SPAIN: Stopping US Military Ships and Planes & more – 2nd Oct 2025

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

Kicking off a special update this week, on Monday the 29th, Spain stopped US military ships and planes from transferring weapons to Israel through its Rota and Morón military bases in Southern Spain, citing restrictions under a nineteen eighty-eight defense pact.

Under the nineteen eighty-eight deal, the central government can block any controversial movements of weapons within its jurisdiction, regardless of who is doing it.

Spanish officials emphasized that all foreign military movements require authorization, despite the broad access US forces typically enjoy. They stressed that the bases are not a sieve, rejecting criticism that the measure is symbolic, as many believe the country siding with Palestine has intensified political relations, particularly between Spain and the US.

On Friday the 19th, Mar Espinar, the new spokesperson of the Socialist Party in the Madrid Assembly, strongly criticized Regional President Isabel Díaz Ayuso after her government ordered the removal of Palestinian flags and related symbols from public and subsidised schools on the 17th of September.

Ayuso, a leading figure in Spain’s conservative Partido Popular, defended the measure as necessary to prevent ideological influence on students. Espinar countered that, stating it denies young people the right to express solidarity with civilians in Gaza.

The controversy has reignited debate in Madrid over freedom of expression and political neutrality in education.

Also within the government, on Thursday the 18th, President Pedro Sánchez and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz acknowledged their different views on Gaza during a meeting in Madrid.

While the EU debates sanctions on Israel, Merz reaffirmed Germany’s opposition, stressing that Berlin stands firmly with Israel but views its military campaign in Gaza as disproportionate.

Sánchez, whose government recognized Palestine in twenty twenty-four, has been one of Israel’s harshest European critics, labeling its actions as genocide and pushing for bans on Israeli athletes.

Despite disagreements, both leaders agreed that criticism of Israel’s government should not fuel antisemitism.

In related news, on Wednesday the 24th, King Felipe of Spain also delivered a forceful speech at the UN General Assembly, urging Israel to “stop the massacre in Gaza” and condemning abhorrent acts such as bombings of hospitals, schools, and shelters, calling for humanitarian aid access, a ceasefire, and renewed commitment to a two-state solution.

Looking toward the economic sector, according to the National Statistics Institute or INE, the economy grew by almost 1% in the second quarter of twenty twenty-five, with annual GDP growth at just under 3%, outperforming Italy, which declined in GDP figures by 0.1% across the same quarter.

In fact, across the Eurozone in general, including Austria, Belgium and Portugal, Spain far surpassed the minimum average GDP growth of 0.1% in the same quarter.

So, what’s driving the economy this time? According to the INE, household spending played a major role, alongside a record twenty-two million people in employment. Economists also noted that growth is shifting from tourism and government consumption toward domestic investment and private spending, supported by falling inflation, higher wages, and lower interest rates.

From economic success to business opportunities, on Monday, the 29th, Hungarian airline provider Wizz Air began to position itself to fill the void left by Ryanair’s withdrawal from Jerez Airport in southern Spain after a dispute with regional airport operator Aena over fees.

Ryanair’s exit in March caused a nearly 10% drop in passenger numbers and caused many routes to be cancelled between Jerez and Barcelona, Jerez and Palma de Mallorca, and Jerez and London.

However, Wizz Air, which is already expanding in Spain, confirmed plans to operate more internal flights by March twenty twenty-six.

Continuing with airports, Barcelona El Prat announced on Tuesday, the 30th, that it will be boosting its visitor capacity at Terminal One by 15%, providing new check-in counters, upgrading security filters and demolishing a disused control tower in a 700 million euro expansion plan which is planned to start in twenty twenty-seven.

T1 was opened in two thousand nine, and as of twenty twenty-four, it handles over thirty million of the airport’s record fifty-five million passengers a year.

Looking at the weather, on Monday, the 29th, hurricane Gabrielle, which started in the Atlantic Ocean, triggered severe flooding in eastern Spain and the Balearic Islands, prompting red weather alerts across the regions.

In Zaragoza, streets and garages overflowed, forcing firefighters to rescue drivers and disrupting tram services. In Tarragona and Castellón, they faced hail and torrential rain, with some of the weather echoing last year's decade-defining DANA in Valencia.

The Valencian government doubled emergency staff and set up monitoring points at vulnerable dams and ravines. While the situation is mostly under control, the effects of flooding are still being revealed.

Next up, from Thursday the 25th to Sunday the 28th of September, Comic-Con Málaga attracted over 120,000 visitors to the southern city, but it also exposed some huge shortcomings of the city's major trade center - Palacio de Ferias y Congresos.

Huge queues, overcrowded entrances, and bottlenecks at limited points of sale revealed that Malaga’s event infrastructure can’t keep up with growing demand.

The city government has actually been planning to expand the Palacio since twenty twenty-three, but so far hasn’t contracted any design work, despite allocating funds in the twenty twenty-three and twenty twenty-four budgets, while access improvements failed a regulatory feasibility check. So, until expansion begins, event organisers may need to rely on temporary spaces to meet higher demand.

A viral video re-circulating on social media this week alleges that Spain’s twenty twenty-three amnesty law was originally condemned by sixteen European countries and the European Union back in twenty twenty-three. However, on Monday, the 29th, the Spanish foreign ministry and the EU council debunked the resurfaced story.

The amnesty law was designed to ease political tensions, but has been controversial since its adoption, as it pardoned Catalan independence leaders of wrongdoing.

A second falsehood also gained traction online: that the European Commission had labeled Spain’s attorney general appointment system a democratic anomaly, as Spain’s attorney general is appointed by the government rather than elected independently.

However, in reality, that phrase originated with one of Spain’s opposition parties - the Partido Popular. EU officials emphasized that the Commission’s role was simply to recommend measures to strengthen the office’s independence, not to criticize or condemn the system.

Speaking of draft laws, on Tuesday, the 30th, the government proposed a bill to criminalize gender-based violence, targeting abusers who harm the loved ones of victims, such as children or parents.

The bill is still subject to consultation and parliamentary approval, but if passed, it would treat acts of abuse as separate offenses, carrying up to three years in prison per offense.

It also introduces penalties for publishing material linked to perpetrators, following outrage over a released book about José Bretón, a man who murdered his two children. After critics argued it glorified his crimes, the distribution of the book was eventually cancelled.

Meanwhile, on Friday the 26th, Spain’s state financial regulator approved banking giant BBVA’s higher offer to buy Banco Sabadell.

Under the new terms, investors get one BBVA share for every 4.8 Sabadell shares, valuing Sabadell stock at roughly 3.40 euros per share, the best stock price in over ten years.

Since talks began in April twenty twenty-four, the offer from BBVA has risen by 60%, now worth nearly 20 billion euros. However, Sabadell’s board still argues the price is too low and will likely recommend rejecting it, like it has done with multiple offers before.

Even if shareholders accept, the government requires a three-year wait before the two banks can fully merge operations.

Turning to the silver screen, on Wednesday the 17th, the Spanish Cinema Academy selected Sirât, a movie directed by Oliver Laxe, a French-Spanish screenwriter, to represent Spain at the Oscars in March twenty twenty-six.

As a Catalan-French co-production, it premiered at the Cannes film festival in May in Southern France, where it won the Jury Prize and marked the first time a Catalan film competed for the Palme d’Or, the festival's ultimate prize.

The film follows the search of a father and son for his daughter at a rave in Morocco’s mountains.

While the Oscars are just under six months away, selections are early, so the academy has time to make its decisions.

In the shopping world, on Wednesday the 1st, Lidl inaugurated its largest logistics hub in Spain, a 140 million euro facility in Martorell, Catalunya.

The new hub will be its largest distributor in the country to date and is equipped with solar panels that cover 30% of its energy needs, a recycling centre, and charging stations for electric vehicles.

More importantly for the local area, the hub has created over 200 direct jobs, set to rise up to 400 as operations expand.

Ever heard of a scam on the well-known Pilgrimage walk, Camino de Santiago? Well, on Tuesday, the 30th, Spanish police arrested three men who said they were Camino pilgrims. However, they allegedly piloted a semi-submersible vessel carrying nearly four tonnes of cocaine from South America to Galicia in the northwest.

The arrests formed part of a larger operation targeting fourteen suspects, coordinated with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. Investigators had tracked the Galician gang posing as a nautical equipment company.

On the 13th of September, officers intercepted high-powered boats unloading cocaine onto trailers. A chase caused one trailer to overturn, spilling around a ton of cocaine, while police recovered the rest on a beach.

From crime to housing. On Tuesday, the 30th, news outlet Viente Minutos published an article on buying a home in Spain in twenty twenty-five, and it’s not looking good.

According to the Real Estate Market Trends Report, in twenty twenty-five, buying a home requires seven and a half years' full salary, over one year more than a decade ago. In twenty fifteen, the effort stood at six and a half years, but steady price increases, accelerated during the pandemic, have widened the gap between wages and housing costs.

Since twenty fifteen, average home prices have risen just over 43%, with the cost per square meter jumping from about 1,500 euros to over 2,000. Analysts expect prices to continue rising, forecasting even higher increases by the end of twenty twenty-five, driven by strong demand and limited housing supply.

We are entering Fall, but we’ve already got news on the twenty twenty-six summer. On Thursday the 25th, Primavera Sound Barcelona unveiled its twenty twenty-six line-up, promising one of the festival’s biggest editions yet.

Running between the 4th and 6th of June twenty twenty-six at Parc del Fòrum, The Cure, Doja Cat, The xx, and Gorillaz will headline the event. Other major acts include Massive Attack, Addison Rae, My Bloody Valentine, and the controversial Irish rap group Kneecap, who made headlines this year with their open support of Palestine.

In twenty twenty-five, Primavera drew nearly 300,000 attendees and generated more than 300 million euros for Barcelona.

Tickets are already on sale now for all you early birds out there. Link in show notes!

Back in April, we reported on the upcoming TV show, Eva Longoria: Searching for Spain, that premiered on CNN. A few months in, it’s here and for those looking to know more about the diverse regions across the Peninsula, it’s worth a watch!

Across eight episodes, the Mexican-American actor and director explores Spain’s diverse regions while reconnecting with her ancestral roots. In San Sebastián in the north, she samples pintxos; in Barcelona, she savors seafood, and in Andalucia in the south, she indulges in Salmorejo and world-class jamón.

One of the most personal stops is Asturias in Northern Spain, where Longoria traces her surname, discovers ancestral homes, and shares meals with distant relatives.

Speaking of Asturias, on Tuesday the 30th, online publication Live For The Outdoors published an article about the striking region.

Bordered by the Bay of Biscay and the Picos de Europa, the region provides visitors with a dual landscape of sea, mountains, history, and hospitality while boasting more than 120 walking routes and scenic sections of the Camino de Santiago.

Spain is so much more than its tourist hotspots, exactly why we love it!

Want to read the full article? Link in the show notes!

And finally…do you hear bells a ringin’? On Monday the 22nd, Musician and multimedia artist Silberius de Ura launched Tån:talán, a digital platform dedicated to preserving Spain’s ancient bell-ringing traditions.

Inspired by a Burgos villager’s tale about the magical powers of the tentenublo bell, Silberius began photographing and recording bell towers. What started as a small website evolved into a collaborative archive now featuring more than 500 towers and over 2,500 bells.

Once central to rural life, manual ringing declined after technology exploded in the 20th century. Today, volunteer groups and associations are reviving the craft, helping it earn UNESCO cultural heritage recognition.

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

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¡Hasta la próxima!