Julia, Author at The Corner

Articles by Julia

In Spain 24th September 2025

An impossible legislature: Government suffers third consecutive defeat while Sánchez’s brother heads for trial on influence peddling charges

Yesterday, with the Prime Minister at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Spanish politics experienced another grotesque day. In the Congress of Deputies, the government saw its initiative to delegate immigration powers to Catalonia fail. This was one of the many concessions the PSOE has been forced to make to try to maintain the support of Junts, a “traditionally right-wing” party that offered its support to Sánchez so…

Spanish economy 22nd September 2025

BBVA changes offer for Sabadell, now to be entirely in shares

BBVA announced that its Board of Directors has decided to modify the terms of the takeover bid (OPA) for Banco Sabadell by improving the consideration offered. The previous offer (one BBVA ordinary share and €0.70 in cash for every 5.5483 SAB ordinary shares) will be changed in nature and will now be entirely in newly issued BBVA ordinary shares. The new exchange ratio will be one BBVA ordinary share for…

In Spain 23rd June 2025

Public Procurement Fraud Reports Soar by 87% Since 2019, but Only Four Out of Ten Investigated

Reports of fraud in public procurement have skyrocketed by 87% since 2019, but they remain very few in proportion to the volume of operations, hardly any are investigated, and practically none end up in court. This information is handled by the government itself through the Independent Office for the Regulation and Supervision of Public Procurement (OIReScon), as reported by El Mundo newspaper. This is the main and most forceful conclusion…

In Spain 20th June 2025

Sánchez Regains Partners’ Support by Confronting Trump and Refusing to Raise Defense Spending to 5%… by 2035

Who knows where Pedro Sánchez might be in 2035? In La Moncloa (the Prime Minister’s official residence)? In Europe? In jail, given the way things are going in Spain? But far from stalling, Pedro Sánchez has chosen to publicly confront Trump, the U.S., and NATO by refusing to increase Spanish defense spending beyond 2%. And as for 5% by 2035, that’s out of the question. This is what Sánchez explained…

In Spain 11th June 2025

European Commission Questions Amnesty Before EU Court: “It Appears to Be a Self-Amnesty, Part of the Agreement for the Government’s Investiture”

The amnesty granted by the Spanish Government to Catalan independentists to secure Pedro Sánchez’s investiture is becoming complicated in the European Union. The European Commission is challenging it before the Court of Justice of the European Union and recommends that the court rule against the government’s position on most points raised by the preliminary question submitted by the Court of Auditors. According to a 36-page document reported by El Español,…

Caixabank, Telefónica, El Corte Inglés or Iberdrola, the Spanish firms best prepared to confront 2019

Spanish economy 27th May 2025

Spanish companies lose competitiveness due to labour and tax regulations, according to World Bank

Labour regulation, the high tax burden, and the scarcity of qualified workers are the main obstacles to the growth of Spanish companies compared to others in the major global economies. This is reflected in the report “The Business Environment and the Private Sector in Spain” presented yesterday by the World Bank, after conducting a series of surveys in recent months among Spanish companies of all sizes and sectors. Especially those…

In Spain 7th April 2025

Sánchez travels to China amid tariff war with US

The President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, begins an official trip to Vietnam and China this week with a strong commercial focus, aiming to increase sales of Spanish companies in these countries amidst the tariff war initiated by U.S. President Donald Trump. The goal of the trip is to balance trade relations with both countries—currently, they sell much more to Spain than they buy—and it takes on special ignificance in…

Spanish economy 31st March 2025

Repsol hit by Revocation of US Permit to Sell Venezuelan Oil

US President Donald Trump’s trade siege of Venezuela, revoking permits to do business with the Venezuelan state holding company PDVSA, has ensnared US-based Global Oil Terminals, India’s Reliance Industries, Italy’s ENI, France’s Maurel & Prom… and Repsol, which has more than €500 million in equity risk in that country. This is evident from Repsol’s 2024 annual report. After systematically reducing its equity exposure in Venezuela for several years, in 2024,…

In Spain 14th February 2025

Basque steel, first victim in Europe of Trump tariffs

The President of the United States, Donald Trump, has extended his threat of tariffs to Basque steel as part of his electoral promises, announcing an imposition of up to 25% surcharge on all steel, iron, or aluminum entering the United States. This measure directly affects the company located in the Basque Country, Tubos Reunidos, which is already analyzing how to overcome the impact. If implemented (according to the new president…

In Spain 30th August 2024

Santander starts share buyback program of up to €1,525 million

Banco Santander informed the market yesterday that, in application of the bank’s current shareholder remuneration policy, consisting of a total shareholder remuneration target of around 50% of the group’s ordinary profit, distributed approximately equally between cash dividend and share buybacks, the board of directors has approved to implement a share buyback program to which an amount equivalent to around 25% of Santander’s ordinary profit will be allocated in 1H2024, a…

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