Francisco Camps has reason to celebrate. The Popular Party’s former president of the Valencia region has been absolved of charges of taking bribes in the form of designer suits and other garments from a businessman at the heart of the Gürtel corruption scandal. After a two-week trial, the jury voted, five votes to four, that the accusations could not be proved. But while Camps has expressed his joy at defeating the conspiracy he says was behind this case, his own party has been less jubilant. Virtually all the senior party figures who have responded to the verdict have advised Camps to take a break from politics, from Valencia mayor Rita Barberá to Alberto Fabra, his successor as regional … [Read more...] about Valencia’s Camps is off the hook, but something still smells rotten
Iberoblog
Real Madrid’s Barça jinx leaves Mourinho facing wrath of Bernabéu
José Mourinho has finally arrived. A year and half after he touched down in the Spanish capital, the only Real Madrid manager to have his name chanted at the Santiago Bernabéu was booed by his own supporters during Sunday’s league win against Athletic Bilbao. Boos and whistles aimed at their own team are nothing new for supporters at the Bernabéu. Many a manager and player has befallen the same fate, but it was a first for Mourinho - who has up until now enjoyed huge support from the Madridista faithful - and the huge fallout from last week’s Copa del Rey quarter final against Barcelona rumbles on. It was all smiles in training only a week ago, but as his reign at Madrid has shown, … [Read more...] about Real Madrid’s Barça jinx leaves Mourinho facing wrath of Bernabéu
Garzón affair reflects Spain’s tortured relationship with its past
It’s another big week for Spain’s best-known judge. Today, Baltasar Garzón goes on trial to face charges of having knowingly overstepped his authority by ordering an investigation into the crimes of the Franco regime during and after the 1936-39 Civil War. Earlier this month, Garzón faced another trial, for having allowed police to wiretap conversations between defendants in the Gürtel corruption case and their lawyers. The verdict from that case is expected any day. Garzón is easily the most controversial figure in Spain’s judiciary and opinions on him are bitterly divided. The High Court magistrate, now suspended from his duties, dared go where none of his colleagues would. The … [Read more...] about Garzón affair reflects Spain’s tortured relationship with its past
The name falls mainly on the plain, in Spain; in Spain!
Quiet Sunday, Victory of the Angels, Joe Careers, Kings of the Moon, Lucy’s Frank, The Island’s Shellfish, Joe Louis Shoemaker, July Churches… Placido Domingo, Victoria de los Ángeles, José Carreras, Reyes de Luna, Paco de Lucia, Camerón de la Isla, José Luis Zapatero, Julio Iglesias… Unreal and I don’t know of many languages in which famous names, in translation, become so… surreal. Some claiming Gaudí even making it permanently into the English language for the wrong reason, as the adjective gaudy isn’t very complimentary, garish, tacky, to be precise. The modernist Catalan architect was certainly colourful with his use of curved structures covered with ceramics, stained glass, … [Read more...] about The name falls mainly on the plain, in Spain; in Spain!
Read my lips: Why did Rajoy break one of his few campaign promises?
“My intention is not to raise taxes.” It’s a line that Mariano Rajoy’s critics will repeat back at him for years to come. Much like George H. W. Bush’s infamous “Read my lips: no new taxes”, Rajoy’s pledge, made on December 19, during the debate ahead of his investiture as Spain’s new prime minister, has proved to be empty. Unlike Bush, Rajoy has not resisted or dragged his feet in performing a spectacular U-turn on this issue. Eleven days after saying he wouldn’t raise taxes, his deputy prime minister, Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría, announced tax increases that will bring in an extra €6 billion this year. As Spaniards digest the implications of the new Popular Party government’s … [Read more...] about Read my lips: Why did Rajoy break one of his few campaign promises?
Political incorrectness at the school play
It was when a dozen or so small children charged into the room with their faces blacked up, Afro wigs on their heads and wielding spears, that I started to feel a little uncomfortable. It was the Christmas theatre performance at my son’s school in Madrid, not usually an occasion that leaves me pondering issues of race, politics and political correctness. My four-year-old and his class had already performed a carefully choreographed dance to some Andean music, dressed in traditional Peruvian clothing and the theme of the evening was “cultures of the world”. “How open-minded,” I mused as the troop of mini-Andeans left the stage and I anticipated an hour of multiculturalism. But when … [Read more...] about Political incorrectness at the school play
E-learning: new models, new challenges
Establishing a balance between knowing, knowing how to do and knowing how to be is a challenge being faced in the European Higher Education Area (EHEA), which, along with the Bologna process, has sought since 1999 to ensure more comparable, compatible and coherent systems of higher education in Europe. From another perspective, the challenge is about science, technology and humanism. Classrooms, no matter the education level, are bearing witness to technological progress and, predictably, concerns about how technology is contributing to education. The change has generated new terminology that reflects the profound transformation: E-learning, Web-Based Training, Internet-Based Training, … [Read more...] about E-learning: new models, new challenges
An unlikely solution to Spain’s striking conundrum
“We’ll win it for David Villa” was the message from Barcelona as they prepared for the final of the World Club Championship in Yokohama. The vast outpouring of support from his fellow players, especially his teammates from the Spanish national team, is testament to the popularity ‘El Guaje’ enjoys within the game. The fractured tibia, suffered during Barcelona’s semi-final win over Al Sadd, means Villa could be out for nearly six months and though he insists otherwise, he may not make it back in time for the European Championships in the summer. Though his form in recent games has been patchy, over the past four years Villa has arguably been the most influential member of the Spanish … [Read more...] about An unlikely solution to Spain’s striking conundrum
Death’s Error
Frank Sinatra sang That’s Why The Lady Is A Tramp! And we could sing a thousand times of Fidel Castro and Kim Jong Il, That’s Why The Leader Is A Preposterous Fraud. But the real man was Vaclav Havel, and I quote him from a speech he gave in support of political prisoners everywhere: Ladies and gentleman, allow me to start with a short recollection. Many years ago, when I was behind bars, I needed to see a dentist. There was no dentist in the prison and when the prison authorities realised that I was serious, I was escorted to a civil dentist by a guard. I was in handcuffs and prison stripes and stared straight ahead of me as I sat between two guards. I was very curious to watch … [Read more...] about Death’s Error
Spain’s refreshing royal scandal
Who says the Christmas period is boring for news? Right now, Spain has three judicial investigations or court cases involving intrigue, royalty and expensive suits. The trial of the Popular Party’s Valencia boss Francisco Camps for allegedly taking sartorial kick-backs in return for granting favours to private sector cronies is probably the most “normal” of this trio of cases. It seems to be a clear-cut case of did-he-or-didn’t-he, involving a senior politician and a shady character with an enormous moustache aptly known as Bigotes. More complex is the case against Baltasar Garzón, Spain’s best-known celebrity judge. The man who wanted to put Osama Bin Laden on trial will soon be in … [Read more...] about Spain’s refreshing royal scandal