Good news from Tokyo this week, where French President François Hollande used the occasion of a state visit to Japan to announce that the Eurozone crisis is over. So, that’s alright then. Mr Hollande developed his up-beat thesis by asserting that the recent unpleasantness will result in long-term benefits, as it has led to banking union, as well as better economic governance and better intra-government coordination. At which point less ebullient observers might be forgiven for sounding a cautionary note – that it may lead to these desirable things but hasn’t conclusively done so, at least not yet. The worst (if you take a very optimistic view) could be over, but basic disagreements … [Read more...] about Tales for Tapas: Japanese lessons
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The end of ETA…still?
At the beginning of June, dozens of white dove-shaped balloons were released into the sky above the Basque city of Bilbao. The gesture was to mark the end of Gesto por la Paz, a platform of peaceful anti-ETA campaigners, who after 28 years believed their work had been done. As a symbol of optimism and peace in the Basque Country it could hardly have been more striking. ETA has not killed on Spanish soil since 2009 and in October 2011, it declared a “definitive” end to a campaign of violence that started in the late 1960s. And yet, the weeks both leading up to and since Gesto por la Paz’s closure have somehow cast doubt on the idea that the Basque Country is enjoying a new era of peace. … [Read more...] about The end of ETA…still?
Turbo-charged exports won’t drive Spain out of the crisis
Spain’s exports share of GDP has jumped from just 23 percent at the outset of 2009 to close to 35 percent in 2013. In March, the country registered its first trade surplus since records began in 1971, becoming the only European Union member whose sales abroad increased during the first quarter. This has unleashed a wave of optimism among foreign media, analysts and the government. “Spain's Crisis Fades as Exports Transform Country”, was the headline of a recent Bloomberg news story. Daniele Antonucci, senior European economist at Morgan Stanley, told CNBC in April that Spanish economic growth will come from outbound sales, a point of view Luis de Guindos, Spain’s minister of economy and … [Read more...] about Turbo-charged exports won’t drive Spain out of the crisis
Tales for Tapas: Because we can
It must be nice to have sold a hundred million records. It no doubt puts a spring in the step and adds zest to the bank account. In the case of one popular American rock group, it makes it possible to throw commerce to the winds and perform for free. Ticket prices for Bon Jovi’s Madrid concert at the end of June were reduced by more than half when band members waived their own fee out of solidarity with Spanish fans enduring the rigours of austerity. (Among other things, this enables those with a curious cast of mind to calculate through rudimentary arithmetic the hourly rate that middle-aged rock stars customarily command for getting stadiums full of people to sing along rapturously to a … [Read more...] about Tales for Tapas: Because we can
Statistics and identity
“I adore the independence that you breath in Galicia,” said actor Martin Sheen, himself the son of a Galician, during a visit to the region in 2011. But he wasn’t talking about that kind of independence and, as a new poll shows, Galicians aren’t very interested in breaking away from Spain at the moment. According to the Centro de Investigaciones Sociológicas (CIS), only 19 percent of people from the region describe themselves as “nationalist”. This is perhaps not surprising given that of Spain’s three northern “historical nations” – the others being Catalonia and the Basque Country – Galicia has traditionally had the most muted independence movement. But more interesting than the … [Read more...] about Statistics and identity
Graça Barroso: Portugal’s “complete” dancer
Although professional ballet has had a relatively short history in the Iberian Peninsula, there have been a number of performers who have sought to elevate this art form, including Graça Barroso. Considered one of the finest Portuguese dancers of her generation, the former principal dancer for Ballet Gulbenkian and founder of Companhia Portuguesa de Bailado Contemporâneo died in Lisbon on June 11, aged 62 after a long illness. The niece of actress and activist Maria Barroso, Graça was born in Lisbon and trained with Anna Ivanova and David Boswell at the Escola do Teatro de São Carlos. By 1968 she was working with choreographer Walter Gore at the Ballet Gulbenkian. She left Portugal for … [Read more...] about Graça Barroso: Portugal’s “complete” dancer
What new holiday rental licences in Spain could mean
Property experts have been reassuring holiday homeowners in Spain that there's no need to fear plans to introduce holiday rental licences in the country just yet. The Spanish government's proposals to licence the rental of holiday homes have caused confusion, with many holiday homeowners voicing concerns that the new laws could act as a deterrent for people thinking of renting out their property to a tourist as they normally would. The proposals have caused some cash-strapped expats to feel uneasy, with concerns especially among those homeowners who only rent out their properties at peak times of the year. The proposals would include a tax on holiday rental income and would mean any … [Read more...] about What new holiday rental licences in Spain could mean
La Liga: Big-name exodus as season ends
On Saturday, with a wave to the hardcore Ultra fans at the final whistle, he was off. José Mourinho had made his exit after three years at the helm of Real Madrid and he was not the only one, with an exodus of big names from la liga this summer. With no major international football tournament being played this year, the summer trading has got off to a quick start with a host of big players making a quick exit. Another Madrid man, this time from across town, made a highly anticipated big-money move. Radamel Falcao, who has been a revelation for Atlético Madrid since his arrival two years ago, has been courted by a host of clubs this season, with the like of Chelsea, Manchester United … [Read more...] about La Liga: Big-name exodus as season ends
The private sector moves into Spain’s public hospitals
No sooner had the conservative Popular Party taken office at the very end of 2011 than it began drawing up plans to extend private sector involvement in Spain’s public health system, a process begun in 1997 with the support of the Socialist Party. Two years later, La Ribera hospital, built and run by a private consortium led by health insurers Adeslas, opened. Valencia has subsequently created Public Private Partnerships (PPP) in four other health districts. Other PP controlled regions, such as the Balearic Islands, Castilla y León, Castilla La Mancha, and Galicia, are also pushing ahead with the privatisation of healthcare. But Madrid is where the PP wants PPP to really come into its … [Read more...] about The private sector moves into Spain’s public hospitals
Tales for Tapas: Profitability and protection
Elvira Rodriguez, president of Spain’s Securities Commission, noted in a speech to company directors in Madrid on Tuesday that the economic crisis “has revealed weaknesses in the system of corporate governance.” Possibly a candidate for understatement of the year. Ms Rodriguez commented, among other things, on the lack of transparency which preceded the difficulties at Bankia and at Pescanova, the fishing conglomerate. She said that Pescanova was a company that had enjoyed a positive reputation and whose management were known for their wholehearted commitment, which bamboozled the supervisory authorities. These sterling qualities also offered a somewhat distorted impression to … [Read more...] about Tales for Tapas: Profitability and protection