Spaniards will go out and vote again on June 26, six months after the ordinary elections which took place when Rajoy’s government ended its mandate, having enjoyed a four-year majority. The result of the December 20 polls was an impossible political chessboard, with no group capable of forming a government.
On the same day as Spain’s Economy Minister De Guindos announced new economic forecasts, which for some were completely off-the-wall, the government also announced that it will give civil servants back half of the extra payment which was suspended in 2012, worth over 550 million euros.
Fernando Barciela | Spanish unemployment fell again in November, reversing a three-month upward trend. Last month, 27,000 fewer people were registered as jobless than in October, taking the total number of unemployed to 4.15 million. This is good news, given that at the peak of Spain’s economic crisis, the jobless rate reached a record 26.9%. There has also been a rise in Social Security affiliations, which increased from 16.3% in 2013 to 17.2% in October 2015.
MADRID | March 3, 2015 | By JP Marín-Arrese | Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has unwisely accused Spain and Portugal of intentionally trying to block a solution for his country’s troublesome discussions with the Euro group at a Syriza party meeting. The reaction has gone beyond any reasonable limit. The two targeted nations filed formal claims to the European Commission asking it to take action against Greece. One wonders why their Foreign Ministries did not warn of the utter ridicule such a step would precipitate. Worse still, the row between EU partners might leave longstanding scars.
BARCELONA | By Joan Tapia | The emergence of the leftwing party Podemos (We Can) and the ghost of a forthcoming political instability weight more on Spanish politics than an unquestionable economic improvement (which is too slow and risky). Anyway the advantage of the conservative Popular Party (PP) in power compared to the Socialist Party (PSOE) was reduced during summer from 8.8 to 3.6 points.
MADRID | Op-ed by Jaime Santisteban | Spanish government is announcing “second generation reforms” in technology and innovation, optimizing of European Structural Funds for youth employment and public-private partnerships. Even a change in mayors’ election procedure. On which grounds? These measures come up after European elections showed a very fragmented political scene and a serious punishment to bipartisanship.
BARCELONA | By Joan Tapia | Markit analysts point out the positive impact of the wage reductions that increase the competitiveness of Spanish products and help export. If Europe pulls the cord – as the PMI show- the economy could accelerate in the coming months. The Government exaggerates these data (reforms, foreign capitals inflow, and European growth) to underline that the economy will create jobs in 2014 while other analysts – more independent or from other political areas – show more caution.
MADRID | By Julia Pastor | Amidst their talks about economic policies and speed railway connections between Spain and France, both Mariano Rajoy and François Hollande met in Madrid on Wednesday. However, the visit bottomline is to seek for a common stance on banking supervision.
MADRID | By Julia Pastor | Two years, a €100 billion banking bailout, and a comprehensive package of structural reforms later, Spain’s president, Mariano Rajoy, celebrated on Wednesday his 2011 electoral victory. These years’ balance is some sort of bittersweet taste. The country’s external perception has improved, but unemployment and public debt numbers are still a heavy burden.
MADRID | By J.P. Marín Arrese | The Spanish PM has a hot agenda for the rentrée. Not only Mr Rajoy has to deal with the corruption scandal of his party but also with UK over Gibraltar’s dispute. The good news is that Spanish bonds yield is pretty low and giving Madrid some fresh air to reduce the deficit, still very high.