SPAIN: A Shorter Work Week & more – 8th May 2025

Buenos días from Gracia! This is the Rorshok Spain Update from the 8th of May twenty twenty-five. A quick summary of what's going down in Spain.

Let’s start this week with a blackout update. A week has passed since the nationwide power outage left over fifty million people without electricity across the Iberian Peninsula, and authorities are still unable to explain the exact cause.

Despite early suspicions that linked the blackout to renewable energy, Sara Aagesen, the environmental transition minister, revealed that in spite of not knowing the cause of the outage, there were three distinct losses of power that contributed towards the grid’s complete shutdown, all of which have been traced to the south-west of Spain.

The blackout has had serious consequences, with at least seven deaths. Their causes are currently being investigated, but candle fires and faulty generators caused by the outage might be responsible. The blackout also caused an estimated 400 million euros in losses, which affected card transactions, online services, and ATM withdrawals.

Are you overwhelmed with the same old forty-hour workweek? Well, Spain is set to reduce its standard workweek to 37.5 hours under a new government bill approved on Tuesday, the 6th, aimed at improving work-life balance and worker well-being.

The measure, originally proposed by the left-wing Sumar party months ago and supported by major trade unions, will affect around 12 million private sector employees, especially in retail, manufacturing, hospitality, and construction.

Yolanda Díaz, the government's labor minister, described the change as a modernization of labor laws to make people a little happier, with expected benefits including increased productivity and fewer absentees.

This change marks a major shift in labor laws; the last time work hours were cut was in nineteen eighty-three, when the number was changed from forty-eight to forty.

Next up, between Sunday the 4th and Monday the 5th, tens of thousands of passengers experienced major disruptions on the high-speed rail network after a group of thieves stole signalling cables at four locations between Madrid and Sevilla.

To add to the chaos, Renfe, the national rail operator, reported additional delays due to a train damaging the overhead power line; both incidents left around 10,000 passengers stranded. The disruption came just days after the blackout, further straining confidence in infrastructure.

In some banking news, on Monday the 5th, Spain announced it would launch a public consultation on BBVA’s proposed 13 billion euro acquisition of Banco Sabadell.

The move aims to gather input from citizen groups and associations, as the government evaluates the deal’s impact on competition and the broader economy.

Though Spain’s competition watchdog CNMC has approved the deal, the government remains concerned about potential job losses and reduced market competition. Under Spanish law, while the government cannot block the offer, it has the authority to approve or reject the merger following a cabinet review.

The economy ministry now has fifteen business days to escalate the deal for cabinet consideration, after which the government has a month to make a final decision.

During a parliamentary session on Wednesday the 7th, President Pedro Sánchez said that Spain does not produce uranium, sparking controversy.

While no uranium is currently extracted, significant reserves do exist, particularly in Salamanca, western Spain, home to one of Europe’s largest uranium deposits. The Retortillo mine project, led by Berkeley Minera, holds nearly thirty-five tonnes of uranium, enough to supply Spain’s nuclear plants for two decades.

However, a twenty twenty-one law promoted by Sánchez’s government banned new permits for radioactive mineral extraction due to environmental and safety concerns. Critics, including energy experts and political opponents, argue the ban is ideologically driven.

In security news, this week, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, Spain’s Interior Minister, visited the newly implemented smart border technology that was first brought in February at the Beni Ansar crossing in Melilla, an autonomous Spanish city that borders Morocco. It was Grande-Marlaska’s first visit to Melilla since April twenty twenty-three, following a twenty twenty-two migrant crossing attempt that left over twenty dead and nearly 150 injured.

This advanced system uses biometric surveillance to automate border checks, with the hope of improving security, combating identity fraud, and detecting overstays.

The initiative is part of broader efforts to modernize and secure the EU’s external borders. Over the past year, more than four million people and 760,000 vehicles have passed through this checkpoint.

Keeping with the digital world, the European Commission has taken legal action against five countries, including Spain, for failing to fully implement the Digital Services Act, or DSA, which aims to protect users from illegal online content and products.

The DSA was passed in February twenty twenty-four and requires EU member states to appoint and empower national regulators to enforce its rules.

The European Commission has launched several investigations into major platforms like Twitter, TikTok, and Meta for potential DSA breaches, though none have concluded yet. This failure to comply may result in Spain being dealt with a hefty fine.

In energy news, Spain is set to revolutionize aviation with the world’s first commercial solar plant that produces jet fuel directly from sunlight.

Developed by Swiss company Synhelion, the facility in southern Spain will convert solar energy into aviation fuel, reducing the industry’s carbon footprint, which currently accounts for nearly 3% of global emissions. Southern Spain is ideal for the initiative due to its high solar radiation and infrastructure already set up to harness the sun’s power.

Unlike traditional solar panels that generate electricity, this plant uses concentrated solar power to create fuel compatible with existing aircraft engines. The project aims to meet half of Europe’s sustainable aviation fuel needs with the ultimate goal of producing one million tonnes of solar jet fuel annually by twenty thirty-three.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday the 6th, a new customer service law was given the go-ahead by Spain’s ministry of consumer affairs, requiring companies to notify consumers at least fifteen days in advance before the automatic renewal of subscriptions, such as those for streaming services, magazines, or gyms.

This measure aims to prevent unwanted charges and encourage more conscious consumer decisions by allowing time to cancel unwanted payments. The regulation is part of a broader reform to improve customer experiences, which also includes limits on hold and waiting times on phone calls.

On Monday, the 5th, José Manuel Albares, Spain’s Foreign Minister, said that substantial progress had been made in negotiations over Gibraltar’s post-Brexit relationship with the EU.

Speaking to the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee, he highlighted advancements in key areas such as mobility and taxation, while emphasising that Spain remains committed to securing an agreement without compromising its sovereignty claims over Gibraltar.

However, in response, the Partido Popular criticized the lack of transparency and tangible outcomes, noting that negotiations have dragged on since Brexit was announced in twenty sixteen and officially sanctioned in twenty twenty.

While negotiations reportedly seem to be getting closer to a solid outcome, nothing is set in stone just yet.

Here’s a story that might catch your interest: What happens to an Olympic park after the Games end? That’s the question Barcelona has been asking since it built the Estadio Olímpico de Montjuïc for the nineteen ninety-two Olympics.

While the venue has mostly shifted to hosting concerts and entertainment events, a growing chorus of voices is calling for change.

Nearly 2,500 athletics supporters, including coaches, athletes, and journalists, have signed a letter this week urging Barcelona’s mayor to reopen the stadium for track and field. The group behind the campaign, Amics de l’atletisme en pista, criticizes the lack of sports activity in a publicly funded Olympic facility.

In the letter, the group is asking for at least two weeks each year to be dedicated to athletics, arguing that reviving the sport in the venue is not only possible but necessary—for athletes, for the public, and for the legacy of the stadium itself.

The Eurovision Song Contest is right around the corner, and Spain is ready for the competition.

Spain’s entry, Melody, has officially begun her Eurovision journey after arriving in Switzerland, where the 69th edition of the Contest is being held. Since winning the Benidorm Fest just over three months ago, confidence in the Andalucian singer has been on the rise.

The Eurovision Song Contest will go forward next week, with the grand final on Saturday, the 17th of May.

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

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¡Hasta la próxima!