SPAIN: A Multimillion-Euro Fraud Scheme & more – 24th July 2025

Buenos días from Gracia! This is the Rorshok Spain Update from the 24th of July twenty twenty-five. A quick summary of what's going down in Spain.

We start this week with news from the central government's opposition: the Partido Popular or PP.

On Friday, the 18th, the national police found out that Cristóbal Montoro, the PP's former finance minister, was connected to a multimillion-euro fraud scheme. Montoro is accused of forming an economic team linked to the finance ministry that accepted 11 million euros in bribes from gas and energy firms between two thousand eight and twenty fifteen in exchange for favorable policy changes.

Montoro is also accused of illegally accessing confidential tax records of other politicians, journalists, and celebrities, including tennis champion Rafael Nadal.

This undermines the anti-corruption stance of Alberto Feijóo, the PP leader, and accusations towards President Pedro Sánchez.

Speaking of Sanchez, on Monday the 21st, the Spanish president urged Latin American leaders to confront the rise of extremism during the Democracia Siempre forum, hosted by Gabriel Boric, Chile’s President.

He warned that democracy faces a growing threat and called on progressive leaders to take proactive steps to defend democratic values, proposing stronger institutions, reduced inequality, and action against disinformation. Leaders, including Brazil’s President Lula da Silva and Colombia’s Gustavo Petro, echoed Sánchez’s concerns

Sánchez also announced that Spain will host the next edition of the summit in twenty twenty-six.

From defending democracy to discussing immigration, on Tuesday, the 22nd, Sanchez followed his visit to Chile with a trip to Mauritania.

In the president’s visit to the country’s capital, Nouakchott, Sanchez offered a 200 million euro aid package to deepen Spain’s partnership with Mauritania on migration and development. This was Sánchez’s third visit in eighteen months, reflecting stronger ties with the country.

The funding supports Spanish investment in Mauritania, particularly green energy, and accompanies a trial circular migration scheme enabling Mauritanian workers to take seasonal jobs in Spain under strict return conditions.

On Monday, the 21st, the Spanish government approved a draft law to declassify state secrets from the Franco dictatorship and the Transition era, fulfilling a promise by President Pedro Sánchez to Basque Nationalist Party leader Aitor Esteban.

The new law will automatically declassify documents older than forty-five years, including those from before nineteen eighty-one: An important year because of the failed military coup attempt that threatened Spain’s young democracy after decades of dictatorship. The new law will essentially make the documents available to the public. The law replaces the outdated nineteen sixty-eight Official Secrets Act and introduces four classification levels aligned with NATO and EU standards.

A lot of information has been withheld since former dictator Francisco Franco passed in nineteen seventy-five, and this new law will bring to light a lot of lost data.

In other news, according to a recent report by news outlet Reuters, gas demands have risen due to increased reliance on gas-fired power plants following Spain’s major blackout on the 28th of April.

According to gas grid operator Enagás, in the first half of twenty twenty-five, national gas consumption rose just under 6% compared to the same period in twenty twenty-four, driven by around a 40% increase in gas used for electricity generation.

Conventional plants have played a greater role in stabilizing the power grid, as renewables like wind and solar offer less voltage control.

Next up, on Thursday the 17th, a large wildfire tore through the Méntrida area in central Spain’s Castile-La Mancha region, sending a giant cloud of smoke over the capital.

The fire began on Thursday afternoon and quickly spread. Over ninety-five firefighters and aerial units battled the flames, while the Spanish Civil Guard evacuated dozens of residents

By Friday morning, officials reported that 95% of the fire was contained, and roads reopened as conditions improved.

Now, to traffic news: at the national congress held on Tuesday, the 22nd, Spanish traffic authorities proposed a rule to ban solo driving by requiring a minimum of two people per car.

The initiative aims to ease traffic congestion and lower environmental impact. A test has been proposed in some major cities, and if successful, could be extended to other regions, including the Balearic Islands, where traffic surges during the tourist season.

Authorities in Ibiza and Formentera, on the southeast of the mainland, already charge non-residents one euro per day to drive and apply time limits and access controls. Mallorca plans to introduce similar restrictions, with proposed fees ranging between thirty-five and 150 euros.

The measures are part of a broader push for sustainable mobility, encouraging carpooling, public transport, and eco-friendly travel options.

Now for an update from a previous episode. On Thursday, the 24th, Spain’s state-owned airport management company AENA began to enforce a ban on homeless individuals from sleeping at Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport.

Around 100 people who currently use the terminals to sleep overnight will now be guided by municipal social workers to a new reception center opened by the Madrid City Council. The Pinar de San José Temporary Reception Center can accommodate 150 people and offers overnight shelter, meals, hygiene facilities, laundry, and public transport cards.

However, only individuals with a proven link to Madrid, such as registration in the city or prior involvement with social services, will qualify. The city initially resisted responsibility for its homeless population at the airport, but now says it is meeting its social obligations by providing structured assistance.

In the public eye… Noelia Núñez, the PP’s Deputy Secretary for Mobilization and Digital Challenge, has recently been thrust into the spotlight following a viral interview she did back in March, where she challenged stereotypes about the PP and defended her role as its youngest national executive at thirty-two.

As Deputy Secretary, Núñez has drawn attention for her unconventional profile within the PP, including her tattoos, her practicing Catholic faith, and self-described critical feminist position.

In the interview, she pushed back against criticism over her lack of private-sector experience and accused former minister José Luis Ábalos of sexism after he publicly questioned her credentials. Could this mark a generational shift within the PP?

In travel news, hotel and property booking site Booking.com has removed over 4,000 holiday rental listings, mainly from the Canary Islands.

Pablo Bustinduy, the Minister of Social Rights, Consumption, and the twenty thirty Agenda, has previously criticized the unchecked growth of tourist rentals, blaming it for exacerbating Spain’s housing crisis in tourist-heavy areas.

The move follows a similar decision by the Madrid High Court, which upheld the removal of 5,800 Airbnb listings.

This week, the ministry praised Booking.com’s cooperation in ensuring compliance with regional and national regulations.

In sports, on Wednesday the 23rd, the women’s football team booked their place in the Euro twenty twenty-five final after superstar Aitana Bonmatí’s extra-time strike secured a dramatic 1–0 win over Germany.

On Sunday, the 27th, Spain will face England, their opponents from the twenty twenty-three World Cup final, in what promises to be a compelling rematch.

Here is a story we think you´ll find interesting. Back in early July, the news outlet Catalan News released an article spotlighting Barcelona-based duo Xicranda, formed by bandmates Guillem Payaró and Martí Santacana, who are reviving the traditional Spanish genre of havaneres with their debut album Al Mestre Roglan or To Master Roglan.

The album features unreleased songs by composer Josep M. Roglan, discovered after his death and reimagined by Barcelona duo Xicranda. Rooted in the havaneres tradition, the album includes nostalgic Catalan songs with Cuban rhythms, offering a fresh take on maritime melodies and lost love.

And finally… need a new hiking spot? On Tuesday, the 22nd, the Parque Nacional Ordesa y Monte Perdido in Huesca, Northern Spain, was crowned the best national park in Europe by Iglu Cruise and Timeout, based on TripAdvisor data.

Nestled in the Pyrenees near the France–Spain border, the park spans 156 km (around ninety-seven miles) of rugged mountains, turquoise lakes, and stunning waterfalls. Nature lovers flock to the park for hiking, rafting, canyoning, camping, and climbing.

The park also boasts the mighty Monte Perdido, the Pyrenees' third-highest peak. Check out this gorgeous national park if you're a nature lover!

Aaand that’s it for this week! Thank you for joining us!

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¡Hasta la próxima!