As the 15-M movement, or indignados, prepare to commemorate their first anniversary, it says plenty about the state of Spain and its economy that much of the news coverage has focused on the possibility of clashes between demonstrators and police this weekend. With gatherings and marches scheduled across the country, from Saturday until the symbolic May 15 date itself, the scene is set for a huge turnout and another expression of anger and outrage at Spain’s political class and their handling of the economy. Many fear that this will spill over into violence, either on the part of the protesters, or the police. Violent confrontation was not something associated with los 15-M when they … [Read more...] about Time for Spain’s ‘indignados’ to prove their relevance
spain economy
A victory for Hollande, a victory for Spain
François Hollande’s French presidential election win has been trumpeted as a triumph for Socialists across Europe. Not only does it stem the tide of centre-right governments that have taken control of most EU countries, it also vindicates the European left’s resistance to austerity at any cost. And the champagne was being uncorked on Sunday at the headquarters of the Spanish Socialist Party (PSOE), as its leaders enjoyed the thought that finally, their neighbour to the north has a left-leaning president. We don’t know whether Hollande will deliver on some of his bigger promises, such as reducing the retirement age or renegotiating fiscal targets with the EU. But the fact that one of the … [Read more...] about A victory for Hollande, a victory for Spain
Catalonia’s immigrants face lonely road ahead
Sitting across the table from Xavier Alonso Calderón, Catalonia’s head of Immigration and Labour Relations, it was hard not to feel for everyone within a hundred paces of his office. In one of many sweeping cuts to government spending since coming into office late last year, the Partido Popular-led national government had slashed Spain’s immigration and integration fund to nearly nothing. Established under the Zapatero government in 2005, the fund had set aside up to €200 million to be distributed to Spain’s autonomous communities to help finance programs aimed at reporting, educating and integrating the country’s foreign-born population – a group that had exploded over the past decade, … [Read more...] about Catalonia’s immigrants face lonely road ahead
Pound to euro hits 22-month high despite UK recession
Here is my latest update of the British pound to euro exchange rate, covering the 20th to 27th April 2012. This is intended as a brief guide to what’s affected the exchange rate this past week as well as what might happen next, to help you decide if now is the best time for you to change currencies. Pound to euro: +0.66% weekly increase. 1.2293 (1.2212 a week ago.) +2.79% monthly increase. 1.2293 (1.196 a month ago.) This week: 1. The pound held at its highest rate against the euro in 22 months this week, in spite of the fact that the UK officially re-entered recession. If nothing else, this reflects just how low confidence is in the euro right now. 2. Francois Hollande won … [Read more...] about Pound to euro hits 22-month high despite UK recession
Spanish wine bucks recession
In times of recession, it is always surprising to find businesses that have survived – indeed thrived – against the odds. The steady closure of smaller stores has left many Spanish town centres struggling to remain vibrant and in such a climate, niche is everything if you are hoping to capture the market. The main street of the Basque capital Vitoria's old quarter throws up one such case: Martin's Bodega is 15 square metres of wall-to-wall wine. English owner Martin Beacham opened the shop in 2009 just as the recession was beginning to hit. At such a delicate time, it was a straightforward matter of sink or swim. Three years later, business is steadily thriving, though most clients are … [Read more...] about Spanish wine bucks recession
What now for Spain’s monarchy?
The dung from King Juan Carlos’ accident, while on a private trip to Botswana to kill elephants during which he broke his hip, has well and truly hit the proverbial fan, with Spain revelling in an unprecedented outpouring of criticism in the media that looks set to continue. The King has apologised for the gaffe, promising on state television to Spaniards before limping out of hospital: “it will never happen again.” Ouch: that must have hurt more than the crack he gave himself after tripping over his tent peg on safari. However humbling the experience, his plea to be given a chance to redeem himself and get back to being the king everybody loves may have been too little, too late. He … [Read more...] about What now for Spain’s monarchy?
Is Catalonia going the way of Slovenia?
When, at his party's congress on March 28-29, the former Catalan president Jordi Pujol exclaimed that "we live in a state that has no Constitution", he touched the nerve of a Catalan nationalism that has become increasingly belligerent. It’s a nationalism that openly defies court sentences it believes threaten the nation it claims to represent, such as the Constitutional Court's ruling on the region’s Statute of Autonomy (or Estatut) in 2010 or more recent ones by the Supreme Court related to language use in Catalonia. No wonder that at the same congress, Convergència Democràtica de Catalunya (CDC) adopted a strategy that, even though it avoids the word "independence", strongly argues for … [Read more...] about Is Catalonia going the way of Slovenia?
Spanish government seeks to muzzle protest with reforms
“Our judicial system is not frightening enough ”, said Felip Puig, the Catalan interior chief, a few days after the March 29 general strike. In the wake of that protest, the Spanish government has unveiled a series of changes to the Criminal Code that it hopes will be approved by June and which would criminalise the actions of movements such as 15-M (or indignados), despite their peaceful nature. Last week, Interior Minister Jorge Fernández gave more details: peaceful resistance will be deemed a form of illegal undermining of authority, punishable with one to three years in jail; the punishment for civil disobedience, which is currently six months to one year in jail, will be increased … [Read more...] about Spanish government seeks to muzzle protest with reforms
Rubber bullet ban won’t solve Spain’s policing problem
As Spain’s Basque Country continued to reel from the death of 28-year-old Iñigo Cabacas, the region's interior department announced plans to restrict the use of rubber bullets as of January 1, 2013. An autopsy revealed that Cabacas died after receiving a rubber bullet to the head during riots following Athletic Bilbao's Europa League victory against Schalke 04 on April 5. The claim by the Ertzaintza, the Basque regional police, that no rounds were fired from a distance of less than 22 metres is contradicted by the conclusions of the autopsy report, which shows the fatal shot to have been fired from a much smaller distance. The rubber bullet restriction announcement by Basque interior … [Read more...] about Rubber bullet ban won’t solve Spain’s policing problem
