Spain Update –Housing & more –27 April 2023

Kicking off with housing, on Thursday the 27th, it's up to the Congress of Deputies to vote on new housing proposals brought forward by the Government, some of which include new caps on tourist apartments, Unidas Podemos’ proposal.

The purples, as they are informally known, want to limit the number of available tourist apartments, especially in densely populated areas where locals struggle to access affordable housing, mostly in cities like Valencia, Madrid, Barcelona, Sevilla, and Malaga.

Podemos wants to establish a maximum ceiling in stressed areas, proposing to put a cap of 2%. In other words, the number of beds must not exceed 2% of the residents in that area. So, for example, in a stressed area of 10,000 residents, only 200 places can be offered in tourist rentals.

The National Institute of Statistics has produced a map predicting how many tourist apartments are dotted around Spain. Want to check it out? Link in the show notes.

Speaking of tourism, a group of neighbors in Barcelona are effectively being kicked out of their apartments one by one for tourist apartments.

rist apartments at the end of: 2022

its sights on tourism in late: 2022

From forced relocations to political pressure, political parties have been posting ads on social media sites for the upcoming local elections; the only issue is this type of electoral advertising is illegal.

electoral law was reformed in: 2011

Moving on, the tongue twister, the rain in Spain stays mainly on the plain couldn't be further from the truth this Spring, simply because there isn't any rain to start with. In fact, the State Meteorological Agency or AEMET is warning that over the next couple of weeks, temperatures of up to 40°c or 104F could be seen, especially in the South. The weather conditions, added to the fact that it's been a pretty dry April so far, mean Spanish residents are being told to think about how they use water supplies, as ongoing droughts are slowly depleting them.

While we wait for rain, the agriculture industry is struggling with harvests, according to The Coordinator of Organizations of Farmers and Ranchers (or COAG.)

In addition to being uncharacteristically hotter than average, this April is also one of the driest, which affects what is planted, compromises the planting of some crops for further harvests, and affects the whole chain, especially for summer crops of tomatoes and melon.

According to the COAG, the soil is so dry that there aren't enough pastures or fodder for livestock, so meat prices will likely increase. Regions are doing their best with depleted water resources, but as farms and ranches are subject to water bans and restrictions, crops will be affected, and thus supply will be low, so prices for some products will likely be higher.

th, the: 2022

the start of the pandemic. In: 2022

%, are at risk of poverty in: 2023

Another law that is moving forward this week is the Democratic History Memory Law, aiming to bring "justice, reparation, and dignity" to Spanish Civil War victims and their families. As part of this law, Spain wants to rebury Spanish citizens buried in unmarked graves.

As part of this law, Francisco Franco was required to be moved to make the Valley of Cuelgamuros, formally the Valley of the Fallen, where he was buried, less partisan. José Antonio Primo de Rivera's body, informally known as José Antonio, a prominent fascist figure, until now, however, was left in the Valley, causing an outcry.

But, this week the Spanish government announced the approval for José Antonio's body to be exhumed, and his family has organized a private burial per José Antonio's wishes.

Speaking of former prominent figures, Juan Carlos, the highly controversial ex-king of Spain, spent a week's vacation here, his second visit since self-imposed exile in Abu Dhabi.

Once he left on Tuesday the 25th, however, a sculpture mocking the former king popped up in Madrid's popular Puerta del Sol square. Chilean artist Nicolás Miranda placed the art so that Juan Carlos was pictured aiming a rifle at the Statue of the Bear and Strawberry Tree or El Oso y el Madroño, as bears are an emblem of the capital. Emphasizing and criticizing the former monarchs' love of hunting. The statue lasted only about ten minutes before it was taken, but its picture has been shared across social media thousands of times since.

Moving on, a fire broke out at a popular Italian restaurant in Madrid on Friday the 28th, causing two men to die, another ten injured, and six seriously injured.

The fire started at around 11 pm at Burro Canaglia Bar&Resto in Plaza de Manuel because of a flambéed dessert or pizza; which while being flambeed, caused the Instagram aesthetic artificial decorations to catch fire.

Some sources claim it was because of their famous social media flambéed pizza. In an interview by El Periodico with Madrid foodie influencer Dani or Purogocheo, said he warned the manager of the possibility because of the elaborate decorations, especially in the wrong hands, after a recent visit at the Madrid branch, quipping that the place will give firefighters a run for their money, as he´s a former fireman. Since then, his followers have asked him to take down his video post advertising the Madrid branch out of respect for the victims.

A short and sweet recommendation to end this week, as the Spanish capital gears itself up for its yearly May month-long festival to celebrate its patron saint San Isidro Labrador, there will be giants, parades, and various stages set up around the city. Despite bullfighting being a highly controversial sport, Madrid still celebrates this cultural tradition.