SPAIN: Sánchez Faces Criticism & more – 5th Sep 2024

Buenos días from Gracia! This is the Rorshok Spain Update from the 5th of September twenty twenty-four. A quick summary of what's going down in Spain.

President Pedro Sánchez has faced heavy criticism for promoting Spain as a destination for migrants after announcing relaxed entry rules for African nationals.

During a visit to Mauritania last week, Sánchez signed an agreement to develop humane, safe, and organized migration routes. The aim of the deal is to reduce illegal crossings to the Canary Islands, which have surged by 154% this year compared to twenty twenty-three.

The agreement includes temporary work permits for Mauritanians and funding to train their security forces. Political opposition leaders, including Alberto Núñez Feijóo of the People’s Party or Partido Popular and Santiago Abascal of Vox, condemned the move, warning it could exacerbate the migration issue.

Sánchez defended the policy, emphasizing the necessity of immigration to support the country’s economy and welfare systems.

Turning to economics, Spain's economy is experiencing robust growth, driven by a surge in tourism from Germany and the United Kingdom.

Data released on Monday, 2nd by the National Statistics Institute shows that in July, Spain welcomed a record ten million tourists, marking just over 7% increase compared to the same month last year.

Tourist spending rose by 12% compared to twenty twenty-three, significantly boosting Spain's GDP, which is projected to grow by just over 2% in twenty twenty-four, outpacing the eurozone's average. German tourists increased their spending in Spain by nearly 10%, while British tourists, accounting for 20% of arrivals, also spent 7.5% more than last year.

On the back of increased tourism, Spain's jet fuel consumption in July reached its highest level in over fifty years.

According to Spain's non-profit corporation CORES, which manages the country's hydrocarbon supply, jet fuel sales surged by 11% over the past year to a record 700,000 tons, the highest monthly figure since records began in nineteen sixty-nine.

Jet fuel consumption didn’t just grow in Spain, but across Europe too, with Italy seeing an increase of 9% and France reporting a similar increase. The surge is driven by robust tourism activity in the Mediterranean, compensating for weaker demand in markets like Germany.

Additionally, Spain's gasoline sales rose to just over 7% compared to last year, the highest since August two thousand seven, while road diesel was the only major fuel to see a decline in sales.

Keeping with economics, the agreement for special financing for Catalunya has sparked demands from other Spanish regions, particularly Andalucia, Valencia, and Castilla-La Mancha, which say they receive fewer resources per capita.

The Catalan agreement for special financing emerged as part of negotiations between the Spanish government and Catalonia's political leaders post-election this year, and includes increased funding for the region.

Valencia's Compromís party has threatened to withhold support for the twenty twenty-five budget unless it receives an estimated 1.2 billion euros. Andalucía demands 1.08 billion euros annually until a new system is established.

The dispute has also intensified within the governing coalition, with several parties demanding more funds for their regions.

Last Friday, the 30th of August, Hungarian consortium Ganz-Mavag withdrew its takeover offer for Spanish train manufacturer Talgo after the Madrid local government blocked the bid.

The Madrid local government cited risks to national security, public order, and public health as their reasons for blocking the 619 million euro bid by the Hungarian company.

Ganz-Mavag contested the government's decision, stating that the bid met all legal requirements and lacked a valid basis for rejection. The company hinted at resubmitting its offer in the future and plans to appeal the decision.

The Spanish government views Talgo as a strategic company due to its access to sensitive railway information. Reports suggest they have concerns about the Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's ties to Russia, which may have influenced the veto – though officials haven’t confirmed this yet.

Moving on to weather, Spain is experiencing a significant weather shift as September begins, following a long, hot summer.

The arrival of a DANA, an isolated low-pressure system, and an Atlantic front, will bring cooler temperatures, heavy rain, and thunderstorms across much of the country.

The State Meteorological Agency has issued yellow and orange weather warnings for several regions, including Aragon, Castilla y Leon, Murcia, and the Valencian Community.

Northern Spain will face the worst of the weather, while other areas will see a dip in temperatures. However, some areas will still see temperatures reaching up to 35ºC (or 95ºF).

Let’s take a pit-stop at our next story! In Andalucía, police have stopped an operation that could have led to the theft of nearly half a tonne of olives as the country's harvest season begins.

In the province of Sevilla, officers from the Guardia Civil caught seven people attempting to steal 465 kg of manzanilla olives near Albaida del Aljarafe. The police arrested a woman overseeing the operation and discovered fake documents intended to facilitate the sale of the stolen olives.

The theft underscores the growing issue of olive-related crimes, driven by the rising value of olive oil, which has nearly tripled in price due to droughts and extreme weather. Last season, forty-eight people were arrested for olive theft, and over 213,000 kg of olives were recovered by the poice —these people weren't extended much of an olive branch.

Now for an odd story: a viral trend is encouraging single people to find romance in Mercadona supermarkets using an upside-down pineapple in their shopping trolley as a signal.

The craze, popularized by a TikTok video, suggests that shoppers between 7 - 8pm can attract potential partners, particularly in the wine section.

The phenomenon has caused chaotic scenes, with teenagers loitering around and even police being called to one altercation in Bilbao. While the trend has amused many, Mercadona employees have faced disruptions and expressed their frustration with the trend.

Let’s head to the sea, where a newly discovered limestone bridge in a submerged cave on Mallorca reveals that humans inhabited the island roughly 6,000 years ago — 1,600 years earlier than previously thought.

The bridge, constructed from large limestone blocks, was initially dated to around 4,400 years ago based on pottery fragments. However, recent analysis of mineral deposits on the bridge, which indicate changes in sea levels, has led researchers to revise the timeline.

This discovery suggests that human settlement on Mallorca occurred much earlier, narrowing the gap between eastern and western Mediterranean habitation.

From ancient settlers to modern-day movers, the Regional Government of Extremadura has launched the Live in Ambroz program, offering up to 15,000 euros to eligible remote workers to relocate to the rural Ambroz Valley for at least two years.

The initiative aims to combat population decline in the region, which has been losing residents and services over the last few years. The program targets digital nomads in the tech sector and offers grants based on demographic criteria, with additional incentives for women under thirty.

The program is part of broader efforts to revitalize rural areas in Spain, addressing the empty Spain phenomenon and reducing over-tourism in urban centers.

Now let’s take a look at some festivals coming up.

The Cascamorras festival is a centuries-old tradition in the towns of Guadix and Baza in Granada, symbolizing the historic rivalry between the two towns. It’s rooted in a medieval dispute over a statue of the Virgen de la Piedad, and features a character called Cascamorras, who dresses as a clown and attempts to retrieve the statue from Baza.

He runs through Baza's streets, where residents douse him with paint to prevent him from taking the statue. After failing, the Cascamorras returns to Guadix where locals express their frustration with more paint-throwing.

Finally, some flamenco! The Flamenco Biennial and the Septiembre es flamenco festival are key events celebrating flamenco in Spain. Both are based in Sevilla.

The festivals include a variety of activities, such as performances, courses, conferences, and seminars.

And if you want to clue up on flamenco, the film Flamenco directed by Carlos Saura showcases top flamenco dancers performing thirteen styles, from the tango to the rumba. With a blend of acapella music, solo routines, and group performances, it captures the full spectrum of this passionate dance form and is widely regarded as one of the greatest performance movies ever made.

For more info, follow the link in the show notes!

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

We hope you are enjoying the Rorshok Spain update as much as we enjoy making it. Don't forget to subscribe on your favorite platform to keep up with what's going on in Spain.

¡Hasta la próxima!