SPAIN: Summer fiestas & more – 1st Aug 2024

he 1st of August twenty twenty-four. A quick summary of what's going down in Spain.

To get things underway this week, the Spanish government, led by Pedro Sánchez, President of Spain and leader of the Socialist party, has finalized an agreement to gain support from the Catalan political party, Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya, or the ERC. Despite reaching such a significant agreement, the full details of the pact have not been released, something critics and opposition parties have been calling out. According to the few details shared, a commitment of €1.5 billion will be approved to improve regional services and infrastructure in Catalonia.

The Government claims that its agreement with the ERC marks the end of the Catalan independence movement. Sánchez reassured his party that the deal would not compromise Spain’s financial solidarity.

The government emphasized the significance of ERC supporting Salvador Illa from the Catalan Socialist Party for Catalonia's presidency, highlighting political unity.

Sánchez has defended the agreement as beneficial for Spain and Catalonia despite the pact's complexity.

Keeping with Pedro Sánchez, the President has filed a malfeasance complaint against Judge Juan Carlos Peinado, accusing him of issuing an unfair ruling by summoning Sánchez as a witness in a case against his wife, Begoña Gómez.

The State Attorney's Office argues that Peinado's actions violated procedural norms and deprived Sánchez of legal guarantees. The judge sought to question Sánchez in person at La Moncloa, but Sánchez invoked his right not to testify against his spouse.

Begoña Sánchez, Pedro Sánchez's wife, faces legal troubles due to allegations of influence peddling and corruption. This has prompted an investigation that includes attempts to summon the Prime Minister as a witness.

Over in the Canary Islands, the Government plans to set up tents at docks on Lanzarote, El Hierro, Tenerife, and Fuerteventura to house migrant minors.

Candelaria Delgado, the Minister of Social Welfare addressed the lack of sufficient buildings on the islands and stressed that the region should be prepared for a forecasted surge in migrant arrivals.

Last October, the archipelago saw an average of one hundred unaccompanied minors daily, with much higher expectations this year, potentially up to 16,000 children.

The announcement follows the rejection of a bill to reform immigration law, prompting Fernando Clavijo, President of the Canary Islands, to establish a crisis committee.

Delgado stressed the need for adequate resources and properties for the children's care.

Moving on, the Galician Government, led by Alfonso Rueda, President of Galicia, approved a draft law on Monday the 29th of July that allows the government to appoint the director of Televisión de Galicia and eliminates protections for journalists.

The new draft bypasses the need for opposition consensus in appointing the media head and removes the requirement for a professional statute and news council.

Rueda argues the reform prevents prolonged interim management, but critics view this move as a power grab that undermines media independence.

The law also permits broadcasting in languages other than Galician for international outreach, sparking further controversy over linguistic rights.

Now let’s turn to booking.com. Spain's antitrust watchdog, Comisión Nacional de los Mercados y la Competencia, or CNMC, has fined Booking.com over four million euros ($448 million) for abusing its dominant market position over the past five years.

The fines stem from allegations that Booking.com, holding a 70% - 90% market share, imposed unfair conditions on hotels and restricted competition. The CNMC cited practices such as banning hotels from offering lower prices on their own sites, unilaterally imposing discounts, and requiring legal disputes to be settled unfairly in the Netherlands.

Booking Holdings, the parent company, plans to appeal the fines, arguing the issue should be addressed under EU Digital Markets Act rules.

In other news, Pedro Sánchez's proposal for a post-Brexit youth mobility scheme with the UK has been rejected by Keir Starmer, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

Despite Sánchez's efforts to improve bilateral relations, a UK government spokesperson reiterated their stance against rejoining the single market, customs union, or restoring freedom of movement, and stated they are not considering a youth mobility scheme.

The UK currently has similar agreements with thirteen countries outside the EU. Although the European Commission remains open to negotiating a youth mobility scheme for UK citizens, the UK prefers bilateral deals.

In weather news, AEMET, Spain's state meteorological agency, has issued a special heatwave warning for the southern and eastern mainland of Spain and the Balearic Islands.

Peak temperatures began on Tuesday the 30th, and are expected to last until the end of this week and into the next.

This extreme weather is caused by an African anticyclone, which brings with it atmospheric stability, clear skies, and light winds, causing temperatures to soar.

Temperatures have already exceeded 104 degrees Fahrenheit, or forty degrees Celsius, in the southern regions of mainland Spain, with similar temperatures being measured within Inland areas of the Balearic Islands.

Next, the Spanish government has granted provisional approval for Enagás, a natural gas transmission company, to develop a national hydrogen pipeline network and two large-scale storage facilities, along with interconnections with Portugal and France.

The national hydrogen infrastructure called the hydrogen backbone, will cost €4.9 billion, while the cross-border pipeline will cost €2.5 billion, with €1 billion invested in Spain.

Both projects are part of the European Commission's list of Projects of Common Interest, which are eligible for funding from the EU’s Connecting Europe Facility for Energy.

These initiatives aim to enhance energy infrastructure and integration across European member states.

Still in Europe, the European Court of Justice ruled on Monday the 29th, that Spanish regions cannot authorize wolf hunting if national population levels are low. This ruling was influenced by the region of Castilla y León's decision to permit the hunting of 329 wolves from twenty nineteen–twenty twenty-two to protect livestock.

The ASCEL, the Spanish non-government organization against wolf hunting, celebrated the decision, affirming that protected species cannot be subject to hunting quotas. This ruling follows a similar decision in Austria, underscoring the need for strict adherence to the EU's Habitats Directive for species protection.

On Monday the 29th, in Murcia, an earthquake measuring 2.5 on the Richter scale struck the town and local area of Molina de Segura.

Spain’s National Geographic Institute reported the tremor's depth at three kilometers and identified the epicenter between El Pino and Casa del Cura in the municipality's northwest area.

The IGN spread information about the earthquake through its website and social media platforms. Residents in Molina de Segura and neighboring towns felt the quake, but fortunately, no significant damage or injuries were reported.

Turning to sports, Spain's performance at the twenty twenty-four Paris Olympics has seen a promising start, with the team already securing a bronze medal in judo.

The Olympic games began in Paris on the 26th of July and will conclude on the 11th of August.

Spain's athletes compete across twenty-eight sports and have shown strong participation. The Spanish National Olympic Committee highlighted notable achievements in artistic swimming and equestrian events, though medals in these categories are still forthcoming.

The focus remains on key upcoming events. The Spanish team, featuring 383 athletes, aims to build on its initial success in the remaining days of the Games​.

Now, let’s look at a couple of festivals upcoming in August. Sonorama Ribera, held from the 7th to the 11th of August in Aranda de Duero, Spain, is a premier music and gastronomy festival.

Featuring a diverse lineup of artists like Hombres G, Rozalén, and La Casa Azul, the event promises a varied mix of performances across multiple stages. The festival also offers unique culinary experiences, glamping options, and tons of fun activities.

Sonorama Ribera is known for its cultural impact and continues to attract thousands of attendees. It celebrates both established and emerging talents in a vibrant community atmosphere.

Finally, the Festa Major de Gràcia, an annual festival held in Barcelona's Gràcia district, will take place between the 15th and the 21st of August.

Known for its vibrant street decorations, each street competes in a contest for the best decoration. The week-long event features live music, parades, fireworks, and cultural activities, attracting both locals and tourists.

The festival celebrates community spirit and creativity, with residents transforming their streets into themed wonderlands. If you’ve never been, it’s a display of creativity you won’t want to miss!

Want to know more? Go check out the link in show notes!

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

Do you know that besides the Spain Update, we also do others? Our latest ones are the Arctic Update, about the area north of the Arctic Circle, the Ocean Update, about the 70% of the earth covered in salt water, and the Multilateral Update about all the world's major multilateral institutions. The other ones are all country updates, we have a selection of countries from Africa, Asia, South America, and Europe. Check roroshok.com/updates to see the full list and find the link in the shownotes as well.

¡Hasta la próxima!