Editorial:
In these modern times, we the people now have three admittedly weak ways to influence our leaders and the direction they should be taking – through the ballot-box, via the keyboard and thirdly by going out into the city with your either comic or angry protest sign to join the demo del día.
Sometimes though, the protest can even work wonders if it’s large enough.
We saw the masses take down the French monarchy in 1789, the Russian tsars in 1917 and the unlamented Nicolai Ceaușescu and his wife in Romania in 1989. Perhaps something along the same lines will surprise us in Washington in the weeks to come, perhaps not.
Here in Spain, this weekend also had its share of multitudinous protests: the twin concerns of decent and affordable housing on the one hand, and the threat from private medicine (particularly in Andalucía) looming over our National Health.
Being a long-term foreign resident, I’ve never had the right to vote anywhere beyond the municipal level found here where I both live and am inscribed on the padrón, which, for what it’s worth, means that at least in a small town like mine, my vote can count for something (vaguely).
The main drawback to exercising one’s democratic rights to mark a cross on a piece of paper – or to put a papeleta in an envelope – is that it only happens every now and again. It’ll be not much short of four years before the Americans have another chance at an election, probably two or three years to wait here in Spain.
As far as posting memes or opinions of my own or of others on Facebook or over on my Spanish Shilling blog, or here in this column, then I hope that you are all paying attention, but if not, well never mind. Write me a letter.
Thus we come to waving a placard out there with the crowd: well it sounds fun but personally, I’ve rarely participated beyond that time some PP idiot decided to bulldoze flat Helen and Len Prior’s house in Vera back in 2008. We guiris all drove into Almería the following day and caused a fuss. That and a few later demolitions cost Andalucía’s property market at the time many tens of millions of euros and attracted the attention of the international media. I was interviewed on the radio and was heard (by friends who later told me) both in Miami and in Melbourne! My fifteen minutes of fame.
‘The best thing about protesting is the feeling that you are not alone with your opinions’, says my soulmate, who is rather more of an activist that I am.
This past weekend, many millions of folks would have agreed with her.
Housing:
‘Hundreds of thousands marched across forty Spanish cities on Saturday to protest against soaring rents and a lack of affordable homes in a country that enjoys Europe's fastest economic growth and yet suffers from a severe housing shortage exacerbated by a tourism boom...’ says Global Banking and Finance Review here (thx to Chuck).
*Some headlines:
‘Spain protests: Hundreds of thousands march against housing crisis fuelled by tourism boom’ says Sky News here.
‘Spain tackles housing 'social emergency' as rents double in a decade’. Guy Hedgecoe writing for BBC News here.
‘Thousands rally in Barcelona against high housing costs’ says Catalan News here.
‘Thousands march in Mallorca for affordable housing. There are only 40 properties for rent for less than 1,000 euros’ writes Majorca Daily Bulletin here.
‘Thousands of people take to the streets of Madrid, Barcelona, and dozens of other cities in the largest mobilization against housing prices’ says 20Minutos here.
‘Almería joins the protests against the housing "business": "We have the right to a roof over our heads"’. El Diario de Almería here.
Tempo says ‘The Bank of Spain estimates that the country needs around 500,000 new homes. Proposed solutions include land law reform, streamlining bureaucracy, and reducing the current 25% tax burden on housing. Other suggestions include halting short-term tourist rentals in major cities and coastal areas...’
La Vanguardia brings us the various solutions to the housing crisis – ten of them – from a group of architects, builders and promoters. In short, they say, we need to be building at least 220,000 new homes each year.
El Blog Salmón is clear: ‘City councils are largely to blame for housing prices in Spain, but they are afraid of changing the General Urban Development Plan (PGOU) due to litigation’.
From Idealista here: ‘New-build prices in Marbella, Benidorm, Málaga, and the Balearics now exceed pre-crisis levels’.
Spanish Property Insight has ‘How will Trump’s tariffs affect American demand for property in Spain?’ The story here.
The Spanish government investigates property management company Alquiler Seguro over alleged illegal rental fees says Spanish Property Insight here.
The nationalities residing in Spain most affected by the end of the Golden Visa are the Russians and the Chinese says El Confidencial here adding that ‘residency through a non-lucrative visa is gaining prominence among the new fortunes arriving in Spain’.
From Idealista here: ‘Living in Peñiscola: serenity in one of Spain's prettiest towns’.
Tourism:
From Xataca here: ‘One statistic sums up what's happening with tourism in Spain: foreign visitors are increasing, while domestic visitors are stagnating. In 2024, Spanish hotels recorded 7.5% more overnight stays from foreign travellers, while those hosting Spanish tourists stagnated with a minimal increase of just 0.2%’. Foreigners accounted for 241,7 million beds, while Spaniards took 121.9 million holiday beds, the same as in 2023. One could argue of course that there is only a finite number of holiday-making Spaniards…
From Mapping Spain here (opinion): ‘Why you should avoid Barcelona in 2025…and where to go instead. For years Barcelona has grappled with overtourism. 2024 brought protests and even had locals squirting tourists with water guns. It will only be worse in 2025. It is one of three Spanish destinations that Fodor’s Travel has added to their “No List” as places to avoid because of anti-tourist sentiment (the other two are Mallorca and the Canary Islands). If that’s not enough, Barcelona will also be doubling its tourist tax this year in order to discourage overtourism...’
Seniors:
elDiario.es raises a sad subject – what to do with our family members’ things when they’ve gone. Those of us who have moved to Spain permanently have almost certainly let go of much of our stuff – furniture, record albums or photographs – already. But all that means it we have left a slightly easier task for those who come after us. The sad recurrence is this: we most likely have already had to throw out prized possessions of those loved ones who have preceeded us, and someone will have to do the same for us one day.
Finance:
‘José Luis Escrivá, the Governor of the Banco de España acknowledges that the bank will revise its growth forecast downward due to the tariff war. The bank, which had raised its forecast growth for the Spanish economy to 2.7% this year, will have to revise its estimate in light of the measures announced by the US in a context of enormous "uncertainty"’. The item comes from La Información here.
From Sur in English here: ‘Spain calls for a European safety net for the industries most affected by Donald Trump's US tariffs. The Minister of Economy Carlos Cuerpo said the EU bloc must protect the most vulnerable sectors, while ratifying trade agreements with other partners, which would help soften the blow’.
From 20Minutos here: ‘Tariffs put Spain to the test: engines, machinery, chemical products, and pharmaceuticals will be the hardest hit. The Spanish Chamber of Commerce estimates that the imposition of 20% tariffs alone (not including the universal 10% rate) could reduce exports of goods to the country by 14%, or €2,545 million’.
iNews claims that Spanish olive oil could disappear from US shelves and that Sánchez has announced a package of measures worth €14,100 million to support the worst-hit sectors - including olive oil production. elDiario.es also has a report on the aid from the Government. ‘We ask President Trump to reconsider and to come to the negotiating table with the European Union and the rest of the world’ said Sánchez last week.
Andalucía Informa features a piece on ‘The critical minerals found in Andalucía: the first region to have a specific map of "rare earths". These raw materials are emerging as key to the energy transition and offer new job opportunities in the mining sector’.
‘The UN warns: Artificial Intelligence could destroy more than eight million jobs in Spain by 2033. It's true that AI's primary function is not to destroy jobs, but rather to optimize processes, but the change is already underway’. 20Minutos has the story here.
Politics:
From 20Minutos here: ‘Sánchez seeks to counter Trump's tariffs by opening new markets in China and Vietnam. Sánchez travels to the two countries this week (Wednesday through Friday) with the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Agriculture, together with a delegation of Spanish business leaders’. From Europa Press here: ‘China places Spain "at the forefront" of Beijing's relations with European countries, and emphasizes that Sánchez's visit is an "opportunity" to "deepen mutual strategic trust"’. From El Confidencial (Wednesday) here: ‘The US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent criticizes Spain's rapprochement with China: "It would be like cutting one's own throat", he says. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has said that Spain should perhaps move closer to the Asian giant in the face of the Trump administration's trade protectionism’.
El País reports that ‘The far right now has nearly 17% of the estimated vote, its best showing since the last elections. Vox remains above 14%, according to the 40dB pollster, (conducted before Trump's tariff announcement), and Alvise's Se Acabó la Fiesta support climbs to 2.7%. The PP leads the PSOE by three points. The Guardian warns of ‘the concern over a mix of misogyny and Franco nostalgia among Spanish teens’. We read that ‘…the increase in reactionary, anti-feminist, anti-immigrant language has, unsurprisingly, coincided with the growing political influence of the far right. Spain’s far-right, pro-Trump Vox party, once dismissed as an inconsequential band of provocateurs, broke through into the mainstream almost seven years ago and is now the third largest force in the Spanish congress. For many young men, much of Vox’s appeal lies in its rigid certainties and its fierce opposition to all things woke…’
From Europa Press here: ‘The Vox union Solidaridad maintains that tariffs are good for the US and supports President Trump for "defending the working classes"’.
On the other hand, the Podemos leader Ione Belarra has an interesting idea to counter the Trump tariffs: by expropriating all the buildings – there are a lot of them – owned by American vulture-funds. Diario Red also says that the Podemos leader also wants to close US bases in Spain and to leave NATO. These ideas would – without doubt – bring a reaction from Washington like that felt by Cuba back in 1962… and since then onwards until today. Indeed, hints 20Minutos in an interview with the Podemos leader, if the various tiddlers that make up Spain’s far-left could only sit down together (El Mundo also touches on this)… We also read that the candidate for the party in the next election will be the MEP Irene Montero (Pablo Iglesias’ wife). We further learn from Ione Belarra that "The four Podemos deputies are worth more than all the deputies and five ministers (31 of them in all) from Sumar put together". Really? I’ll get my hat.
From El Huff Post here: ‘Spaniards see Russia, the US, and Israel as the countries that most threaten world peace and support spending more on defence’. We read that 55% of Spaniards would welcome a European army.
Gibraltar:
El Mundo is indignant here (paywall): ‘Both Morocco and Gibraltar emerge from the chaos with only 10% tariffs, threatening Spanish exports: There are companies that will seek to restructure their manufacturing’.
Europe:
The Elcano Royal Institute (Wiki) says that the best option for Europe is to take charge of its own security and defence. In its preamble to a major presentation on the subject, the think tank begins with this:
‘Although not immediately within reach, the vision for the future of a European Defence Union should animate and underpin current discussions between EU countries and their partners. The article outlines a program for Europe in this regard. In the meantime, every effort should be made to support Kyiv at this crucial juncture. The way in which the war is resolved will determine the security context within which Europe will be circumscribed in the years to come…’
20Minutos reports that ‘The Twenty-Seven (that’s to say, the countries within the European Union) support the EU's tariff response to Trump's trade war, with only Hungary voting against. The tariffs will be rolled out in three phases and will range from 10% to 25% on more than 1,500 US products. "The duties will begin to be collected from April 15," the European Commission said in a statement’. The Independent here had ‘Trump brags world leaders are ‘kissing my ass’. ‘Please, Sir, make a deal. I’ll do anything. I’ll do anything, Sir,’ Trump mocked just hours before his sweeping reciprocal tariffs were imposed’
Corruption:
More on the expat funeral plans saga comes from The Olive Press here: ‘Heartless boss at centre of Spain’s Iberian Funerals scandal confirmed to have died in Portugal as missing millions mystery deepens’.
Courts:
Our friend Judge Peinado, worth more to the PP than ten battalions in the field, ‘…rules out closing the case against Begoña Gómez and extends it by at least another six months. He claims that several investigations remain "pending" and that he expects to receive new reports to delve into’ says El Plural here. Despite having found nothing in over a year of zealous buffoonery, ‘…none of this has helped Judge Peinado desist from his efforts to search under every stone to find anything wrong with Begoña Gómez. It remains to be seen what Judge Peinado will uncover in the six more months of investigation’.
Media:
The Headline of the Week goes once again to The Daily Express: ‘New law in Spain will come into effect in hours in latest bid to stop tourists’.
A ‘fake-journalist’ called Vito Quiles often shows up in the news, usually thanks to his bulos and provocations. He works for EDATV and supports ultra politics. An amusing video here shows him asking Pablo Iglesias a leading question earlier this week...
From InSpain here: ‘Trump slams Spain over ‘unfair’ Netflix quotas and Google tax’
Ecology:
Reservoir growth continues to rise and water reserves are now approaching 75% of capacity says 20Minutos.
Europe had its warmest March since records began says Europa Press here.
Spanish and Portuguese wild boar can carry a parasite which is transferable to humans says Jara y Sedal here. The parasite – blastocystis – can cause digestion issues in humans.
Various:
El Huff Post features an article from France’s Le Monde on Spain’s recent growth. ‘...The French newspaper emphasizes that, "far from the anti-immigration rhetoric spreading across Europe," Spain "not only has not tightened border closures, but has developed instruments to facilitate regularization. This population increase, along with the tourism boom, contributes to Spain's strong growth, which reached 3.2% in 2024, compared to 1.1% in France and -0.2% in Germany," notes Le Monde, highlighting a statistic: "Since January 2019, immigration has covered 70% of the jobs created"’.
The subject of immigration appears in this piece from The Guardian: ‘Barcelona or death: mothers watch and wait as Senegal’s men risk all to reach Europe. For many the perilous journey to Spain seems the only future. Can the country’s government create enough jobs and prospects to make them stay?’
Variable speed limits controlled by AI? Autobild says that Spain could generally allow 150kpm limits (under AI supervision) and that a piece on the AP-7 already allows this upper limit.
El Confidencial has: ‘Firecrackers: the new illegal tourist fad that's having a disturbing effect on Spain. Organized groups of young German and Dutch people travel to Valencia to set off rigged and illegal firecrackers, terrorizing local residents. Authorities are talking about a new type of tourism worse than drunkenness’. Here’s Street Fireworker on videos.
Thanks to the tourist onslaught, some Spaniards begin to feel that they are living in an open-air museum. An opinion piece from elDiario.es here.
The subject of Starlink came up with a reader – so I found this in La Vanguardia (in English) from January this year: ‘The business battle between the two wealthiest people in the world moves to Spain. Amazon Kuiper, the tech giant's division to provide high-speed and affordable internet via low-orbit satellites, has obtained government authorization to operate. This way, Jeff Bezos' company, whose grandfather was born in a town in Valladolid, is finalizing its entry into this business to compete directly against Elon Musk and Starlink. Musk's division is already operating throughout the country, offering access to broadband services at affordable prices...’
From Sur in English here: Spain rolls out new digital ID that can be downloaded to your mobile phone. It will work via an application on your smart device and will allow you to verify your identity electronically’. It doesn’t work with our NIEs apparently.
The BBC recalls the story of Palomares (just a few miles away from Mojácar where I live): ‘'We thought it was the end of the world': How the US dropped four nuclear bombs on Spain in 1966’.
An interesting anecdote about the American presence in Spain comes from El Huff Post here. ‘In 2020, Morocco offered the United States the possibility of moving its military presence from the Naval Base in Rota (Cádiz) to the Moroccan enclave of Alcazarseguir...’ As we know, the USA nevertheless decided to stick with Rota.
From La Biblioteca Virtual Miguel de Cervantes (a fascinating site), some 17,000 images inspired by the book Don Quijote from various artists pre 1915.
Finally:
From Galicia, Rozalén and Tanxugueiras - A Virxe Do Portovello on YouTube here.
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