Much has been made of the fact that the CiU nationalist candidate in the Catalan elections, Artur Mas, has said he would vote “yes” in a putative referendum on independence. However, having won the November 28 ballot in resounding fashion, he and his party will be worrying more about the state of the region’s economy than stoking the fires of separatism – at least in the short term. CiU won 62 seats in the regional parliament, up from 48 in 2006 and just six short of an overall majority, enabling it to govern alone for the next four years, although it will need help to push laws through. The governing Catalan Socialists saw their share of seats drop from 37 to 28 and their tripartite … [Read more...] about Economy the priority for Catalan election victors
Archives for November 2010
Spain’s sovereign debt crisis: Round 2
It may look like a replay of last May and June, soaring bond yields and all, but there are some important differences between the current bout of financial market distemper and that of the spring. At face value, it is somewhat worse. The interest rate demanded of the Spanish 10-year bond is about 20 points higher than it was at its most back then, and the risk premium embodied in the difference between the yield on the German bund and the former is 40 basis points greater – in fact at a euro-era maximum. But looking a bit beyond the immediate it is interesting to note that all this activity has not cut into euro exchange rates remotely as much as it did in the spring, that the price of … [Read more...] about Spain’s sovereign debt crisis: Round 2
Catalan elections mark end of an era
A turbulent year in Catalonia is coming to an end with what is likely to be a major upheaval in the region’s political balance of power, caused by the November 28 regional election. The issue of regional sovereignty and the related questions of autonomy and even independence have been in the air more than usual throughout 2010. An unbinding referendum on independence in 211 Catalan towns (which gave an overwhelming “yes” response but saw an extremely low turnout) in April set the tone. Then in June, the Constitutional Court, after four years of deliberation and institutional foot-dragging, struck down several clauses in the new Estatut, which granted extra powers to the region. The … [Read more...] about Catalan elections mark end of an era
Can Jorge Sanz save Spanish TV?
Isn’t Spanish television in extraordinarily rude health? With such a wealth of talent and so many brave, groundbreaking programs, perhaps we’re looking at a new Spanish Golden Age – A Golden Age of the small screen. Before you hoot with derision at the above, consider this: it’s not a complete lie. I admit, when flicking through the channels, I too shake my fist at the screen as yet another herd of botoxed, inbred celebrities hog the camera’s attentions; I sigh with resignation as another cameraman with the shakes films the home of a Spaniard who is quite dull in every respect except, apparently, for the fact he or she lives abroad; and my eyelids droop as TVE’s interminable news program … [Read more...] about Can Jorge Sanz save Spanish TV?
Western Sahara violence unleashes a media war
Restrictions on the Spanish media’s coverage of the recent dismantling of the Gdaym Izik protest camp in Western Sahara were so severe, it is amazing so many column inches have been filled on the issue. With some newspaper reporters mysteriously told at Rabat airport that their tickets were not valid to travel to Laâyoune, and others, such as two correspondents from La Ser radio station, expelled from the region, it hasn’t been easy to cover the story. This might explain why there has been so much confusion over what exactly happened on November 8, when Moroccan troops entered the camp to bring an end to the protest. At the time many media in Spain, informed it seems by pro-Sahrawi … [Read more...] about Western Sahara violence unleashes a media war
Berlanga, the bad Spaniard
Luis García Berlanga, who has died aged 89, will be remembered not just for his wonderful films: in making them he also led the shift towards serious film-making in Spain in the 1950s and 1960s. His achievement is all the more remarkable in the context of a military dictatorship that had either eliminated or forced into exile most of the artists who had flourished during the all-too-brief Second Republic. Looking back at his hallmark movies made during the depths of the Franco dictatorship, one can only marvel at his courage and determination, along with his ability to outwit the general’s censors. And while Berlanga was a thorn in the side of the regime —from his first film in 1951 to … [Read more...] about Berlanga, the bad Spaniard
Farewell to football’s crunching tackle?
The debate over bad tackles in football has shifted in recent weeks from Spanish shores to the island where the sport was invented, with a recent spate of incidents eliciting comment from all corners of the game. A man who has played in both La Liga and the English top flight, Mark Hughes, held forth on the matter after one of his Fulham players, American international Clint Dempsey, was scythed down by Chelsea’s Michael Essien, who received a red card for his troubles. “Years ago, I think there were a lot more fouls and it was refereed in a different way,” the former Barcelona, Manchester United and Chelsea forward said. "Certainly in my day, I had the reputation -possibly wrongly, I … [Read more...] about Farewell to football’s crunching tackle?
Camp mentality reflects Western Sahara’s new dissidence
At first glance it seems surprising that representatives of Morocco and the Polisario were negotiating the future of the disputed Western Sahara region while the territorial capital of Laâyoune and the protest camp erected outside the city were shrouded in smoke after security forces had violently dispersed demonstrators. But the two sides talking on November 8 and 9 under the auspices of the UN in Manhasset, near New York, may for once have had some motivation to accelerate the process towards the resolution of a 35-year-old impasse. A new force appears to have been born made up of disaffected Sahrawis who have other things on their minds besides the status of their land and the colours … [Read more...] about Camp mentality reflects Western Sahara’s new dissidence
Spain’s smoking ban: stubbing out freedom
Time was when the smell of Spain was a heady blend of coffee, cologne, and tobacco. The coffee is still there, and one still gets the occasional whiff of Heno de Pravia, but the Ducados are increasingly being stubbed out; and when a ban on smoking in bars and restaurants comes into force in January 2011, they will be gone forever. Yes, Spain is finally extending its smoking ban to all public places. The initial smoking ban was first introduced in 2006, and was meant to apply to all public places. But the Popular Party’s Madrid boss, Esperanza Aguirre, played the regional card, challenging the government and saying that she wouldn’t be enforcing the law in the capital’s bars and … [Read more...] about Spain’s smoking ban: stubbing out freedom
Pellegrini embraces Málaga’s long-term dream
In 1999, an Ecuadorian banking tycoon called Rodrigo Paz wanted to take the team he owned, Liga de Quito, to the next level and make it a major force in Latin American football. As well as spending heavily on players, he hired Manuel Pellegrini, a Chilean coach who had been successful in his home country and was starting to make a name for himself across South America. With the full backing and confidence of the club owner, the quietly spoken coach’s methods were effective and he won that year’s national championship in style, as well as taking the previously underperforming team on an impressive run in the Copa Libertadores continental tournament. Fast forward to 2010 and Pellegrini … [Read more...] about Pellegrini embraces Málaga’s long-term dream