J.P. Marín Arrese | Politicians coming into office usually trust the advice of professional and seasoned civil servants, thus preventing ill-judged decisions or blunders likely to ruin their careers. Top aides excel at dismissing fancy ideas while pretending to obey them. That is the case in Germany, the UK or France. Alas, in Spain, they seldom follow that pattern, preferring to surround themselves with friends and inexperienced party fellows. If…
Fernando González Urbaneja | A few weeks ago the European Commission’s forecasts on the performance of the member states’ economies were a cold shower for the Spanish government’s optimism. It preaches that the economy is doing better than well, that the future is one of more than recovery and that Spain is amongst the best in the class. The government bases its arguments on two facts: employment is going well,…
Fernando G. Urbaneja | The Constitutional Court has declared unconstitutional the Government’s implementation of the State of Alarm to decree the confinements… An old principle of good government (and of journalism) dictates that when in doubt it is advisable to abstain. In other words, to behave prudently, because there is no better solution to a problem than to avoid it. There was a risk of unconstitutionality in the alarm decrees, warned of from the outset; opinions were divided amongst constitutionalists, but there were well-founded expectations that it was not the right rule. It was not, narrowly, by 6 votes to 5. But the majority decided the chosen rule was not constitutional and that there was no appeal and no way back.
Fernando González Urbaneja | Pedro Sánchez has completed three years at the head of the government after success in a no confidence vote and two general elections, with sufficient majorities following coalitions of varying intensity with other groups on the left. Over the course of 37 months he has appointed 38 people to ministerial portfolios, some with long and novel names. He has had ministers for days, months and just over a year. Of the initial seven he has seven left, and tomorrow he receives another seven newly appointed. There is no precedent for such ministerial combustion.
On the rights and freedoms of all Spaniards, on whether or not they can leave their homes, until what time, with how many people… On all of this, let the Supreme Court decide. On the 12 prisoners of the ‘procés’ who, from prison, support the Government, on whether they enter or leave, how and when… The Supreme Court can say mass, and the Government, in other words Sánchez, will decide.
Alicia Arce | Enlightenment is the human being’s emergence from his self-incurred minority, said Kant and that produced an active subject who is responsible, who takes charge of their life, their acts, their share of the world; with their many achievements and their terrible atrocities.
J.P. Marín- Arrese | The Spanish government has tabled a proposal for a Google tax but will refrain from applying it till the year-end. They boasted not so long ago that nothing could deter it from taxing the tech companies. When confronted with the task of delivering its promise, courage seems to falter even if Washington has issued no explicit warning. Presumably, the French discomfiture conveyed a stern lesson of what happens to anyone defying the US.
In May, the Spanish government will hold an auction for the 700 megahertz (Mhz) frequency band scheduled for this year, 2020, in order to complete the release of the spectrum needed for the mass deployment of the new 5G mobile technology before June 30.
The coalition between the Socialist Party and the extreme left Podemos raised serious doubts on its ability to run the economy. Its agreed platform trumpeted a massive increase in social expenditure, coupled with tax rises plus extensive public regulation in many key markets, ranging from power supply to housing rentals. No wonder it aims now to pedal back to check the foreseeable loss of confidence.
J.P. Marín-Arrese | “At least, no single Yemeni would face death singled out by these ingenious devices shipped from Spain to Saudi Arabia.” Such a startling statement did not come from the arms industry, but the Spanish government spokeswoman.