Whisper it quietly, but not all is fresh in the state of Spain. When Vicente del Bosque's team lifted the World Cup in 2010 –adding to the European Championship title La Roja won in 2008 under Luis Aragonés– the world prostrated itself at the feet of the slickest passing side in history. Among Spain's players, there was a consensus that the tournament in Austria and Switzerland had proved an epiphany. Aragonés had largely removed the cult of idolatry by removing Raúl from the squad; he had, as Xavi put it recently, taken a gamble by betting on the bajitos –himself, Andrés Iniesta, Cesc Fàbregas, Davids Villa and Silva, for example– and Spain finally beat its bête noire, Italy, and the … [Read more...] about Torres’ patchy form hints at world champions’ decline
spain news
Bullfighting in the political ring
Rich in tradition and explicit in diversity, Spain is a country constantly suffering an identity crisis. Liberalism and democracy were born along with nationalism and separatism after Francisco Franco’s death in 1975. While Spain’s official language is Spanish, a handful of regional languages are spoken across the country. In the northeastern region of Catalonia, people speak Catalan. Citizens from the southern region of Andalusia speak Spanish. A citizen from Seville might not be able to read Avui (a Barcelona-based newspaper printed in Catalan), but when the Catalan government passed a law last summer to close the only remaining bullring in Barcelona in 2012, the bullfighting … [Read more...] about Bullfighting in the political ring
With Sortu banned, what now for radical Basque nationalists?
The Basque nationalists who once went under the name of Batasuna have been thwarted in their attempt to be registered as a legal party ahead of the May 22 municipal elections. Their new party, Sortu, was their latest attempt to get back into the political mainstream and give radical nationalists a voice at the ballot box. After a 10-hour deliberation, the Supreme Court on Wednesday backed the government’s argument that this is simply a continuation of Batasuna, and therefore by association ETA. Sortu can appeal to the Constitutional Court, but by the time that ruling is issued, the elections will almost certainly have come and gone. The government insists it has handled this by the … [Read more...] about With Sortu banned, what now for radical Basque nationalists?
Spain’s Zapatero embraces short-lived Libya foray
“Just look at you now,” sneered the United Left’s Gaspar Llamazares during Tuesday’s congressional debate on the military intervention in Libya. He was staring at the man who opposed the 2003 invasion of Iraq, into which then-Prime Minister José María Aznar pitched Spain at the famous Azores summit. But today’s Socialist Spanish premier, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, said this was not Iraq, and when he had proclaimed “No to war!” he was saying not that war. Exactly what the multi-named Libya operation is remains far from clear, as NATO allies squabble over the organisation’s degree of involvement and even Dmitry Medvedev and Vladimir Putin dispute whether the bid to bomb Muammar Gaddafi … [Read more...] about Spain’s Zapatero embraces short-lived Libya foray
Spain held hostage by its banks
When the global financial crisis erupted in 2008, the Bank of Spain was one of few regulators lauded for having had the forethought to enact measures aimed at protecting the banking industry. It had prevented Spanish banks and savings banks from handing out the junk loans that brought down several American lenders, and, uniquely, it created a €40-billion “anti-crisis” fund at a time when many shorter-sighted bankers, economists and analysts thought the credit boom, on the back of low interest rates and rising property prices, would continue indefinitely. Four years later, Spain’s economy is now being held hostage by its banking industry as fears about the ability of banks and, in … [Read more...] about Spain held hostage by its banks
March 11’s divisive legacy (revisited)
In the middle of February, the Spanish government announced that it was going to “repair” the memory of the poet Miguel Hernández, a Republican former goatherd who was jailed by the dictator Francisco Franco and died in prison in 1942, at the age of 31. The Socialist government pledged to offer Hernández, whose centenary is being celebrated this year, “the tribute, the memory and the admiration that his work merits,” said Deputy Prime Minister María Teresa Fernández de la Vega. “We all share that same rejection of any form of oppression, that same rebellion in the face of injustice and that determination to dream and create a decent country and a better world.” The news of this homage … [Read more...] about March 11’s divisive legacy (revisited)
A half-baked theory on the great croissant controversy
I have to admit, when it comes to the recent debate about the state of Spanish croissants, I’ve come to the table rather late. The furore itself was sparked by a blog post by food writer Mikel López Iturriaga in early February, in which he attacked his country’s version of the croissant on several fronts: from its outrageous size and criminally stale dough, to that utterly redundant glaze that so many bakers apply. By the end of his article, the croissant was, so to speak, toast. “All these examples of baked, varnished paste which thousands of Spaniards consume for breakfast each day do not deserve to be called croissants,” he thundered. It’s a harmless enough issue to tackle, you … [Read more...] about A half-baked theory on the great croissant controversy
Spanish Church banks on “youth” with hardline cardinal’s re-election
The Spanish Catholic Church’s immediate challenges are substantial and clear for all to see: reversing the steady exodus of regular churchgoers; appealing to immigrants, an enormous potential congregation; and shedding an anachronistic image that alienates young Spaniards. So while the Spanish Episcopal Conference’s decision to give Cardinal Antonio María Rouco Varela a record-breaking fourth term as its president came as little surprise to Church watchers, it is perplexing for those who are aware of the above challenges. Rouco, the archbishop of Madrid, has earned a reputation as a conservative hardliner, taking on the Socialist government on issues such as abortion and gay … [Read more...] about Spanish Church banks on “youth” with hardline cardinal’s re-election
Aznar lets his hair down
Question: who works for Rupert Murdoch, leads a prestigious think-tank, is an accomplished long-distance runner and learned to speak fluent English in his early fifties? Answer: José María Aznar, prime minister of Spain between 1996 and 2004. The above description is highly selective, of course, but it gives an idea of the man we are talking about – probably just the kind of idea Aznar himself would like us to have of him: an active figure on the right-leaning world stage whose discipline and motivation have given him influence and a well-honed body. Aznar, 57, has become something of a fetish figure for many on the Spanish right, and with good reason. He governed for two … [Read more...] about Aznar lets his hair down
Rubalcaba to mitigate damage as Zapatero goes up in flames
So that’s that then. In the autumn, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero will announce his decision to make way for his interior minister, Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba, as Socialist candidate in the spring 2012 general elections. This, at least, is the theory that has taken hold in much of the mainstream Spanish media in recent days, with El Mundo, La Vanguardia, El Periódico and Público all subscribing to it on the strength of reports emerging from the Socialist camp. Qorreo has heard similar reports from sources close to the prime minister, who also say Zapatero has informed at least four senior Socialists of his plans (and not just one, as the prime minister has claimed). Rubalcaba has … [Read more...] about Rubalcaba to mitigate damage as Zapatero goes up in flames