SPAIN: Álvaro García Ortiz Steps Down & more – 27th Nov 2025

Buenos días from Gracia! This is the Rorshok Spain Update from the 27th of November twenty twenty-five. A quick summary of what's going down in Spain.

For our top story this week, on Monday, the 24th, Álvaro García Ortiz, the Attorney General, resigned after the Supreme Court found him guilty of leaking confidential information.

The court also imposed a two-year ban from office, fined him 7,200 euros, and ordered him to pay 10,000 euros in damages to Alberto González Amador, the partner of conservative politician Isabel Díaz Ayuso and the businessman whose data was leaked.

Spanish media portrays Ortiz’s resignation as a significant political blow to President Pedro Sánchez’s leftist coalition government.

In other government-related news, life may soon feel a lot more stable for residents.

The government plans to streamline paperwork and speed up procedures. Under the new rules, initial residence permits will last one year, with renewals jumping to four years (and five years for family visas), giving migrants a sturdier foothold as previously renewal was between one and two years.

Officials expect the system to help around 300,000 people a year secure regular status, avoiding the stress of expiring temporary permits or slipping into irregularity.

Speaking of immigration and residency reforms, on Monday, the 24th, new figures from the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration have shown that there has been a 46% rise in work and residency permit applications following the immigration reforms enacted in May twenty twenty-four.

The reforms expanded visa categories, simplified combining salaries and self-employment, and migration management, making bureaucracy easier.

Just five months after the reform, nearly 100,000 migrants regularized their status through expanded migration categories, and study permit applications soared from 32,000 to 93,000.

Spain is set to become the first EU country to exit post-bailout surveillance after its December payment of 4.6 billion euros.

Spain is actively repaying the forty-billion-euro banking rescue arranged by the EU in twenty twelve–twenty thirteen. More than 75% of that amount has already been paid back. The EU provided the loan after Spain’s property market collapsed after the two thousand eight financial crisis, triggering a wave of economic challenges.

A final report by the European Commission and European Central Bank describes Spain’s economic outlook as favorable, citing improvement in public finances and a profitable, resilient banking sector.

In another kind of exit, Spanish communications company Telefónica is planning to cut up to 5,000 jobs in Spain, which is around 20% of its domestic workforce, as part of a major cost-reduction initiative.

The cuts follow a broader trend of cost-cutting in the European telecom sector. Liberty Global, co-owner of Virgin Media O2, is preparing to reduce its UK workforce by about 800 staff, while other companies are planning the same.

Telefonica has not commented on the backlash across social media and news publications, which all protest against the loss of jobs for profit.

Next up, on Wednesday the 26th, the Spanish Data Protection Agency has fined airport operator Aena more than ten million euros for deploying facial-recognition systems without conducting necessary assessments.

The sanction cites a breach of Article 35, which requires prior evaluation of high-risk data processing, especially when new technologies are involved. As a result, Spain’s data agency has ordered the temporary suspension of all biometric data processing at Aena-managed airports until a proper assessment is completed.

So, no biometric machines at Aena airports for the foreseeable future.

Still in transport-related news, a recent article by El País, published on Monday, the 24th, has revealed that ongoing Rodalies rail issues in Catalunya have caused commuters to switch to interurban buses, rather than risk train travel.

Between twenty eighteen and twenty twenty-four, Rodalies, Catalunya’s main commuter and regional rail system, lost about 42,000 weekday passengers, despite travel being free for frequent users from twenty twenty-two.

Chronic delays, breakdowns, and construction works have driven travellers toward the express bus network, which rose from nineteen million passengers in twenty twenty-three to twenty-three million in twenty twenty-four.

Over to Valencia now, as on Friday the 21st, around 900 students from Valencian towns hit by last year’s DANA storm gathered in the municipality of Aldaia for CongresFest Valencia, an event celebrating youth talent, innovation, and community reconstruction.

The event was organized by the Princess of Girona Foundation and was linked to the foundation’s Special Intervention Plan for young people affected by the storm.

Now, for a story you might find interesting, as coffee is beloved around the world. The nation's coffee culture in general is a daily ritual, having woven itself into society throughout the decades.

The Spanish classic, café con leche, was first introduced in the sixteen hundreds, but it didn't become a staple at the breakfast table until the nineteen hundreds with the proliferation of the modern espresso machine. It is so beloved that during the nineteen thirties Civil War and World War II, beans were limited, so people would substitute the taste with chicory or roasted barley. In modern times, however, specialty coffee is everywhere.

Specialty coffee roasters like Nubra Coffee in Madrid or Syra in Barcelona emphasize traceability, quality, and the human connection behind each bean.

Check out the Forbes article in the show notes for a deep dive into coffee culture in Spain.

Now you can also have a coffee at a new pub, as on Monday, the 24th, British pub chain JD Wetherspoon announced it would open its first pub in mainland Europe in January twenty twenty-six at Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández Airport in the southeast.

The venue will feature an outdoor terrace, operating daily from 6 am to 9 pm. The menu will mirror the chain’s UK offerings, including breakfast items, burgers, and pizzas, alongside local dishes such as garlic prawns and Spanish omelette to appeal to regional tastes.

For Brits, a Wetherspoon in Alicante offers a sense of home abroad, while others are interested in its affordable drinks and meals, and find its cosy British pub a novelty.

November is almost over and the Christmas bells are already ringing. On Saturday, the 22nd, Madrid officially launched its Christmas season with a spectacular display of over thirteen million LED lights, a musical performance by Spanish singer David Bisbal and festive events in the Plaza de Cibeles, enjoyed by around 90,000 people.

As part of its switch-on, the city has installed over 8,000 lights, 120 illuminated trees, thirteen large firs, and decorative arches across its twenty-one districts.

In not-so-festive news, major disputes between the Seville City Council and the Local Police have put the city’s Christmas events at risk just days before the holiday season begins.

Throughout November, the council failed to approve the twenty twenty-four Christmas Security Plan, which covers police overtime and operations for large gatherings, including parades, markets, and football matches. Negotiations collapsed after the municipal intervention office warned that overtime funds were exhausted in April, leaving all payments since May without legal coverage.

The city proposes a 5.6 million euro plan covering selected special-duty days, but police unions have demanded more. Even if approved, unions plan to file an urgent appeal.

In sports news, Spain made history on Sunday, the 23rd, by winning their first-ever U18 Men’s Rugby Europe Championship, defeating Georgia 16-11 at Marketa Stadium in Czechia.

Spain held firm throughout the game, sparking celebrations among fans and marking a milestone for national youth rugby. The victory reflects Spain’s growing strength as a youth rugby nation, and the country’s general rising presence in European rugby.

And finally, a story about mental health. On Wednesday the 26th, popular singer-songwriter Valeria Castro returned from a break to accept the Ondas Award for Musical Phenomenon of the Year with Guitarricadelafuente. She's recently made headlines for taking a career break, with most praising her.

In her emotional speech, she stressed the importance of mental health, thanked her supporters, and said taking time for herself allowed her to keep creating and communicating through her art.

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

Don't forget that our new very cool t-shirts are out now! Set up your personal collection and we'll give you a discount code for your friends! But it gets better… The person who sells the most t-shirts with the discount code will get a free trip to Lisbon in early April. Check the link in the show notes!

¡Hasta la próxima!