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
spain news
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
Will somebody halt this TV scheduling mayhem?
An article published in El País on April 24 addressed the issue of how to be a successful follower of television series in Spain. (El reto de ser 'seriéfilo en España). As a case in point, it cites the US show American Horror Story, which the channel Cuatro began broadcasting a few weeks ago at 10.30pm on a Tuesday. My husband and I decided to record the first two episodes of the series, which were broadcast as a special double-bill. The double and triple -bill strategy is an interesting trick here, perhaps intended to entice audiences to watch and then stick with the show, presumably under the somewhat patronising supposition that Spanish audiences lack the patience to watch one episode … [Read more...] about Will somebody halt this TV scheduling mayhem?
La Liga: Ronaldo banishes Real Madrid’s league jinx
Cristiano Ronaldo wheeled away from the goalmouth gesturing and shouting, “Relax, I’m here”, as the Camp Nou fell silent and all Madridistas breathed a collective sigh of relief. Of course he was, of course the man who has scored 42 liga goals this season was going to take care of it all, but so often, he and his side have not. This was José Mourinho’s 11th attempt at beating FC Barcelona since his arrival in the Spanish capital two years ago, during which time he had only succeeded once – in the Copa del Rey final last year. But with the Portuguese forward’s 73rd minute winner, Real Madrid were finally able to overcome their Barça jinx. Sami Khedira had put the visitors ahead after … [Read more...] about La Liga: Ronaldo banishes Real Madrid’s league jinx
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
La Liga: Momentous week for Barça and Madrid as El clásico looms
When a gaping 10-point chasm separated Real Madrid and Barcelona, Pep Guardiola was adamant: winning the league is impossible. As the difference closed to eight, six and then four points, he stuck to the party line, but ahead of what is set to be a defining couple of weeks in the race for La Liga and the Champions League, the FC Barcelona coach finally ceased his mantra at the weekend, admitting the domestic title “is a little less impossible now”. This Saturday, with five games remaining, Real Madrid travel to the Camp Nou attempting to get one hand on the league trophy that has eluded them for four years, but first-up is a Champions League semi-final first-leg game for Los Merengues … [Read more...] about La Liga: Momentous week for Barça and Madrid as El clásico looms
King’s big-game fall comes at just the wrong time
One week and two accidents related to the Spanish royal family’s predilection for guns. On April 9, King Juan Carlos’s 13-year-old grandson, Felipe Juan Froilán, suffered a foot injury while out shooting in Soria, an incident that is being investigated due to the age of the boy. But when the king had a serious fall in Botswana at the weekend while on holiday hunting for big game, it seemed as if it was the monarch who had shot himself in the foot. By a strange twist of fate, the same day that Juan Carlos had his hip operated on, several thousands people marched through central Madrid to commemorate the 81st anniversary of the Second Republic. Their other motive for being there was to … [Read more...] about King’s big-game fall comes at just the wrong time