SPAIN: From Geopolitics to Patriotism & more – 12th Mar 2026

Buenos días from Gracia! This is the Rorshok Spain Update from the 12th of March twenty twenty-six. A quick summary of what's going down in Spain.

First up, an update on Spain and the war in the Middle East. On Monday, the 9th, President Pedro Sánchez reaffirmed the government’s no-to-war stance after Donald Trump threatened to cut off all US trade with Spain for refusing to support American attacks on Iran or allow the use of jointly operated bases in southern Spain.

Sánchez warned that the escalating Middle East conflict was like playing Russian roulette with the destiny of millions and urged the US, Israel, and Iran to halt the war. He argued governments must not support actions that violate their values out of fear of reprisals.

Trump criticised Spain during a meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and also attacked UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The European Union and the European Commission defended the peninsula, stressing that threats against one member state amount to threats against the entire continent.

Meanwhile, on Sunday, the 8th, thousands of people marched across the country on International Women's Day, demanding gender equality while also protesting war and the global rise of the far right.

This year, marches also strongly condemned conflicts, including the wars in Iran, Ukraine and Gaza. Feminist groups warned that hard-won rights could be threatened by growing authoritarian and reactionary movements worldwide. Spanish equality minister Ana Redondo also linked feminism with peace activism, stressing solidarity with women affected by conflict worldwide.

Despite continuing divisions within Spanish feminism, particularly over the trans law and approaches to prostitution, large marches took place in cities such as Madrid, Barcelona and Sevilla, in the south.

In policy news, the Spanish government has proposed a universal child benefit payment of 200 euros per month for every child under eighteen to reduce child poverty and support families.

The proposal was initially announced in February, but full details were revealed on Monday, the 9th. The policy will apply to all families legally residing in Spain, including single-parent, adoptive, and foster families. Each child would receive 200 euros monthly, 2,400 annually, regardless of household income.

The proposal is part of Spain’s Sustainable Development Strategy for twenty thirty, but has not yet been approved and must pass through parliament and be included in the national budget before taking effect. If implemented, it would cost about nineteen billion euros per year and could become one of the country’s largest anti-poverty initiatives.

Critics question whether the policy is financially sustainable without raising taxes or cutting spending elsewhere.

Speaking of spending, on Monday the 9th, the European Commission approved a 200 million euro Spanish subsidy programme aimed at strengthening Spain's electric-vehicle supply chain.

The funding is part of Spain’s industrial initiative and will support the manufacturing of electric-vehicle batteries, hydrogen components, and related technologies.

The programme also promotes the production and recycling of critical raw materials needed for e-mobility. The scheme aligns with the EU’s Aid Framework introduced in twenty twenty-five to accelerate investment in key sectors, and Teresa Ribera, the European Commission’s executive vice-president for competition, said the investment would strengthen Europe’s energy autonomy and resilience while advancing the transition away from fossil fuels.

Next, on Tuesday the 10th, the country announced plans to formally pardon fifty-three women who were imprisoned as teenagers by institutions linked to the dictatorship of Francisco Franco.

The women were detained by the Board for the Protection of Women, a network of centres run largely by religious orders that punished girls who were considered to be morally at risk or who deviated from religious rules, for example, suspected sex workers.

The system expanded after the Spanish Civil War to control female behaviour and remained active until ninety ninety-five, a decade after Franco’s death.

As part of the plans, the central government will recognise the survivors as victims of Francoist repression and declare the punishments imposed on them null and void. However, victims’ groups argue that pardons alone are insufficient, calling instead for full truth, justice, and reparations.

Let’s head south to Andalucía. On Friday, the 6th, Málaga’s Port Authority approved the installation of new, controversial sculptures on a six-month trial basis. They were originally planned to be displayed for twenty-five years.

The sculptures, created by Ceuta-born artist Ginés Serrán Pagán, include a five-metre Roman Venus with a sun, a Neptune holding a fishing net, and two smaller lions.

The project has been controversial since its announcement in twenty twenty-four. Several cultural institutions have criticised the sculptures as kitsch and out of place in the city’s historic setting. The Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Telmo even argued that the pieces resemble superhero imagery rather than reflecting Málaga’s heritage.

Continuing with art news, the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya is set to undergo a major expansion to increase exhibition space and improve access in Barcelona, with completion planned for twenty twenty-nine.

The project will cost millions, and the museum’s main entrance will also move closer to the city centre and next to the historic columns of Plaza Espanya, designed by Josep Puig i Cadafalch.

The redesign completes a vision that was first proposed in ninety thirty-four, but was interrupted by the Civil War and the subsequent dictatorship.

In sports news. On Monday, the 9th, Egoitz Bijueska, a fifteen-year-old from the Basque Country in the north, became the world champion after winning the final of the World Skateboarding Championships in São Paulo, Brazil.

The teenager has been considered a rising star in the sport for several years. At age thirteen, he had already placed fifth at the world championships and successfully performed the difficult 900 trick, first popularized by skateboarding legend Tony Hawk.

After his victory, Bijueska said his next major goals are competing at the X Games and representing the country at the twenty twenty-eight Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, where he is expected to be among the favourites.

According to Euro News Weekly, the country is becoming one of Europe’s safest and most attractive travel destinations in twenty twenty-six, particularly along the Costa del Sol in the South.

Tourism experts have said that global instability for destinations, especially in the Middle East, is redirecting affluent visitors toward southern Spain. For local economies, it’s a complicated win. While increased visitors mean investment and jobs, it also pushes up property prices and rental costs, especially in popular towns.

Can golf, a sport long associated with privilege, reinvent itself?

In the news outlet El País, Diego Rojas Castillo discusses the sport shedding its elitist image, with participation nearing 100,000 registered players, according to the Royal Madrid Golf Federation.

According to the article, grassroots groups are helping fuel the shift: The movement is especially visible in Madrid, home to thirty-four golf facilities and Europe’s largest golf school, including programs for people with disabilities. Castillo’s point: golf in Spain is becoming less exclusive and far more accessible. What are your thoughts about traditionally elitist sports?

Link to the article in the show notes.

Anndddd finally…an opinion piece. This week, Paco Cerdà, a Spanish correspondent for the New York Times, explored how the country’s defiance of President Trump has sparked a rare sense of patriotism for him.

After President Pedro Sánchez announced that Spain would not allow the US use of jointly operated military bases for operations against Iran, Cerdà felt pride when Trump criticized Spain as a terrible ally and threatened trade sanctions.

For Cerdà, Sánchez’s refusal marks a firm assertion of sovereignty and a pushback against outside pressure.

So it raises a question: even for those who rarely feel patriotic, is there still a sense of pride when a country defends its autonomy and principles against a powerful nation?

You can read the full article in the show notes below.

—-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

Anything you want to tell us? info@rorshok.com

¡Hasta la próxima!