27 2012 / No Comments / Read More »
  1. : The Portuguese coach desperately needs to beat Barcelona in order to restore his reputation among fans and players.... Jan 25 2012 / No Comments / Read More »
  1. : Spain’s best-known judge goes on trial today for having dared attempt to investigate human rights violations during the Franco dictatorship.... Jan 24 2012 / No Comments / Read More »
  1. Candide: Maybe numbers can do the trick to get us out of this. But then there’s...
  2. steyning: Of course the reverse can also happen. In our place we refer to the horrible...
  3. Candide: Yeah! Especially when it’s José María Matamoros. Google just gave me...
  4. steyning: Good point! But how would you like to be called Matamoros?
  5. Candide: Oh, we all do have those biblical names with direct references to the Jewish...
  6. Nick Lyne: the sleeping voice has indeed been translated, by the excellent Nick Caistor.

Tax hikes to hit residents »

We all know that Spain, like many other EU countries, is in the doldrums as far as its economy is concerned and is expected to find the remedy, fast. Unsurprisingly, the PP government intends to try and address the deficit through cutting budgets and increasing revenue from taxes. A tidy sum of €8.9 billion is…

Jan 27 2012 / No Comment / Read more » / Iberosphere Expats »
Spain: Tax hikes to hit residents

Rajoy defends tax hikes »

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy defends his decision to raise taxes - after promising not to do so during the election campaign - in an interview with the EFE news agency. He says his government had no choice after discovering a larger than expected deficit upon taking office. …

Jan 11 2012 / No Comment / Watch video » / See all videos »

Politics

PP spending cuts

A short honeymoon for Spain’s Rajoy »

The new prime minister has justified his announced austerity package by citing the previous government’s overspending. But with Spain still at the heart of the eurozone debt crisis and more…

Jan 2 2012 / 5 Comments / Read More »

Culture

Spain’s literary giants are lost in English translation »

Javier Marías's Los enamoramientos is being translated, but Spanish literature is under-represented in the English-speaking market.

Three cheers for Javier Marías for making it into Penguin Modern Classics: the first Spanish writer to do so since Federico García…

Jan 11 2012 / 3 Comments / Read More »

Catalan cuisine faces the future by returning to its roots »

Back to the future: Much cutting-edge Catalan cuisine refers to its rich past, such as this dish from Mam i Teca restaurant

In recent years, Catalonia’s chefs have become renowned across Spain and around the world for their molecular gastronomy. But many chefs in…

Jan 9 2012 / 1 Comment / Read More »
Art not Bombs » The Outsiders! » Wilco’s Spanish honeymoon » The man who knew Fidel Castro, Warhol and Franco’s Spain » Spain’s Civil War film canon needs new urgency »
Salma Hayek is nominated for a best actress award in the Goyas.

It’s gonna be a love fest at the Goya awards »

Expect few surprises when Spain’s film community gather to celebrate the best and the brightest. The main event will be a very public reconciliation between Pedro Almodóvar and the Spanish…

Jan 18 2012 / No Comments / Read More »

Business