SPAIN: Blackout Chaos & more – 1st May 2025

Buenos días from Gracia! This is the Rorshok Spain Update from the 1st of May twenty twenty-five. A quick summary of what's going down in Spain.

For our lead story this week, around midday on Monday, the 28th, an unprecedented power outage struck nearly all of Spain, disrupting electricity, telecommunications, public transport, and essential services nationwide. Parts of Portugal and France were also affected. The exact cause is still unknown and under investigation; however, a cyber attack has been ruled out.

Red Eléctrica, the national grid operator, reported a severe power fluctuation that disconnected Spain from the European network, triggering what they called a zero energy event.

In response, the government convened an emergency crisis cabinet. At the same time, the National Security Council met. Power was gradually restored with help from France and Morocco, but full recovery took around ten hours, lasting until late Monday evening. During the outage, residents in Barcelona gathered in parks and on beaches to wait it out and enjoy the disconnection.

Related to this, the nationwide blackout sparked concern over essential services, but hospitals largely maintained critical operations using emergency generators. Some healthcare facilities experienced brief power lapses, and in Galicia in the northwest, digital systems failed, forcing nurses and doctors to use paper records.

Check out the link in the show notes for tips on what you might need during a blackout.

Also, on Monday, the Partido Popular or PP called for President Pedro Sánchez to resign after a judge in Badajoz found sufficient evidence to prosecute his brother, David Sánchez, for administrative misconduct and misusing his influence.

The allegations stem from the creation of a public job post, which was allegedly tailored for him. PP leaders have demanded elections and accused Sánchez of hiding from clear corruption.

Government sources responded that the investigation is politically motivated, insisting there is nothing to the accusations, calling it a witch hunt. Officials from the ruling Socialist Party defended Sánchez, stressing faith in the justice system and accusing the opposition of exploiting the case for political gain.

Meanwhile, on Thursday the 24th, Spain announced it had cancelled a 7.5 million euro ammunition deal with Israeli company IMI Systems following political pressure from its left-wing coalition partner, Sumar.

The deal, meant to supply fifteen million rounds to the Civil Guard, clashed with Spain’s commitments to halt arms sales and purchases involving Israel amid the situation in Gaza. Yolanda Díaz, Spain’s Deputy President and former leader of Sumar, called the deal a betrayal, highlighting Spain’s pro-Palestine stance.

The contract was initially kept due to legal concerns over financial penalties, but President Pedro Sánchez intervened after Sumar threatened to exit the fragile coalition. The move has deepened tensions within the government, especially following Sánchez’s pledge to raise defence spending to meet NATO targets.

Now, it's that time of the year for a spring clean — but in Madrid, it's overdue. This week, the city ramped up waste collection by 30% to clear 8,000 tonnes of trash left after a six-day garbage strike ended on Sunday the 27th.

Councillor Borja Carabante thanked residents for their patience, explaining that the visible waste seen on the streets was due to people bringing out trash that they had stored during the strike. Opposition parties have consistently slammed Mayor Martínez-Almeida for mishandling the strike and siding with contractors over workers.

News outlet El Mundo reported that six Mossos d'Esquadra officers were injured during a violent riot late last Monday in Lleida, Catalunya.

Police had responded to a street fight involving up to 200 people. Even though the fight had ended, some in the crowd threw bottles and stones and then attacked with sticks and iron bars.

No arrests have been made yet; however, authorities, including Deputy Mayor Cristina Morón, called it an isolated incident. The Mossos are investigating and intend to press charges.

Next, a recent survey by the Spanish Association of Women Filmmakers and Audiovisual Media presented in Madrid on Friday, the 25th of April, revealed that over 60% of women in Spain's film and TV industry have experienced some form of sexual abuse or harassment.

The survey, conducted among over three hundred women, found that around 80% of the respondents reported verbal harassment, and just under 50% said they suffered from physical harassment. Meanwhile, 22% reported digital harassment.

The report, titled After The Silence, aims to raise awareness and propose effective measures to tackle the issue. It has received support from Spain's Ministry of Equality, with hopes for further discussions involving the Culture and Work Ministries.

Spain has officially banned its embassies and consulates from registering children born via surrogacy abroad, closing a long-used loophole for Spanish citizens seeking parenthood through international surrogates.

The ruling went into effect on Thursday, the 1st of May, and it outlines that diplomats must reject foreign birth certificates naming Spanish citizens as parents in such cases. For all those with pending registrations, they've been cancelled. Surrogacy has been illegal in Spain since two thousand six, but many couples had previously used court rulings from other countries to gain recognition of parenthood.

Now, for an interesting story, world-renowned singer and winner of three Latin Grammys, David Bisbal, has joined the Alzheimer’s Association's Music Moments campaign, contributing a heartfelt Spanish rendition of his song, Mi Princesa, to raise awareness for Alzheimer’s disease.

The campaign, which highlights the emotional connection between music and memories, seeks to engage Hispanic and Latino communities disproportionately affected by the disease and uses the power of music to raise awareness, offering support and research resources for those impacted by Alzheimer's.

Bisbal’s song holds special significance, as both his father and aunt are living with the disease.

As summer approaches, many of us are looking forward to a vacation; however, for many Spaniards, a staycation is much more appealing.

According to Enjoy Travel, a travel-based media outlet, a lot of Spanish people prefer to vacation within their own country, choosing home travel over international. They often avoid heavily touristed areas and instead seek out regions with culture, natural beauty and a more intimate feel.

In the north, The Basque Country draws Spanish visitors for its world-renowned cuisine and vibrant cultural scene, particularly in San Sebastián and Bilbao, while in the northwest, Galicia appeals to nature lovers and religious pilgrims. Valencia, Andalucia in the south, and the Canary Islands, especially Gran Canaria’s Puerto de Mogán, off the northwest coast of Africa, are also popular destinations.

We don’t often talk about motorbike racing, but this is a true underdog story worth telling.

On Sunday the 27th, MotoGP star Álex Márquez won his first-ever race, which happened to be at home, at the Spanish Grand Prix in Jerez, in the southwest, claiming the championship lead from his brother Marc.

For those unfamiliar with the sport, Marc Márquez is a six-time MotoGP champion, so for Álex to get his first win on home turf is truly special. Álex, who also just celebrated his 29th birthday, took the lead after a strategic race and held off Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo, and Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia.

Over to the northeast, Barcelona is set to build a dedicated 6,200-square-metre selfie zone near the Sagrada Familia to tackle tourist congestion and reduce disruption to local residents.

The basilica, designed and started by famous architect Antoni Gaudí, attracts over 4 million visitors annually and is often blocked off by tourists on the sidewalks and roads trying to get the perfect photo.

The new selfie area will be located between the Nativity façade and Plaça Gaudí. The regional government says it aims to be finished by April twenty twenty-six, marking the 100th anniversary of Gaudí’s death. However, time will tell if this will be enough to separate tourism from residential life.

Finally, it’s time for a bit of literary flair! The 60th Feria del Libro de Valencia, or Valencia Book Festival, is in full swing at the Jardines del Real, running until Sunday, the 4th of May.

Over ninety publishers and 130 booths are showcasing the latest releases from big names in Spanish storytelling, as well as up-and-comers to the scene.

The fair is free to attend, and you’ll find plenty of opportunities for book signings, including stars like Manuel Vilas, Carmen Amoraga, and Rosario Raro.

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

Want to share an episode? You can download any of them as an .mp3 from our website at www.rorshok.com/spain — the link is in the show notes too!

¡Hasta la próxima!