SPAIN: Protests in Madrid & more – 3rd Oct 2024

Buenos días from Gracia! This is the Rorshok Spain Update from the 3rd of October twenty twenty-four. A quick summary of what's going down in Spain.

On Thursday, the 26th, two of Spain’s largest trade unions, the General Union of Workers (UGT) and the Workers' Commissions (CCOO), led protests in Madrid.

The unions demanded a reduction in the working week from forty hours to thirty-seven and a half. Unai Sordo, the leader of the CCOO union, argued that technological advances enable shorter hours without sacrificing pay or productivity.

President Pedro Sánchez’s government is pushing for the change, offering incentives like hiring bonuses for small businesses to ease the transition.

While employers have expressed concerns over increased costs, the government is prepared to implement the reduction by the end of twenty twenty-four.

Speaking of strikes, on Friday, the 27th, Spain saw widespread protests in solidarity with Palestine.

In Catalunya, activists blocked access to Barcelona University's Raval campus, as part of a nationwide movement backed by hundreds of organizations, including unions and human rights groups.

The strike aimed to pressure the Spanish government to cease diplomatic, military, and commercial ties with Israel, accusing it of complicity in the alleged war crimes against the Palestinian population.

Tens of thousands participated in marches across Spain, chanting slogans supporting Palestinian freedom. This historic strike follows Spain's recent recognition of Palestine and its criticism of Israeli actions, though activists argue that government actions remain insufficient.

Next up, a diplomatic dispute between Spain and Mexico has sparked up this week after Claudia Sheinbaum, Mexico’s President-elect, refused to invite King Felipe to her inauguration, citing his failure to apologize for colonial-era abuses against Indigenous Mexicans.

The row began in twenty nineteen when Andrés Manuel López Obrador, the former Mexican president, demanded apologies from Spain and the Vatican for the atrocities committed during the conquest 500 years ago.

Spain rejected the call, insisting that historical events cannot be judged by modern standards. Sánchez criticized Sheinbaum’s decision as politically motivated, deteriorating relations between the two nations, which he described as brother countries.

To know more about the current Spain-Mexico colonialism row, follow the link in the show notes.

In economic updates, after almost two years of reductions and frozen VAT rates to help with the cost of living prices, the government will raise the VAT on olive oil and basic food items from 0% to 2%, affecting products like bread, milk, and eggs.

The VAT on seed oils and pasta will increase from 5% to 7.5%. These rates will remain until the 31st of December, after which the VAT will rise to 4% for essential foods and 10% for pasta and seed oils.

Despite these increases, inflation for food has slowed down, with consumer prices up only 1.5% in September, the lowest in three years.

This week, tourism leaders in Girona, Catalunya, gathered to mark World Tourism Day on Friday the 27th, reflecting on the summer season, and addressing concerns about growing anti-tourist sentiments across Spain.

Antoni Escudero, the president of Girona's Hospitality and Tourism Federation, highlighted the sector's recovery post-pandemic but warned of challenges, including a 15% drop in Catalan and Spanish tourists due to international competition.

Escudero emphasized the need for fair regulation across the industry and criticized housing issues linked to unchecked tourism growth. Xavier Guitart, a government representative, condemned anti-tourism protests, calling them shameful.

In some transport updates, Talgo, the Spanish manufacturer of intercity, standard, and high-speed passenger trains, is building the world’s first high-speed hydrogen-powered train, marking a major milestone in sustainable rail transport.

The project aims to shift from traditional electric trains using overhead wires to hydrogen fuel cells, offering an eco-friendly alternative with lower capital and maintenance costs.

Hydrogen-powered trains have been in development for two decades, but this marks the first time such technology has been applied to high-speed rail.

Talgo's breakthrough could make hydrogen trains viable for countries with lower population density, like the U.S. and Canada, by eliminating the need for costly electrification.

Continuing with innovation. Sports retailer Decathlon and AMBE, Spain's bicycle trade association, have partnered to promote cycling for transport, leisure, tourism, and sport.

This collaboration aims to develop shared strategies that encourage bicycle use and boost market growth.

The Spanish bicycle industry, which faced supply-demand issues in twenty twenty-three, is now focusing on urban mobility, with e-bike sales expected to surpass conventional bicycles by twenty thirty.

The partnership also supports the European Commission’s Sustainable Mobility plan, which includes initiatives like bicycle rentals, second-hand sales, and electric bike leasing.

New research has revealed that giant pandas originated in Spain, with eleven-million-year-old fossils of the Agriarctos beatrix species discovered at sites in Barcelona and Zaragoza.

Additional fossils of another extinct panda species, Kretzoiarctos beatrix, were also found in Germany, indicating that panda ancestors lived in both countries.

Unlike modern pandas, these early ancestors were smaller and omnivorous, similar to brown bears. The last European panda lived in Spain around six million years ago, as suggested by fossils found in Teruel.

On to ingenious engineering practices. A mother-daughter team has used bacteria to restore a damaged 18th-century painting at Valencia's Santos Juanes Church.

Pilar Roig, a restorer, struggled with a botched nineteen60s restoration that left a stubborn layer of animal collagen glue on the artwork. Her daughter, microbiologist Pilar Bosch, found a research paper detailing the use of bacteria in art restoration.

Together, they applied a bacteria-infused algae gel that effectively broke down the glue without damaging the paintings. This innovative technique, part of a €4 million initiative, proved superior to traditional restoration methods.

Bosch’s method is now being applied across Europe, with plans to use it for graffiti removal.

Moving to weather safety. The iconic Bilbao street tile, once widely used in the city's streets, is being replaced, because of increased pedestrian slips, especially in rainy weather.

The tile, designed in the mid-20th century to drain water efficiently, has been phased out in key areas like Gran Vía and near the Guggenheim Museum, where stone or granite slabs are now preferred for aesthetic and technical reasons.

The Bilbao City Council cites design choices and durability as reasons for the change, despite the hydraulic tile being cheaper and popular for its water drainage.

Public concerns echo past issues with the Zubizuri Bridge, which faced similar safety problems.

Speaking of cultural heritage, the newly opened Ilgaz Yildiz Art Gallery in Madrid aims to bridge the cultural gap between Türkiye and Spain, focusing on contemporary Turkish art.

Inaugurated in early September, the gallery is the first in Spain to showcase Turkish artists. The debut exhibition titled, When the Doors Open, features nine Turkish artists, all exhibiting in Spain for the first time.

Founder Ilgaz Yildiz emphasized her interest in artists inspired by Anatolia, the ancient name for Turkey, and ancient techniques, aiming to highlight both modern and traditional forms of art.

Since opening on the 11th of September, the exhibition has received positive reactions from the Spanish public, particularly for its diverse techniques in textiles and weaving.

In sports news, Formula E, the electric car variation of the Formula series motorsport, will host an all-female test to promote diversity and equality in motorsport.

Twenty-two female drivers will participate at the Ricardo Tormo circuit in Valencia, driving the new Gen3 Evo cars for the upcoming season.

Formula E aims to offer elite female drivers, who may lack opportunities in other motorsport categories, a platform to showcase their talent.

Jeff Dodds, Formula E CEO, emphasized the need for equal opportunities to foster women's development in the sport.

And finally…if you thought the festivals were over, you’d be wrong! Between the 4th and 12th of October, the Fiestas de San Froilán will go ahead, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors from Spain and beyond.

Originating in seventeen fifty four, the celebration includes two key dates: the 5th of October, honoring the patron saint San Froilán with religious events, and O Domingo das Mozas, on Sunday the 8th which celebrates Galician traditional dress and folklore.

Festivities feature parades, street performances, and markets. Children enjoy special events like San Froilanciño, including games, puppet shows, followed by a grand fireworks display.

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

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¡Hasta la próxima!