SPAIN: Sanchez´s resignation & more – 25th Apr 2024

Buenos días from Gracia! This is the Rorshok Spain Update from the 25th of April twenty twenty-four. A quick summary of what's going down in Spain.

Let’s kick off this edition with the Basque regional elections. The left-wing coalition of Basque separatists made historic gains but couldn’t surpass the votes for the ruling Basque Nationalist Party or PNV.

The PNV secured first place with twenty-seven seats, just over 35% of the vote, while the left-wing separatist party Euskal Herria Bildu, or EH Bildu, gained twenty seats and just over 32% of the vote.

EH Bildu's rise was less sharp than predicted. Still, the party celebrated its record results as an indication of its growing appeal, despite critics mentioning its imperfect past and former member links who were part of the Euskadi Ta Askatasuna group associated with terrorism.

Continuing with the Basque elections, the PNV and the Basque Socialists, PSE-EE, will renew their coalition, reflecting their shared goal of stability despite shifts in parliament towards more nationalist and left-wing sentiments.

The coalition will have a majority in the seventy-five-seat parliament with the PNV's twenty-seven seats and the PSE-EE's twelve.

All isn't rosy for Spanish President Pedro Sanchez this week. On Wednesday, the 23rd, he published a letter to the public telling citizens he needed to consider whether he would continue to lead the central government after a legal investigation into his wife came to light — something he says has been fueled by right-leaning parties Vox and PSOE in a bid to attack him from all sides.

In the letter, he said he would be halting his public duties for the rest of the week after a Spanish court launched an investigation against his wife, Begoña Gómez, accusing her of alleged corruption. On Monday, the 29th, he said he would appear before the media to let them know his final decision.

Moving on, the EU is putting pressure on all EU countries, but particularly Greece and Spain, this week to supply Patriot air-defense systems to Ukraine as Western allies bolster Ukrainian defenses against Russian attacks.

EU officials have stressed the importance of continued support while the US approves additional aid for Ukraine. Jens Stoltenberg, NATO’s Secretary-General, confirmed that member states possess adequate systems that could be shared without compromising their own security.

Spain and Greece face calls from the EU to commit their resources because they are further away from Russia, while countries like Romania and Poland face less pressure due to their proximity to the country.

Next up, the Freixenet Group, one of Spain's largest wine producers, has announced plans to temporarily suspend over 600 workers due to severe drought impacting the Catalunya region.

The ongoing drought has adversely affected grape harvests, which are crucial for producing cava, the Spanish sparkling wine similar to champagne, which is the Freixenet Group's best-selling product. The company will turn to an Erte scheme starting in May, allowing workers to receive state benefits during their time away.

Despite reporting strong financial results for twenty twenty-three, with a 4% increase in turnover from the previous year and rising sales in sparkling wines and spirits since twenty twenty-two, Freixenet couldn’t meet the growing global demand for cava because of the drought.

Keeping with drought updates, Catalunya is addressing its severe drought by installing a temporary floating desalination plant in Barcelona's port, supplementing Europe's largest permanent desalination facility already in use.

This new plant is considered more cost-effective and sustainable than importing water by ship. At its very basic level, the plant will take seawater and turn it into purer water without salt that regional services can use for showering, washing, and even drinking over a short period of time.

The plant will start operations in October and enhance Barcelona's water security by producing 40,000 square meters daily, accounting for 6% of the city's consumption. The plant should help delay or reduce the need for further water usage restrictions.

After over a year of relying on tanker trucks for potable water, the 80,000 residents of the northern Sierra in Córdoba can finally drink from their taps again.

The Regional Government of Andalucía confirmed that water from the Sierra Boyera reservoir was once again safe to consume. Authorities said it previously contained high levels of organic carbon, possibly caused by man-made substances or organic material seeping into the water supply, which can lead to adverse health problems if the water isn't treated properly.

However, as it's been declared safe to consume, this news marks the end of a long-standing water crisis exacerbated by severe droughts and poor government funding. A spokesperson for the United for Water Platform, Miguel Aparicio, said there was a lack of transparency from regional government services.

Van Oord, a Dutch maritime contracting company, has successfully completed the largest beach restoration project in Spain's history south of the Port of Valencia, restoring seven kilometers of coastline that have been progressively eroding since nineteen sixty-five.

The company utilized its largest suction dredger machinery to deposit 3.3 million cubic meters of sand, extending some beaches to 150 meters wide. Additionally, two breakwaters were extended to help mitigate future erosion.

This restoration effort also included ecological enhancements, such as the formation of new dunes through the strategic placement of sand and thousands of plants.

Now, let's look at the Canary Islands, where thousands of locals have protested against over-tourism, advocating for temporary limits on tourist arrivals.

Demonstrators supporting a tourism model shift believe current practices do not benefit the region and contribute to higher living expenses. Various environmental groups organized protests on Saturday, the 20th, as part of a broader call for sustainable tourism across the Canary Islands. As a major tourist destination, it attracted nearly fourteen million visitors in twenty twenty-three, prompting calls for better controls on tourism growth. According to data gathering platform Statista, the two million residents “welcomed” almost a million more tourists in twenty twenty-three than pre-pandemic figures.

The increase in tourism has come during a season of short-term holiday rentals in the lead-up to summer. Due to the complaints, local authorities are responding with legislation to regulate short-term rentals.

In energy news, Spanish utility company Iberdrola plans to shut down its seven combined-cycle gas plants in the county within four to five years, aligning with its zero emissions target.

Iberdrola's zero emissions target for energy generation and consumption is set for twenty thirty, and the company asserts that closing these plants is essential to meeting its environmental goals. However, whether these plants will be used for something else or left abandoned is unclear.

Iberdrola has said it’s investing in energy storage solutions, including pumped-storage hydro, which relies on energy generation through water reservoirs. So far, they’ve said it’s allocated 1.5 billion euros in its transition to a cleaner energy plan between twenty twenty-four and twenty twenty-six, expecting to increase this figure by twenty thirty. Wonder what they´ll do with all that real estate however?

In sports news, on Sunday, the 21st, an 'El Clásico' football match between Real Madrid and FC Barcelona resulted in Barcelona campaigning for a disallowed goal after they lost the match.

Real Madrid beat Barcelona by scoring a last-minute goal, ending the match 3-2. However, Joan Laporta, Barcelona's president, has requested video and audio evidence from the Spanish Football Federation because of a disallowed goal through the VAR system.

The VAR system allows referees to watch match footage back in real-time and make a more informed decision with some trickier football rules.

Xavi, Barcelona’s head coach, described the disallowed goal as maximum injustice.

And finally, Madrid Day, or the Fiesta de la Comunidad de Madrid, is set to go ahead on Thursday, the 2nd of May, marking the anniversary of an uprising against French troops on the 2nd of May, eighteen eight.

Madrid Day is a public holiday for the autonomous community, where schools, businesses, and government offices will be closed.

There will be so much to see and do across the city, with Police and military parades, street parties, communal meals, and local celebrations in districts across Madrid and the region.

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

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¡Hasta la próxima!