SPAIN: Basque Elections & more – 18th Apr 2024

Buenos días from Gracia! This is the Rorshok Spain Update from the 18th of April twenty twenty-four. A quick summary of what's going down in Spain.

Kicking off this week’s episode, left-wing parties Elkarrekin Podemos, Podemos’s branch in the Basque Country, and Sumar fiercely contest the last available seats in a critical battle for representation in the Basque Parliament.

This is the last week of the Basque Country's regional election campaign, and currently, both parties are at risk of being excluded, mirroring the recent electoral failures in Galicia.

Government polls suggest that the race is tight, particularly in Álava province, where fewer votes are needed for a seat. The election's outcome hinges on winning over undecided voters, especially those who previously supported Elkarrekin Podemos in twenty twenty but have yet to show support.

The Basque regional elections will take place this Sunday, the 21st of April.

Next up, the British Refugee Council, a non-governmental organization based in London, received over two million pounds from a fund indirectly associated with former King Juan Carlos I of Spain.

This week a spokesperson for the organization confirmed to El País that funds were given by a trust owned by late historian and social care advocate Joaquín Romero Maura.

The Joaquín Romero Maura’s trust fund was established in the tax haven of Jersey, but despite suspicions and investigations, there has been no concrete evidence linking Juan Carlos I to the fund since two thousand four.

The British Refugee Council directors took more than six months to decide whether to accept the donation as much mystery surrounds the origins of the funds, the former king's involvement, and Maura's true intentions.

Moving to immigration. Three National Security reports from within the Spanish government have highlighted concerns over irregular migration into the country.

According to the reports, in twenty twenty-three, Spain witnessed the second-highest number of irregular entries in Europe, only beaten by Italy. Over fifty-six thousand immigrants entered Spain in twenty twenty-three, with a staggering 99% of them entering via the sea. Figures for twenty twenty-four will probably be similar.

Spain's National Maritime Security Strategy says there is a severe risk of irregular migration, while the national security reports focused on the potentially higher risk of terrorism.

Due to regional stress in the Middle East and Africa, Spain's border control forces are on higher alert.

One month ago, Catalunya implemented regulation changes to prevent the escalation of rent prices, and despite no official statistics, complications have already come up.

Catalunya applied these rental price regulations to 140 municipalities and aimed to control rental costs under the Spanish Housing Law.

However, many property owners are shifting to seasonal rentals to bypass regulations, and others are extending existing contracts to maintain prices, avoiding new lower rates mandated by the law.

Critics have argued that this affects potential renters due to reduced supply and unrealistic prices.

So far, the legislation has led to decreased rental housing supply and investment in property improvements.

While the rental sector suffers, hotels seem to be doing well. According to a survey by bristol-based CBRE global real estate group, Spain will become the top destination for hotel investors in twenty twenty-four, surpassing the UK.

This shift follows a record year in Spain's tourism numbers and hospitality transactions, with investment in Spanish hotels increasing by 30% from twenty twenty-three and 70% from twenty nineteen.

Key investments include acquisitions by Singapore's GIC and the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority.

Let’s talk about children’s health. The Spanish Ministry of Health is urging regional governments to enact legislation that prohibits betting houses within 100 meters of schools and colleges.

This week, Mónica García, the head of the ministry, criticized some regions for prioritizing economic interests over youth protection, leading to an "abusive proliferation" of gambling establishments.

García gave a speech on Monday the 15th where she highlighted the growing concern over non-substance addictions among the youth, including gambling and excessive internet use. She said that in twenty twenty-three, 5% of the population between fifteen and sixty-four gambled online.

Meanwhile, the Canary Islands will remain on pre-alert status ahead of rising temperatures throughout April.

The General Directorate of Emergencies of the Canary Islands announced the update after following advice from AEMET, Spain’s Met Office.

From Wednesday, the 17th, AEMET forecasted that temperatures would reach between twenty-eight and thirty-two degrees Celcius (around eighty to eighty-nine Fahrenheit), particularly on the western and southern islands.

The region continues to experience higher-than-usual temperatures for this period, along with dry conditions and episodes of storms. The islands are essentially experiencing a "mini heatwave" due to a strong high-pressure system, lack of clouds, and increased sunlight.

Jaume Bauzá, the tourism minister for the Balearic Islands, has rejected the CAEB Restaurants Association's proposal for temporarily suspending new bars and restaurants in Mallorca and the Balearic Islands.

Alfonso Robledo, The association's president, advocated for the suspension as a way to enhance quality and ensure a diversity of businesses, expressing concern that excessive numbers of bars and restaurants could transform streets into nighttime-only areas, meaning these areas could become rowdy and attract unwanted activities like heavy drinking.

Despite this, Bauzá expressed commitment to collaborating with the restaurant sector to boost quality and suggested that new quality certifications might be incorporated into the forthcoming tourism law.

In other news, The Burgos City Council in Castilla y León plans to clear overgrown green areas in response to concerns about a supposed viper infestation.

This decision comes after images of several viper snakes circulated online, stirring public fear. The local environmental councilor has scheduled an urgent meeting with local firefighters, police, and health officials to develop a protocol for dealing with these snakes that are protected species.

The situation has sparked a flurry of blame and conspiracy theories, with some accusing environmentalists of releasing the snakes to support the eagle population and others criticizing the untended, overgrown forest conditions that might lead to fires.

Speaking of fires, on Sunday, the 14th, a severe wildfire broke out in the Tarbena mountains of Alicante, Valencia, where 180 residents were evacuated.

The region has been experiencing unusually high temperatures since last Friday, which have contributed to the fire spreading. Humid weather and dense vegetation complicated efforts by firefighters to control the blaze overnight, making the area particularly prone to fire.

Spring is full of festivals. This week, between Sunday the 14th and the 20th of April, Sevilla celebrates the Feria de Abril, a vibrant week-long festival held in the southwest of the city in the neighborhood of Los Remedios, with traditional music, outfits, and plenty of food.

The festival offers traditional activities and sights like parades, horseback riding, daily bullfights, and parties, stretching into the early hours of the morning.

At its center, there’s a fairground dotted with over a thousand tents, both private and public, and even ones sponsored by political parties and trade unions.

But Sevilla isn’t the only one celebrating, as from the 22nd until the 25th of April the small village of Banyeres de Mariola in Valencia will host the Moros y Cristianos Festival, its largest annual event.

Along with much of Spain and the world, they will celebrate their patron saint: Saint George, or San Jorge.

Apart from food, music and costumes, a vast array of actors will act out important moments in Moorish, Christian, and Spanish history.

The festival concludes on the 25th of April with an outdoor mass dedicated to those who have passed, providing a poignant end to the celebrations!

And that’s it for this week! Thanks for joining us!

Do you know that besides the Spain Update, we also do others? Our latest ones are the Arctic Update, about the area north of the Arctic Circle, and the Ocean Update, about the 70% of the world covered in salt water. The other ones are all country updates, we have a selection of countries from Africa, Asia, South America, and Europe. Check roroshok.com/updates to see the full list. Find the link in the show notes as well.

¡Hasta la próxima!