SPAIN: Vox Gets Fined & more – 11th July 2024

Buenos días from Gracia! This is the Rorshok Spain Update from the 11th of July twenty twenty-four. A quick summary of what's going down in Spain.

On Monday the 8th, the Spanish Court of Auditors fined far-right political party Vox 200,000 euros for irregular financing. This decision concludes a disciplinary procedure started in February. The court found Vox guilty of two serious violations of the Organic Law on the Financing of Political Parties by accepting prohibited targeted donations.

These illegally accepted donations were used to fund a complaint case against former Catalan president Quim Torra and to pay the bail of a young man in a separate legal case the party was involved with.

The court emphasized that these donations gave donors unfair tax benefits and were improperly handled, highlighting Vox's negligence in complying with financing laws.

In Barcelona, there are protesters across the city, in a series of ever-increasing anti-tourism demonstrations.

In the latest demonstrations, which took place last weekend, protestors used water guns to target tourists and disrupted outdoor diners. Thousands participated, with some even taping hotel exits to prevent guests from leaving.

The protest highlights mounting frustration over rising housing costs, attributed to increasing tourism. The demonstrators are also concerned about water shortages. The scarcity got worse because of climate change and many years of drought, and tourists on holiday aren’t as concerned or aware of the need to conserve water in the capital. However, the irony of wasting water on water guns isn’t lost on us…

Similar protests occurred in the Balearic Islands and Valencia. In response, Spain's government announced a crackdown on short-term holiday lettings and is investigating platforms like Airbnb for compliance.

Barcelona's mayor plans to phase out short-term rentals by twenty twenty-eight amid ongoing legal debates.

In finance, political tension is affecting Spanish bank BBVA's ten billion euro bid to acquire smaller rival Sabadell. Despite government opposition citing competition and job concerns, BBVA's shareholders approved the bid.

The European Central Bank and Spanish securities regulators are set to review the deal, which many Spanish media outlets are deeming as ‘hostile.’

Carlos Torres, BBVA's chair, remains optimistic but acknowledges potential hurdles, including share price volatility and the need to persuade Sabadell’s retail shareholders.

The Spanish government's current opposition to the merger poses a significant barrier.

Moving on, according to a report by the General Directorate of Traffic released on Monday the 8th, the number of road deaths in Spain rose by 17% in June compared to twenty twenty-two.

The report also revealed that in June twenty twenty-three, there were ninety-six accidents with over 100 fatalities, marking an increase of sixteen deaths compared to June twenty twenty-two. Motorcyclists, despite making up only 3% of vehicles, accounted for over 30% of the deaths, with thirty-three fatalities.

Road exits were the leading cause, with fifty-eight deaths, up from thirty-five in June twenty twenty-three. Catalonia, Andalucía, and Castilla-León reported the highest mortality rates.

Let's turn to sports. On Wednesday, the 10th, Spain got to the twenty twenty-four UEFA European Football Championship final with a thrilling victory over France.

The biggest headline of the night was the performance of sixteen-year-old Lamine Yamal, who became the youngest goalscorer in the European Championship history.

France took an early lead, but Yamal equalized in the 21st minute with a stunning strike from outside the box. Four minutes later, Dani Olmo's shot deflected off France's Jules Kounde, giving Spain the lead and ultimately the win.

Spain is now on course to win a fourth European Championship title and will face England in the final.

In weather news, a severe heatwave is set to hit Europe, and temperatures are expected to soar to above forty-six degrees Celsius or 114 Fahrenheit in Spain.

Weather maps from WXCharts, a UK-based weather forecast service, show severely hot zones over Spain, particularly around Seville and Malaga. Other cities like Madrid and Badajoz are predicted to have temperatures around forty degrees Celsius or 104 Fahrenheit.

Spain’s State Meteorological Agency has issued red alerts for the hottest areas. Urging people to stay in shaded areas, drink plenty of water, and take extra precautions in the sun.

Next up, Idealista, a real estate search site in Spain, released a detailed list this week of the top cities where LGBTQ+ communities have been established, and how much living in one of these cities costs.

Key cities include Madrid, Sitges, Torremolinos, Maspalomas, and Cadiz, who each host vibrant Pride celebrations.

Property prices in cities like Madrid have steadily risen, especially in the Chueca neighborhood. Idealista’s data reports that buying a home might set you back just over €4,000/m2 in May twenty twenty-four, representing a 12% increase compared to May twenty twenty-three.

Speaking of inclusivity, The America's Cup, together with America's Cup Event Barcelona, is enhancing inclusivity in nautical sports through the 'Sailing for All' initiative.

It is supported by the Catalan Sailing Federation and the Barcelona Nautical Capital Foundation, and aims to make sailing accessible to people with disabilities

The 'Sailing for All' initiative features events like the Spanish Adapted Sailing Championship and the Kakapo Open Race, which will be held between the 15th and 21st of July.

The initiative also includes training for over thirty technicians in adapted sailing and plans to establish an adapted sailing school in September.

Now to an incredible milestone in science. On Friday, the 12th, Spain's first test-tube baby will turn forty years old.

Victoria Anna was born in nineteen eighty-four through in vitro fertilization, or IVF, at Barcelona's Dexeus Institute. Anna was only the fourth IVF baby in Europe and sixth in the world.

The pioneering team at the Dexeus Institute, led by Doctors Pedro Barri, Anna Veiga, and Gloria Calderón, fulfilled Anna’s parents' dream amidst the experimental nature of IVF at the time.

Today, IVF is commonplace, with over twelve million children worldwide born through assisted reproductive technologies.

And now, exciting news in ocean conservation! High-tech GPS-tracking buoys, manufactured in Spain by Satlink, have been washing up on Australian beaches. Heidi Tait, the founder of the Australian marine debris prevention group Tangaroa Blue, contacted Satlink and proposed using the buoys to locate abandoned fishing nets, which pose a significant threat to marine life.

Since then, the collaboration has gained support from The Nature Conservancy and The Pacific Community, as well as local partners, and has rescued three ghost nets, including one that weighed over 3,000 kilos, the equivalent of around three hundred cases of beer, or, perhaps more interestingly, a baby whale's tongue.

More about tech as visual artist Rafael Moreno-Mata from Vélez-Málaga created Spain's first postage stamp designed using artificial intelligence, or AI.

The Stamp was unveiled at the post office in Calle del Río, in the town of Vélez, situated in the Málaga province in Andalucía, and marks a significant cultural milestone in the world of tech.

The original 1x1 meter artwork will continue to be displayed alongside the original stamp, Additionally, Moreno-Mata sent AI-created postcards featuring the stamp to prestigious institutions, including the Reina Sofía in Madrid and the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao.

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And to close this edition, The Cruïlla Barcelona twenty twenty-four festival will take place from the 10th to the 13th of July at Parc del Fòrum.

The beloved festival will accommodate up to 25,000 people daily and feature headliners including Avril Lavigne, María Becerra, Chucho Valdés, and the Pet Shop Boys.

Jordi Herreruela, the Cruïlla director, aims to use the festival to reflect Barcelona's culture, focusing on quality performances and musical diversity. As well as hosting international names, the Catalan festival will play host to popular Catalan artists such as The Tyets and Oques Grasses.

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

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¡Hasta la próxima!