SPAIN: Sánchez Stays & more – 2nd May 2024

Buenos días from Gracia! This is the Rorshok Spain Update from the 2nd of May twenty twenty-four. A quick summary of what's going down in Spain.

First up this week, Spanish President Pedro Sánchez affirmed his commitment to continue as the leader of the Socialist Party or PSOE.

This decision came as a result of a judicial inquiry into Sanchez's wife, Begoña Gómez, regarding corruption allegations leading to Sanchez's announcement that he might be stepping down last Thursday. After Sanchez announced his decision, a public prosecutor recommended dismissing the case against his wife entirely due to insufficient evidence.

After a five-day hiatus from the media, on Tuesday the 30th, Sanchez said he reflected on his personal struggles and nearly resigned but ultimately chose to continue his role within a party that he said relied on him.

Let's talk about the Judiciary. Sanchez's Socialist Government, supported by parties Sumar and Podemos, is pushing to reform the organic law of the Judiciary to enable the renewal of the General Council of the Judiciary without requiring consensus with the opposition, the Partido Popular or PP.

The battle for a functioning General Council has long been a contentious political topic in Spain. Still, in the aftermath of Sanchez's near resignation, the government is looking to get rid of its biggest blockade by removing the PP from the equation.

Since the government paused the council in twenty eighteen, the system has required a 3/5, or 60% majority in Parliament, for appointments and to restart the judiciary council. Sumar and Podemos propose to lower this to 50%(which is an absolute majority), meaning the judiciary council could be restarted at a lower passing threshold without pushback from the PP.

The Socialists also plan to escalate their response to attacks against its leader and his family by requesting an investigation into a conversation from the 22nd of August, twenty fourteen.

This conversation involved José Manuel Villarejo, the police commissioner, and Francisco Martínez, the Deputy Minister of the Interior under the Mariano Rajoy administration, discussing the business dealings of the President’s wife, father, and uncles.

The Socialists argue this discussion is part of a decade-long campaign of harassment orchestrated by right and far-right parties to undermine Sánchez and the PSOE.

Based on the last few days, the political tit-for-tat might escalate.

Moving on, this week, the news outlet El Pais has shed light on a comprehensive series of scams involving a network of over 100 criminals.

The scam involves sending text messages pretending to be a relative with a broken phone, leading to requests for money transfers to unknown bank accounts. This swindle relies on emotional manipulation.

The network, which operated across various Spanish provinces, targeted at least 238 victims, mainly in Alicante, defrauding them of over 850,000 euros.

A Guardia Civil's investigation has led to multiple arrests and the discovery of over 500 bank accounts and many phone lines used for the scam.

Meanwhile, relatives of individuals buried without consent in the Valley of Cuelgamuros have started visiting the crypts where experts have been working since last June to recover remains.

The Valley of Cuelgamuros used to be the Valley of the Fallen, built by former dictator Francisco Franco. Families who had relatives buried in the valley have long wanted to move their loved ones' remains to separate themselves from Franco's dark history.

Currently, the remains of twelve victims have been returned to their families, with many more to be expected. These efforts are part of a broader commitment to addressing past injustices through the government's memory law: A commitment to repair the damage Franco’s dictatorship caused.

Turning to social security, Elma Saiz, the Minister of Inclusion, Social Security, and Migrations, announced that Spain has introduced a new policy allowing students who completed past unpaid internships to claim up to five years on their social security contributions.

It acknowledges the time put in by unpaid internships as qualifying periods for social security.

Those eligible can now sign a special agreement with the Spanish Social Security services to recognize these periods, potentially benefiting their future pension entitlements.

Applicants must prove the duration of their internships and have two years to claim. So far, the initiative has benefited over 570,000 students across the country.

This week, Spain introduced new regulations for influencers through a royal decree, aligning them with the standards set for other media platforms like television.

This regulation mandates that influencers clearly disclose advertisement deals and apply age-appropriate labeling to their content. The decree specifically targets influencers who meet certain criteria, including earning over 300,000 euros annually, and having at least one million followers on a single video-sharing platform or two million across platforms.

Influencers in the country must now register in the State Register of Audiovisual Service Providers, where they'll follow advertising norms and protection standards for minors.

Spain is the second EU country, after France, to implement such a regulation for the influencer industry.

Now, let’s talk about tech. José Luis Escrivá, the Minister for Digital Transition, announced a new government regulation, which says that starting in twenty twenty-five, all mobile phones sold in Spain must use a USB Type-C charging port.

This regulation also applies to tablets, headphones, portable speakers, cameras, and portable video consoles, with laptops to follow in April twenty twenty-six.

The move aims to create a universal standard charger, simplifying the use of various devices and reducing the accumulation of electronic waste from unused chargers.

Additionally, the regulation allows consumers to purchase electronic devices without necessarily buying a new charger, enhancing transparency about charger specifications and making the tech world a whole lot easier.

In football news…The government announced last week that they would be creating a special committee to oversee the Spanish football federation. On Tuesday the 30th, news outlets announced that Vicente del Bosque, the former Spanish national team manager, would spearhead it.

This committee follows the arrest of Luis Rubiales, the former federation president, on corruption charges, along with his involvement in a separate case of coercion and sexual assault related to a non-consensual kiss with player Jenni Hermoso during the twenty twenty-three Women's World Cup.

The committee's formation also comes as Spain prepares to co-host the twenty thirty men's World Cup with Morocco and Portugal. Del Bosque boasts a successful club career, leading Spain to European Championship glory in twenty twelve and a World Cup in twenty ten, and securing multiple titles with Real Madrid, including two Champions League victories.

Up next, a proposed underwater tunnel could connect Spain and Morocco by twenty thirty, coinciding with the World Cup.

This tunnel would stretch seventeen miles and reach up to 1,550 feet (or 470 meters) deep, linking Punta Paloma, Spain, and Malabata, Morocco. Government estimates suggest that construction costs could be around eight billion euros and would transport roughly twelve million passengers and thirteen million tons of cargo annually.

The project dates back to nineteen thirty, but geological challenges hindered plans. It was only recently revisited after Morocco launched its high-speed railway, opening the discussion once again to link the European and African continents.

Moving on, the European Commission has awarded 720 million euros in subsidies for hydrogen production, predominantly benefiting projects in Spain and Portugal.

This funding is part of the first EU-wide auction facilitated by the Union's Hydrogen Bank, which aims to support the development of a hydrogen economy by offsetting high initial costs.

The auction, a test run, had 132 projects competing for funding. Most of the funds were allocated to three Spanish and two Portuguese projects, with a total investment of around 590 million euros. The remaining 126 million went to projects in Finland and Norway.

A follow-up auction is planned for later this year, as the Commission intends to apply insights from this initial experience.

And finally, on Wednesday the 1st of May, a pair of giant pandas, Jin Xi and Zhu Yu, were transported from Chengdu, China, to Madrid, where they will live for the next few years.

The pair were met by veterinary and conservation teams and Spain's Nature Protection Service at Madrid-Barajas International Airport. Despite the long journey, news outlets reported that the pandas traveled in custom cages equipped with fresh bamboo, ensuring safe and comfortable travel

Jin and Zhu will undergo a month of health evaluations before being introduced to the public at the Zoo Aquarium de Madrid. This move is part of a two thousand seven agreement between China and Spain to enhance cooperation in giant panda protection and biodiversity conservation.

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

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