The last Catalan elections saw a shift both to the centre-right and to moderate nationalism, both embodied by Artur Mas’s Convergència i Unió (CiU). Although Mas didn't win an absolute majority, as president of Catalonia he has been able to implement austerity measures, revise the existing legal corpus and get moving on his favourite issue of a new fiscal pact with Spain; all well within his mandate, the statutes of his parties and the legal framework. However, there is another, key matter Mas might have lost control over, handing it to the radical fringe: Catalan identity and whether or not Catalonia will continue to be part of Spain. Mas has certainly sought to continue the … [Read more...] about In Catalonia, the fringe is setting the agenda
spain
Anarchy in the UK, headed Spain’s way soon
A number of commentators in the Spanish media have pointed out the differences between Spain’s indignados and the young people involved in the looting in London and other British cities. In doing so most point out the similarities between Spain and Britain: both countries are in the midst of recession, subject to severe public spending cuts, have high youth unemployment rates, and where the mainstream parties are widely regarded as out of touch with, or powerless to do anything about, the situation. “So what do the English do,” asks John Carlin in El País, “they go out and steal flat-screen televisions and trainers… and the Spanish? Well, what the indignados have done,” is to stage … [Read more...] about Anarchy in the UK, headed Spain’s way soon
Spain’s woes fail to deter Africans from life-threatening crossing
The European economy is going through a rollercoaster ride right now, with Spain one of the biggest victims of the upheaval. And since German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s invitation earlier this year to Spanish professionals – particularly engineers – to go and find work in her country, many Spaniards are looking abroad as they consider their future. And yet, boatloads of Africans still make the incredibly dangerous journey across the Gibraltar Strait to the shores of Andalusia. The first half of this year saw around 1,000 come to the Spanish mainland (arrivals in the Canary Islands have dropped heavily). That doesn’t sound like a massive number, but the high season for crossing is only … [Read more...] about Spain’s woes fail to deter Africans from life-threatening crossing
Mourinho shuns headlines to underline Madrid’s new balance of power
The faces of two young footballers have dominated the front covers of Spain’s two biggest-selling sports newspapers this summer. In just two months, AS featured Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior (or Neymar for short) 28 times and Sergio ‘Kun’ Agüero’s 20 times in their leading photograph and/or story. Neymar also battled Agüero for top spot on the front page of Marca, which led with the Brazilian 22 times and the Argentinean on 15 occasions. One or both players was prominent on the front page of AS and Marca 41 and 34 days respectively. AS readers were met with Agüero’s face five mornings in a row from June 9 to 13. Neymar matched that run with Marca from July 6 to 10. The fun began within … [Read more...] about Mourinho shuns headlines to underline Madrid’s new balance of power
Will Spain’s basketball league benefit from NBA lockout?
Spain's Mundo Deportivo recently posted an online poll asking which NBA player Spaniards want to see play in the ACB League. Kobe Bryant won with 28 percent, followed by his teammate and Spaniard Pau Gasol, with 17 percent. Spain exports many of its finest players such as Ricky Rubio, who has gone to the Minnesota Timberwolves, and in any other year, Bryant’s arrival and Gasol’s homecoming would be a fantasy for Spanish basketball fans. But this year there is a glimmer of hope. On July 1, NBA owners locked out their players over lengthy contract disputes, which have lasted years. All contracts are suspended and any form of communication is prohibited, including social media, between … [Read more...] about Will Spain’s basketball league benefit from NBA lockout?
A literary trip through Toledo’s historical labyrinth
Even before I moved to Spain, and particularly before I started reading about Spain, I was fascinated by the clash between the idea of Catholic Spain and the other peoples, cultures and faiths who've lived here. The more I travelled around the country, and the more books I read, these others – particularly Moors and Jews – emerged as not just temporary alien visitors, but an enduring presence through the centuries. A plan formed, slowly, to visit Toledo, bringing these books along as guides, to see how this story of Spain might be written into the buildings of one of the country's most famously Catholic cities, a place described by Jan Morris as the “repository of all that is proudest, … [Read more...] about A literary trip through Toledo’s historical labyrinth
Video: Proud and gay in Madrid
How Spain became ‘Españistán’
Plenty of books about the Spanish economy have been published in recent years: on the black market, multinationals, the financial system, the effect of the global recession and much, much more. Many of these are scientific studies, and most of them are on the dry side. But fortunately, if you want a punchy, fact-based look at Spain’s current mess, you can find it in the shape of a comic book called Españistán by Aleix Saló. A superb six-minute video gives a sharp summary of the book and gives us as fine a potted history of the Spanish economy’s last outrageous decade as you could hope for. “What a nice little squirrel,” we are told, as a furry mammal is shown on the screen. “Screw him!” … [Read more...] about How Spain became ‘Españistán’
Spain’s buried past
A true city of the dead, five million bodies lie buried in Madrid’s Our Lady of the Almudena Cemetery. And bar the towering cypresses, it’s a monochrome landscape of powerful granite tombs and austere crucifixes. Winding through the graves, half lost, I finally glimpsed a flash of colour. Red, yellow and purple - the flag of the Spanish Republic. This year marks the 80th anniversary of the Second Spanish Republic. A short lived affair, running from 1931 to 1939, the Republic was ring-fenced by dictators. And for many left-wing Spaniards it represents an oasis of progressive secular government - women’s rights, civil marriage and divorce, clear Church and state separation - before … [Read more...] about Spain’s buried past
Betis are back after a trip to hell
Two summers ago, long before the indignados and 15-M, there was Yo voy Betis and 15-J. Following the relegation of Real Betis, and amid growing anger at the alleged pilfering of millions of euros by club owner Manuel Ruiz de Lopera, over 60,000 angry green-and-white clad supporters marched in protest through Seville’s city centre. The evening culminated in a mass rally, where former Spain and Betis left-back Rafael Gordillo demanded Lopera’s departure to cheers from a jam-packed Plaza Nueva. Similar to the 15-M movement’s calls for politicians to reform themselves and banks to play fair, the initial practical impact of “15-J” was difficult to spot. The club’s 2009/10 campaign was … [Read more...] about Betis are back after a trip to hell