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Iberosphere

News, comment and analysis on Spain, Portugal and beyond

spain politics

Choosing the Iberians of 2012

December 4, 2012 by Guy Hedgecoe Leave a Comment

Picking a person of the year is difficult enough in times of economic calm and social stability, but in times of crisis it’s arguably harder. When the economy is struggling and leaders are held in low esteem, it’s hard to find individuals whose achievements make them stand out, for better or worse. So inevitably, the shortlist of Iberians of 2012 that managing editor Andrew Eatwell and I have drawn up has been dominated by the crisis that the peninsula – in particular the Spanish side of it – is suffering. There’s always a risk that calling those nominated the “people of the year” glorifies them, or at least suggests they are being cast in a positive light. But our nominees are not … [Read more...] about Choosing the Iberians of 2012

Filed Under: Iberoblog Tagged With: Artur Mas, Iberians of 2012, Joana Vasconcelos, Mariano Rajoy, people of 2012, Sánchez Gordillo, spain, spain crisis, spain economy, Spain football, spain news, spain politics, Vicente del Bosque

Iberian of the Year 2012: Artur Mas

December 4, 2012 by Iberosphere Leave a Comment

For most of 2012, Catalonia was just one of many political concerns in the wing mirror of the Spanish government. The region’s premier, Artur Mas i Gavarró, had been pressing for increased economic powers for some time, arguing that Catalonia did not receive enough investment from the Spanish state in exchange for the taxes it paid. For the government in Madrid, this was nothing new or particularly worrying. But on September 11, as Catalonia celebrated its national day, the Diada, hundreds of thousands of people marched through the streets of Barcelona, behind a banner calling for independence for the region. This outpouring of separatist feeling surprised the world – and the rest of … [Read more...] about Iberian of the Year 2012: Artur Mas

Filed Under: Featured, Iberians 2012, Spain News Tagged With: Artur Mas, austerity, break up of spain, catalan economy, catalan independence, catalan nationalism, Catalan referendum, catalonia, cataluna, CiU, iberian of the year, seperatism, spain, spain economy, spain politics

Mariano Rajoy

December 4, 2012 by Iberosphere Leave a Comment

Mariano Rajoy

To his supporters he’s calm, considered, strategic and resilient. But to his critics – whose ranks have swelled this year – Spain’s prime minister is hesitant, rigid, poorly advised and uncharismatic. Whatever your view, few will argue that even his previous experience as a government minister and eight years in opposition can have prepared Mariano Rajoy adequately for the torrid 12 months he has just had. Having made few electoral promises other than to fix the economy, his fortunes were always going to mirror those of the country’s credit risk premium and its jobless queue. Both hit dangerously high levels in 2012, belying Rajoy’s apparent belief on taking office that a change of … [Read more...] about Mariano Rajoy

Filed Under: Iberians 2012 Tagged With: austerity, bailout, congress, economy, iberians of the year 2012, Mariano Rajoy, merkel, Partido Popular, popular party, rajoy, spain, spain austerity, spain government, spain politics, spain protests

Juan Manuel Sánchez Gordillo

December 4, 2012 by Iberosphere 2 Comments

Juan Manuel Sánchez Gordillo

For some, the answer to the economic crisis is austerity. For others it is credit, or job creation. For the mayor of the Andalusian town of Marinaleda, direct action is the most apt response. In the summer, Sánchez Gordillo and fellow members of the SAT labour union grabbed the headlines by organising “food grabs” in two supermarkets. Activists carted food out of the shops without paying, insisting it would be donated to local charities. Sánchez Gordillo saw this as a symbolic move to illustrate the extent of Spain’s troubles and he also led a series of protest marches and squats on unused land across the south. In Marinaleda itself, the bearded, charismatic mayor claims to have established … [Read more...] about Juan Manuel Sánchez Gordillo

Filed Under: Iberians 2012 Tagged With: andalucia, andalusia, Communist Party, economy, iberians of the year 2012, indignados, Juan Manuel Sánchez Gordillo, marinaleda, Sánchez Gordillo, spain, spain crisis, spain economy, spain news, spain politics, spain robin hood

Artur Mas

December 4, 2012 by Iberosphere Leave a Comment

Artur Mas

[sharethis] For most of 2012, Catalonia was just one of many political concerns in the wing mirror of the Spanish government. The region’s premier, Artur Mas i Gavarró, had been pressing for increased economic powers for some time, arguing that Catalonia did not receive enough investment from the Spanish state in exchange for the taxes it paid. For the government in Madrid, this was nothing new or particularly worrying. But on September 11, as Catalonia celebrated its national day, the Diada, hundreds of thousands of people marched through the streets of Barcelona, behind a banner calling for independence for the region. This outpouring of separatist feeling surprised the world – and the … [Read more...] about Artur Mas

Filed Under: Iberians 2012 Tagged With: Artur Mas, break up of spain, catalan economy, catalan independence, catalan nationalism, Catalan referendum, catalonia, cataluna, CiU, iberian of the year, seperatism, spain, spain economy, spain politics

Artur Mas on Catalan independence

November 23, 2012 by Iberosphere Leave a Comment

… [Read more...] about Artur Mas on Catalan independence

Filed Under: Spain News, Videos Tagged With: Artur Mas, Catalan elections, catalan independence, catalan nationalism, catalonia, catalonia politics, CiU, spain politics

Rajoy prepares for an autumn of discontent

September 3, 2012 by Guy Hedgecoe Leave a Comment

Protests against Spanish government economic policy in Madrid.

They call it operación retorno: hundreds of thousands of Spaniards get into their cars at the end of their holidays and drive back to their towns and cities to resume their lives. This year, like most, it has seen endless queues of overheated cars fill Spain’s roads on the last weekend of August, peopled by families dreading the return to the office or school. Just eight months into his tenure and with a handsome majority in Congress, Mariano Rajoy should be bounding back to work with a springier step than most. But instead, the prime minister could be forgiven for wishing he were in one of those sweaty, late-summer traffic jams. Rajoy’s honeymoon period finished months ago, if indeed … [Read more...] about Rajoy prepares for an autumn of discontent

Filed Under: Featured, Politics, Spain News Tagged With: eurozone debt crisis, rajoy, spain, spain economy, spain news, spain politics, spanish news

A slice of Vegas in Spain stirs controversy

July 16, 2012 by Guy Hedgecoe Leave a Comment

Eurovegas

It sounds like the answer to the prayers of the Spanish government. A multi-billion-dollar gambling complex led by an American tycoon who promises to bring the glamour of California to Spain and kick-start the country’s struggling economy by creating a quarter of a million jobs. But EuroVegas, as it’s known, is also a scheme that has sparked fears about spiralling crime, prostitution and environmental violations and which has highlighted the age-old tensions between Spain’s two main cities. American casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, with an estimated $25-billion fortune, plans to build a European gambling hub that will include six casinos and 12 hotels. His Las Vegas Sands company says … [Read more...] about A slice of Vegas in Spain stirs controversy

Filed Under: Business, Featured Tagged With: adelson, barcelona, debt crisis, eurovegas, eurozone crisis, gambling in spain, investment in spain, madrid, prostitution, spain economy, spain politics, spanish gambling laws, spanish prostitution, unemployment

Euro up as Spain, Italy take a stand

June 29, 2012 by Peter Lavelle, Pure FX 1 Comment

Rajoy takes a stand

That, at least, is the takeaway from yesterday’s EU summit, in which Spain and Italy won significant concessions to keep themselves solvent, only by telling Germany they would block “everything” unless immediate steps were taken to help them. Does it sound professional? No. But insofar as Mariano Rajoy and Mario Monti were desperate, it probably doesn’t matter. Moreover, the panicked tactics of the Spanish and Italian premiers have provided the breakthrough the markets were looking for. On Friday, the euro climbed 1.00% against the pound and US dollar and, compared to the brief rally that followed Spain announcing its bailout, this one looks set to last. “At last,” the markets are saying, … [Read more...] about Euro up as Spain, Italy take a stand

Filed Under: Expats Tagged With: currencies, eu summit, euro, eurozone crisis, exchange rates, gbpeur, pound to euro, purefx, rajoy, spain business, spain economy, spain politics

Spain’s true crisis isn’t economic, it’s institutional

June 29, 2012 by Guy Hedgecoe 3 Comments

The Spanish Bull's bones.

As Spain has moved closer to what looks increasingly like economic disaster, there have been a couple of surprising - even heartening - moves by the country’s senior politicians lately. One was the announcement made by Socialist leader Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba that his party offered its full support to the conservative government going into the key European summit in Brussels on June 28. This rare instance of political unity was accompanied by an unusual show of stark public honesty by Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy. “We can’t finance ourselves at these levels of interest much longer,” said the man who had denied that Spain would request a bank bailout days before it did so, and who said he … [Read more...] about Spain’s true crisis isn’t economic, it’s institutional

Filed Under: Featured, Politics, Spain News Tagged With: carlos divar, corruption, Franco, garzón, indignados, judiciary, king juan carlos, Mariano Rajoy, Partido Popular, popular party, spain, spain bail out, spain banking crisis, spain banks, spain democracy, spain economic crisis, spain economy, spain judiciary, spain politics, spain socialists, spain transition

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