On Saturday morning, 21,000 people piled into the Vicente Calderón in Madrid to roar support as their team stepped onto the turf, the loudest cheers reserved for golden boy Radamel Falcao. Yet the derbi that was to be played on matchday 14 would take place across town at the Santiago Bernabéu. This was no early kick-off, merely a final training session before the big game, but the fans had been summoned by coach Diego Simeone to show their affection for the players. The huge turnout spoke volumes. While every year since 1999, the question of whether Atlético can finally beat their neighbours Real Madrid was greeted with pessimism, the build-up to this weekend really was different because … [Read more...] about La Liga: Ronaldo sinks Atlético’s hopes in Madrid derby
spanish news
Spanish education reforms…in the wrong direction
Two of the children in my twice-weekly lunchtime English class return at 6pm on the same days for their French lessons. As well as additional language tuition, most of the pupils who attend the academy engage in an array of extra-curricular activities that include music theory, football, handball and even catechism. All on top of a school day that is essentially 9-5. Amid the recession, English academies are mushrooming all over Spain, many of them doing booming business. I know of at least two cases of friends opening academies only to have to turn people away for lack of space and/or staff. There are several reasons why Spanish parents may think their children need extra schooling. … [Read more...] about Spanish education reforms…in the wrong direction
To be or not to be: Catalonia as an independent state
There’s nothing especially new about the present dispute between Catalonia and Spain’s national political leadership. Arguably most of the key arguments date back at least to the 1970s and the end of the Franco era, while the seeds of the present dispute are to be found in the country’s written constitution which was finally put together in 1978, when the threat of military interference in political life was still a real and present danger. Indeed the one thing that both sides of the argument seem to agree on is that the regional system of comunidades autónomas which was established back then doesn’t really work. Equally, after so many years of constant wrangling, most citizens on both … [Read more...] about To be or not to be: Catalonia as an independent state
Gibraltar: Fish, football and frontiers
On September 25, Mariano Rajoy took the podium at the UN General Assembly in New York, where Spain was hoping to win a rotating seat on the Security Council. The Spanish prime minister chose the moment to press for joint talks with the UK about the sovereignty of Gibraltar. He called on London to “reinitiate bilateral dialogue on the decolonisation of Gibraltar… We have now lost too many years.” Unsurprisingly, Spain failed to secure a seat on the Security Council, and London issued a waspish response, denying that decolonisation was even an appropriate concept: “The 2006 Gibraltar Constitution provides for a modern and mature relationship between Gibraltar and the UK. This description … [Read more...] about Gibraltar: Fish, football and frontiers
Artur Mas: independence hero, or cynical politico clinging to power?
Does Artur Mas, the man who likes to be called the president of Catalonia, really think that this northeastern region of Spain is going to become an independent nation any time soon? Does anybody? Surely not. In which case, why is he pushing the self-rule agenda? In recent weeks, Mas has gone from being Mariano Rajoy’s partner in crime in supporting unprecedented austerity measures to rabble-rousing independence leader, suddenly pulling the rug from under a bemused and increasingly befuddled-looking prime minister. Mas met with Rajoy in September, pushing for a deal that would give Catalonia a bigger share of the tax revenue it generates for the central government. When Rajoy turned … [Read more...] about Artur Mas: independence hero, or cynical politico clinging to power?
A “posh hippie” and a bunker mentality in Spain
Those who organised the September 25 protest outside Congress, which saw bloody scenes and dozens of arrests, say they never intended to storm the parliament building and undermine Spain’s democracy. On Thursday, a High Court judge, Santiago Pedraz, accepted the word of the eight people he was investigating on these charges and shelved the case against them. But even though the eight “25-S” figureheads may not have been trying to rattle Spain’s sometimes creaky democratic edifice, unwittingly, that is exactly what they have done. Respect for the institutions of state and the boundary separating them are often flimsy and they looked almost non-existent when the governing Partido … [Read more...] about A “posh hippie” and a bunker mentality in Spain
Catalonia goes Kosovo
One of the most memorable moments in world literature is when Captain Ahab nails a doubloon to the mast of the Pequod. Gold is a good argument, especially in desperate times. In Catalonia, the gold is the taxes, the nail is the term “fiscal deficit” (or “Spain steals from us”) and the mast’s new sails have “independence” written all over them. Money now being the driving force behind Catalan separatism does not take away one iota of its ethnic dimension. The referendum that is now envisaged, and to a lesser degree the upcoming regional elections, will split Catalonia between those who feel Catalan and those who feel Spanish. Both factors combined, the rise of nationalism in an economic … [Read more...] about Catalonia goes Kosovo
Rajoy prepares for an autumn of discontent
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
Miró and co. still in demand despite the crisis
On the heels of a successful Art Basel show in Switzerland in June, Europe’s largest auction houses have started their own summer selling seasons with some strong results. One of the highlights of Sotheby’s Impressionist & Modern Art Sale in London on June 19, 2012, was a worldwide record set for Joan Miró’s Peinture (Étoile Bleue), c.1927. The painting sold for £23.5 million, well over pre-sale estimates of £15-20 million and three times its price when it last sold at auction in 2007. Other works by Miró that fared well at the auction included a later gouache, Tête, that sold for over £260,000, exceeding its estimates of £150-200,000. There were also a handful of Salvador Dalí and … [Read more...] about Miró and co. still in demand despite the crisis
Spain’s golden generation rewrites history
Spanish captain Iker Casillas was at it again on Sunday night. Though he has long been crowned San Iker by his club fans, he may just have performed the three miracles needed to obtain sainthood. The culmination of the three-week tournament played in Poland and Ukraine ended with the goalkeeper lifting the Henri Delaunay trophy for the second time. In between European championships, La Roja were also crowned world champions in South Africa 2010. In the final, Spain gave a commanding performance in a 4-0 rout of Italy, a side they had failed to beat over 90 minutes for 98 years. Their route to the final began against the very same team, and the Azzurri were the only side to have scored … [Read more...] about Spain’s golden generation rewrites history