Fernando G. Urbaneja | Spanish politicians have been unable to interpret last April´s elections and, having dissolved parliament, have summoned Spaniards to vote again on 10 November. In principle it seems that the new parliament will look much like the old one, but the latest polls detect some changes among the voters.
Fernando G. Urbaneja | The risk of recession is beginning to be seen in the data: in exports, as the outer circle of defence. If Germany sells less it also buys less; the powerful Spanish car components and machine tool industries are seeing a fall in orders and noting it is the time to cut back and not expand. Winter is coming and the house is not prepared.
Fernando G. Urbaneja | Carlos Sáez Gallego presides over the oldest of the three global proxy solicitors in Spain (1935), those entrusted with securing votes in support of the Board´s proposal in the shareholders´ general assembly. There “we recommend Spanish listed companies to international standards of corporate governance … 47% of their shares lie in international portfolios. That, which is good, sign of confidence, means more pressure to comply with those standards”.
Fernando G. Urbaneja | Throughout the trial of “separatism”, in concrete of the seditious activities carried out by the accused, the separatist strategy of discrediting Spanish democracy and its institutions (a form of the black legend) systematically using international fora and media, has, once again, remained clear.
Fernando G. Urbaneja | Spanish electors closed on Sunday an intense electoral cycle, opened 5 years ago, under the impact of the great recession and technological uncertainty, which sketches out a new political map for the fourth country in the European Union.
Fernando G. Urbaneja | Chairman of the Círculo de Empresarios (Business Round Table in Spain ), John de Zulueta is an experienced member of the Board of Directors of various international firms. From his managerial post as President of the Sanitas Group (BUPA Group), he turned the company into the leader of its market. He is also Vice-President of the Innovation Bankinter Foundation and was member of the Advisory Council of 3i Europe. He spoke to us about how to fix Spain’s labour market (unemployment rate is 14.7%, according to April 25th data), where there are currently “135,000 technological jobs vacant which cannot find the people to fill them.”
Fernando G. Urbaneja | John De Zulueta, President of the Circle of Businessmen, believes that Spanish society should aspire to reduce unemployment to 5%, and argues that this would liberate more than €26 billion for savings and investment, public or private, in short for a greater prosperity.
Fernando G. Urbaneja | Deutsche Welle’s Tim Sebastian drove Spanish Foreign Minister Josep Borrell furious with very incisive, very biased and very provocative questions, repeatedly questioning the independence of the Spanish justice. However, Mr Borrell was not ready nor prepared to prove that Spanish democracy is a mature and advanced one.
Fernando G. Urbaneja | An unprecedented tornado of elections has fallen on Spain in 2019. In the short space of four weeks Spaniards can place their papers with their electoral preferences in at least 5 urns, to elect the Congress, Senate, European Parliament, Townhalls and a good part of the regional parliaments. Spring superelections which will overturn a good part of the structure of the state.
Fernando G. Urbaneja | A short list of urgent and possible reforms to regenerate and modernise Spanish democracy would include improving the quality and reputation of state institutions, especially the administration of justice and those entities described as independent, with the Bank of Spain at the front of the queue.