Aznar, investigation commissions and democracy

"It is unwise to be too sure of one's own wisdom. It is healthy to be reminded that the strongest might weaken and the wisest might err" (Mahatma Gandhi)

Spain's ex-president managed to turn yesterday's 11-hour long testimony before the parliamentary commission investigating 11-March bombings into a personal victory as he brushed off all criticism, denied that he had ever tried to mislead public opinion into believing that the terrorist group ETA was behind the Madrid bombing for electoral reasons, and accused the opposition and a "sector" of the Spanish media of having used the terrorist attacks to gain an electoral advantage themselves and to "intoxicate" public opinion against him. He even insinuated that he still did not believe that the intellectual leaders behind the attacks to be Islamic terrorists and he said that the bombing was intended to affect the outcome of the elections. In particular he made direct references to the Cadena Ser - the first radio channel to question the government's insistence that ETA had planted the bombs - accusing its reporters of lying to the Spanish public in an attempt to discredit the Popular Party (today the Cadena Ser publishes a detailed answer to Aznar's accusations here (in Spanish).

It was always doubtful that Aznar's appearance before the parliamentary commission would throw any new light onto the lead-up to or aftermath of the terrorist attacks. And it was always likely that Aznar would be totally unrepentant of any decisions he made while in office. The former Spanish president has never been known for his ability to admit mistakes or to give any credit at all to arguments which disagree with his ideology and his theories of power and government.

It was precisely this attitude of superiority, dogmatism and arrogance which isolated such a large percentage of Spanish public opinion during the Prestige crisis, the Yak plane crash and the participation of Spanish troops in the invasion of Iraq. All three major events were handled badly by the PP government, but neither president nor ministers ever accepted any criticism. Nor did they explain, and much less apologise for, serious mistakes made during their management of all three crises. Their complete disregard for opinions which challenged their policies, and their failure to acknowledge difficulties and try to reconcile their decisions with the opposition through parliamentary debates was bound to make them vulnerable sooner or later to the wave of mistrust which swept across Spain after the March terrorist attacks. In the same way as their contempt for the demands of regional parties for greater autonomy powers ultimately strengthened the position and the electoral performance of the main Basque and Catalan separatist parties in both regional and national elections.

A democratic state is not designed in the long term for leaders whose loss of respect for the people they serve drives them to dictate policies under the complete conviction that they are totally right and that all who disagree are completely wrong, either to the point of being ridiculous (and unfit to govern) or a traitor to their country. Leaders of established democracies like the US and the UK understand this, as the appearances of Bush and Blair before their respective parliaments illustrated. However unpopular the invasion of Iraq was with some sections of public opinion (and his own party in the case of Blair), nobody could accuse them of not listening to their critics, taking them seriously enough to argue their case, explain their reasons and put their decision to go to war to long parliamentary debates and parliamentary approval.

Leaders of new democracies tend not to grasp the importance of debate and reason. Felipe Gonzalez didn't understand it when the GAL and corruption within his government was uncovered. Aznar has never understood it either. When Rodriguez Zapatero became president it looked like at last Spain had a leader who understood the need to dialogue and to seek consensus before pushing through policies. Unfortunately his government has made so many blunders lately at home and abroad that he is rapidly losing the credibility required to lead meaningful debates on important issues. If his government does manage to find its feet at all, a new style of presidency would certainly be welcomed by many Spaniards.

No country can be completely protected against the evil of modern terrorism, but in the event of a strike such as the one which hit Madrid last March, government, security forces and society are obliged to launch a thorough investigation afterwards, if only to find out what - if anything - went wrong and what measures should be taken to prevent a similar tragedy from ever happening again. For an investigation to draw useful conclusions, members who participate must tell the truth and yes, even question their own actions. Humility is not a sign of weakness. Just as arrogance is not a sign of strength or wisdom. If witnesses called before the commission see their testimony as a chance to justify their actions, or use their appearance as a platform from which to attack their political opponents, then the investigation loses all sense of being. This commission has been used as a political football by Spain's main political parties ever since it was created.

After Aznar's extraordinary performance yesterday, and with José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero scheduled to declare later this month, one wonders if the final conclusions reached by this investigation commission will have any credibility at all.

Aznar declares before Spanish parliamentary commission

Aznar appears today before the parliamentary investigation commission set up to investigate events prior to and immediately after the terrorist attacks carried out in Madrid in March. The commission's objective is to find out exactly what can be done in the future to avoid or better manage terrorist attacks, rather than to signal political responsability but, perhaps inevitably, it is being used by all sides as a political football, and the appearance of Aznar is expected to further heighten the existing tension between Spain's two main political parties.

The Popular Party has always blamed their electoral defeat either on the terrorist attack itself or on what their members see as "manipulation" of events by their opponents after the attacks. Only last week their party spokesman told a rally that the March elections outcome was the result of a "remote-control attack" against his party. The former Interior Minister, Angel Acebes, has always denied any mismanagement of the event, and Aznar has repeatedly said that the 14th March election results were a victory for the terrorists.

During Aznar's appearance before the Commission this morning, members will try to discern whether or not Spain was ill-prepared for a possible terrorist attack because the PP government had failed to take seriously several warnings about the possibility of extremist Islamic terrorist attacks in this country. They will also ask why the Government insisted for so long that ETA was behind the attacks, despite apparantly receiving evidence to the contrary.

In what is the first ever appearance of an ex-president before a parliamentary commission in Spain, Aznar is expected to be defiant in his defence of his government's role in the management of the March terrorist attacks. He is also expected to accuse certain quarters of Spanish media and society of using the whole tragedy to their electoral advantage.

It will be surprising if the Comission learns anything new from Aznar's declarations today.

Related links
Commission set up to investigate 11M terrorist attacks

Spanair strike called off

Spanair pilots have called of the series of one-day strikes programmed between now and Christmas after reaching an agreement in their talks with Spanair management. Strikes had been planned to take place on 30th November and 1st, 2nd, 14th, 16th, 21st and 22nd December.

According to the Spanair press release circulated today, the company reached an agreement yesterday which will enable the company and its pilots "to prepare for the beginning of a great expanision in our network of national and internacional flights".

Plague of locusts in Lanzarote

Several towns on the Island of Lanzarote are working from sunrise to sunset to try and deal with the plague of over 2 million locusts which could do irreperable damage to local crops. The plague is concentrated around Haría and Yaiza located on the part of the island which is nearest to Africa. The president of the Canary Island's regional government plans to visit the affected areas today.

According to the agriculture minister of the regional government, fortunately the locusts have not devoured crops as quickly as they usually do, because unstable weather and strong winds meant that they were too exhausted to go on the rampage as soon as they arrived at the end of last week.

However the sheer scale of the plague has led to the government putting the island on "red alert" as regional government and local community groups have spent the last couple of days fumigating (during the day - apparantly locusts congregate together during the day, so it is easier to kill large groups of them. When it becomes dark, they disperse), collecting up the dead locusts and keeping a lookout for new arrivals.

Last night no new clouds of locusts were detected, and experts hope that the plague has reached its peak and is on the decline. The latest weather forecasts predict a change of winds this afternoon and possible showers, which would signal the beginning of the end of the plague to the relief of local residents, agricultural workers and tourists.

Torturous lives for Greyhounds in Spain

This is a letter we received in our mailbox yesterday:

I am writing to alert you of the ongoing atrocities and horror that
the greyhounds in Spain endure every year. Incredibly, few people
know about this.

Roughly 10,000 greyhounds every year in Spain are hanged
from trees, thrown down wells or abandoned in the woods or
streets to die. Some are burned alive.

UNBELIEVEABLE? It is unfortunately true. My blood boils
just thinking about it. Farmers and hunters in the Spanish
countryside where roughly 30 million people live own these
greyhounds (called ‘Galgos’ in Spanish) and use them for
hunting hares and sporting. These poor animals live in
deplorable, crude and cruel conditions. Many are crammed
in sheds without daylight for days- even up to a week- with
very little food. Some are crudely kept in the back of vans and
have died from heat exhaustion. They get little food or water.
After an exhaustive day of hunting, dogs that hunted well might
be “rewarded” with stale bread and fresh water. Poor-performing
dogs are often left behind in the woods to die or are hung from a
tree by its owner.

Every year after hunting season, the hunters/farmers kill their
greyhounds or abandon them. Stemming from a macho mentality
and decades-long tradition, hunters hang their hounds from trees.
Dogs who hunted well get the ‘privilege’ of being hung from a high
branch. Those who hunted poorly are ‘hung low’ so their feet touch
the ground, ensuring a slow, tortuous death. They EVEN HAVE A
NAME for this: the "PIANO PLAYER" because the dogs frantically
scrabble their legs in a vain attempt to live.

Warning: These pictures are upsetting but show the truth.
http://www.galgosinfronteras.org/contenido_ingles.htm
Here is a BBC article
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/1956951.stm>
"Life of a Galgo", written by a Spaniard, is an insightful article
located on Anne Finch's website, Greyhounds in Need.
Anne's organization has worked tirelessly for years to save
these greyhounds.

Spain’s national animal protection laws apply to dogs that are pets.
But hunting and sporting dogs are NOT considered pets!
Spain must enact a law that gives hunting/sporting or abandoned
dogs the same legal protection afforded to pet dogs.

I believe it will take external pressure to convince Spain
to change its laws. EACH OF YOU can make a difference.
Together we can create that pressure.

I humbly ask each of you to do TWO things:
1) Please forward this letter to your all your friends
and family who love animals.
PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THIS HORROR.
2) Please send an email to Senora Cristina Narbona, the
Spanish Environmental minister who can change animal
protection laws. She is sympathetic to animals but lacks
support within the Spanish government.
Our emails will give her ammunition.
Her email: ministra@mma.es.
Politely tell her in English or Spanish how you feel after
seeing the pictures above. A sample letter:

Dear Senora Narbona,
I recently learned about the barbaric and violent treatment
of the Galgos/Greyhounds in Spain. I am horrified.
I will not to travel to Spain or buy Spanish products
until Spain changes its laws to protect hunting/sporting
or abandoned dogs the same way pets are protected.
Civilized societies have laws that protect ALL DOGS
from neglect, abuse and torture.
Please do the right thing and enact laws to protect these
docile, sensitive creatures.
Thank you.
And please cc: the Spanish government id & the
Agriculture Minister, Mr. Juarez, at the Embassy of
Spain in Washington, D.C. at
infopsoe@psoe.es and juarez@mapausa.org, respectively.

Mr. Juarez may reply with his pat answer he has used for years
saying that 'all is well with the greyhounds', but this is false!
There is no legal protection whatsoever for these dogs.
The killings continue every day.
Do not underestimate the power you each have to end
the suffering of these docile and sensitive animals.
Thank you for doing these two things and for caring.

T. Smith

Spanish royals lunch with Bush

The headlines in the Spanish media this morning all refer to the lunch hosted by President Bush and his wife yesterday in their Texan ranch, and attended by the Spanish king and queen and George Bush senior and his wife. According to all reports, the lunch was a private affair prevailed by cordiality and respect.

Goerge Bush said to reporters that "Spain is a great country and a good friend" a comment widely quoted last night on Spanish television and in the papers this morning.

How to improve relations between the Spanish and US governments is one of the most debated themes in Spainsh politics at the moment. Attempts made by the Socialist government to approach the Bush administration have largely been ignored so far, and policital commentators see the King's visit as a crucial step towards improving the situation.

Bush never did return Zapatero's famous telephone call (he sent a letter instead), which tends to underline the divide between the two presidents, as do other episodes like the US president's audience with ex-Spanish president Aznar last week and Aznar's repeated accusations made infront of US audiences, of government-led anti-americanism in Spain and Europe. The Socialist government's clumsy handling of the visit to Spain of Venezuela's controversial president, Luis Chaves (who on several occasions during his visit and infront of reporters strongly criticised Bush and the US government's foreign policy) will hardly have helped its case either.

Meanwhile, the recent gestures made by Bush administration towards the German and French governments and vice versa (earlier this week, and after negotation with the US government, both France and Germany agreed to pardon 80 per cent of Iraq's debt), suggest that all three governments want to repair their governments' relations and look ahead which, in turn, tends to make Spain seem even more isolated.

Zapatero has admitted that he sent a message to Bush via King Juan Carlos, but has refused to reveal its contents. He told reporters that he was sure that the meeting between Bush and the Spanish royals would go very well "because of the King's personality and because of the good relations which have always existed between the two countries". He didn't say anything about the personality of Bush.

It remains to be seen whether or not yesterday's lunch will mark the beginning of a thaw in Spanish-US relations. Most of the media over here,whatever their opinion of the US government, seem to hope it will.

Related articles:
Aznar accuses European governments of encouraging "anti-americanism"
Spanish relations with the US
The Spanish Royal Family

Gregorian Music in Spain

This year the 13th Century Santa María church in Alicante has announced that it is going to offer a recital of Gregorian chants sung by the Schola Antiqua Choir, next Saturday (27th November) at 8.15 p.m. Apparantly Santa Maria was the first church in Alicante to offer Gregorian chants in Medieval times.

Gregorian music, is a combination of Franco and Roman liturgies and is one of the many traditions of liturgical song that developed in the Christian church during the medieval period. It has experienced something of a revival in recent years in Spain, and this year an increasing number of churches and cathedrals offer a Christmas recital of the chants.

Traditionally Pope St Gergory the Great (540-604) has been credited with the creation of Gregorian music, of gathering together the different forms of chants, adapting them, creating special schools, having the chants transcribed into an Antiphonary which in later centuries was used to spread the music to other countries. However recent research has shown that the Pope Gregory involved in the creation of the liturgy was actually Pope Gregory II (r. 715-731), rather than Pope Gregory I (r. 590-604).

Gregorian music in Spain was first sung in the famous Monastry at Santo Domingo Silos, where the first manuscripts of written Spanish were found, and the monks there still put on regular recitals for visitors and sell cds.

There is something magic about visiting one of Spain's amazing cathedrals, sitting in a pew and listenting to the peaceful sound of Gregorian music, even if you can't understand what the choir is singing or, and if you could, you wouldn't agree with it or relate to it anyway. Residents living in Spain near a medieval church, cathedral or monastry that offers a Gregorial recital programmed in the weeks leading up to Christmas, should try and go. You won't regret it.

Related links:
Listen to Santa Domingo monks singing Gregorian music (mp3)
Santo Domingo Silos Monastry
History of Gregorian music

Spanish fossil discovery, "Pau"

Last week a team of paleontologists revealed in the journal Science their discovery of an almost-complete fossil of what they claim could be the last common ancestor to all modern-day great apes (including humans). They have nicknamed the fossil "Pau" which is a catalán name and means "peace". They chose this nickname because Pau was discovered at about the time the Iraq war was starting in March 2003. The skeleton was discovered at a new paleontological site, Barranc de Can Vila 1, near Barcelona.

The press release published by the American Association of Advancement of Science reads as follows:

Spain—A new ape species from Spain called Pierolapithecus catalaunicus,
or its close relative, may have been the last common ancestor to all living
great apes, including humans, researchers said Thursday at a press briefing
in Barcelona. The Spanish paleontology team describes its fossil find
in the 19 November issue of the journal Science, published by AAAS,
the nonprofit science society.

Like other great apes, Pierolapithecus had a stiff lower spine
and other special adaptations for climbing. These features, plus
the fossil's age of about 13 million years, suggest that this species
was probably close to the last great ape ancestor, according to
Salvador Moyà-Solà of the Miguel Crusafont Institute of Paleontology
and the Diputación de Barcelona in Spain.

Moyà-Solà joined colleagues Thursday 18 November to brief
reporters at Sala Noble Edifici del Rellotge in Barcelona.

El Mundo publishes declarations made by Salvador Moyá-Solá describing how his team discovered the fossil. First they found a tooth and then as a bulldozer moved the earth to make it easier for the team to carry on searching, the fossil appeared. "In Spain we say you don't find the good fossils, The good fossils find you!" explained the researcher.

The team patiently uncovered 83 bones, hidden and perfectly conserved for around 13 million years. "The importance of this new fossil is that for the first time all the key areas that define modern great apes are well-preserved," Moyà-Solà said.

Pau was probably male, weighed about 35 kilograms and from its tooth shape indicates that his diet was fruit picked from the trees he climbed.

Spain's top business leaders win place in world ranking

For the first time several Spanish business leaders have been included in the ranking of the World's most respected leaders compiled each year by Pricewaterhouse Coopers and the Financial Times. Last year only one Spaniard, Jose Maria Castellanos (Inditex), managed to get into the list of the world's most respected company directors. This year he is still included in the list, but is relegated to 50th place and joined by Emilio Botin, who earns an impressive 40th place, and Isidoro Alvarez (53rd place). Bill Gates is awarded first place in this ranking.

Furthermore, for the first time 3 Spaniards are included in the ranking of the world's 50 most important leaders throughout history. The names on this list range from spiritual leaders (Jesus, Mother Teresa...) political or military leaders (Winston Churchill, Napoleon...), scientists and artists (Einstein, Leonardo da Vinci) aswell as top names from business, technology etc.

In this list, Emilio Botín, Chairman of the Santander Bank, takes the highest position given to a Spaniard (40th again), and is followed by Isidoro Alvarez, Chairman of El Corte Ingles (43rd place) and Amancio Ortega, founder and owner of Inditex (49th). The rise of Emilio Botin who is included for the first time in this ranking but is awarded the the highest position of all the Spanish representatives is probably explained by his bank's recent purchase of Abbey National.

As far as the national most respected company rankings are concerned, the results for Spain are as follows:

1. El Corte Ingles
2. Inditex
3. Telefónica
4. Repsol YPF
5. ACS-Dragados
6. Santander Bank
7. Endesa
8. BBV
9. Iberdrola
10. Aguas de Barcelona

Related links:
Santander Bank's purchase of Abbey National
Download the full results of World's most respected companies survey

Spain 10th in best country ranking

According the the results of the World in 2005 study by The Economist, Spain rates as the 10th best place to live in the World in 2005.

Ireland wins top place in this ranking of 111 countries, because of its healthy economy and traditional values. England drops to 29th place - the lowest of the most developed EU countries - and the USA also drops down to 13th place.

The study based its conclusions on statistics about income, health, freedom, unemployment, family life, climate, political stability and gender equality.

According to The Economist Ireland won because it successfully combines elements as important as a low rate of unemployment, high political freedom, solid family stability and a strong community life. Zimbabwe is the worst country to live in according to the results "Because under Mugabe things have gone from bad to worse".

The top 20 countries in the final ranking are:

1. Ireland
2. Switzerland
3. Norway
4. Luxembourg
5. Sweden
6. Australia
7. Iceland
8. Italy
9. Denmark
10. Spain
11. Singapore
12. Finland
13. USA
14. Canada
15. New Zealand
16. The Netherlands
17. Japan
18. Hong Kong
19. Portugal
20. Austria

Related links:
Reasons for living in Spain
Beautiful places in Spain
Property in Spain

Spanish airline strike at Christmas

The pilots of the Spanish airline Spanair have called a series of one-day strikes this month and next, so anyone planning to travel to or from Spain over the Christmas period are advised to look for another airline or be prepared to face delays or cancellations.

Aswell as providing national flights to most major Spanish cities, Spanair flies passangers to and from a large number of countries in Europe and to some destinations in the United States too.

The second of the day-strikes was called yesterday, and was reportedly supported by 90% of Spanair's pilots. Strikes have also been called for 18th, 23rd, 24th and 30th Novermber, and 1st, 2nd, 14th, 15th, 16th, 21st and 22nd December.

The Scandinavian airline SAS owns 95% of Spanair, and this is the first strike ever called in the history of the company. Spanair pilots complain of "repeated failure to comply with worker agreements and a reduction in working rights and guarentees" due to "the desire of the company to increasingly outsource contracts for planes and pilots to other companies in order to keep up with Spanair's activity".

Spain: Demographics of foreign resident population

According to a report published this week by the Spanish Immigration Observatory, the number of legal foreign residents in Spain at the end of last September reached over 1.8 million. The report gives a breakdown of where the foreign residents come from:

• 600,000 are Latinamericans,
• 478,500 are Europeans from EU member-states,
• 471,285 are Africans,
• 143,174 are Europeans from non-EU member-states
• 133,147 are from Asia
• 16,700 afre from the USA
• 1,600 from Oceania or Australasia

The 121,107 Britons living in Spain are the 4th largest national group of foreign residents after Moroccans (365,846), Ecuadorians, (202,294) and Colombians (128,367)

These figures are expected to change radically once the 3-month period granted by the Socialist government to illegal immigrants early next year has come and gone. According to new legislation passed last month, immigrants who have been living and working in Spain for a minimum period of six months and can produce a contract signed by their employees will have 3 months early next year to legalise their situation. Once the period is over, the Spanish Immigration Secretary, Consuelo Rumi, said that the figure of foreign residents in Spain could rise by as much as one million.

The most popular areas of Spain among legal foreign residents are:

• Catalonia: 423,988
• Madrid: 394,661
• Valencia: 216,353;
• Andalucia: 208.812;
• Canary Islands: 122.292;
• Balearic Islands 88.575,
• Murcia: 86.108 and
• Castilla y Leon: 52.867.

All other regions are home to less than 50,000 foreign residents.

Related links:

• Telefónica free global phone call for European residents in Spain
• Reform of immigration laws in Spain
• British first-time house buyers turn to Spanish property market

Spanish hunting season.

It is the hunting season in Spain, and hunters are out in their thousands all over the country, trying to hunt small or large game. Hunting remains a popular sport in this country, and there is very little debate about whether or not it should be allowed. Animal-rights' debates here center around bull-fighting rather than hunting. Hunting is especially popular in central Spain (Castilla la Mancha, Aragon, Extremadura....), and at this time of year on the main roads in these regions you can often see scores of cars being driven with a little trailer attached behind containing one or two hunting dogs.

During the Autumn months, migratory birds fly over Spain providing hunters with all sorts of unusual targets, and game reserves with deer, wild boar are opened up to hunters who spend hours in the dark and cold, hiding in strategic points, hoping to lure unsuspecting animals out of their hiding places and get a shot at them.

This may explain why two disorientated wild boar were found wandering along Avenida Navarra, one of Zaragoza's main roads, early this morning. Apparantly police tried in vain to catch the boar by chasing them along the avenue, but only succeeded in making them run from one side of the main street to the other, as they tried to find a way to escape. They finally managed to corner the two wild animals in the carpark of a popular shopping center, but were still unable to catch them. In the end, according to a statement by local police, and after all that effort, the two animals displayed such "ferocity" when surrounded by cars and onlookers that the police were left with "no other option" other than to shoot them.

It could only happen in Spain.

Telefonica bid for mmO2

The Spanish newspaper El Mundo today mentions UK press reports published this weekend about the possibility that Spanish Telefonica is preparing to make a bid for the British mobile telephone company mmO2.

According to rumors in Spain and in the UK mmO2's chief executive, Peter Erskine, may have met chairman of Telefonica, Cesar Alierta, this weekend, a meeting which has triggered speculation that the Spanish firm could make a bid for the company and has helped to boost the UK company's shares. Telefonica has said it was unaware of any talks, and mmO2 has declined comment.

This latest news comes after reports surfaced last month claiming that Telefonica was considering a possible takeover bid, claims that the Spanish telephone group then denied. Experts then said that Telefónica wanted to close its takeover of BellSouth, forecast for the first quarter of 2005, before taking on any other major bids for other companies.

Related links:
Telefónica offers 16 Euro phone cards to European residents in Spain
Telefónica Internet services
CE authorises Santander Bank purchase of Abbey National

New anti-tobacco reforms

The Spanish government has announced this week reforms which aim to prevent people from smoking in public and private work areas, teaching and sport centres and bars.

Until now, Spain has been one of Europe's most "permissive" (in words of Elena Salgado, Spain's Health Minister) countries in terms of the price of cigarettes and the availability of places where people can smoke. Until very recently, restaurants and bars were all-smoking zones, and it was quite usual to be attended in places like a bank or a public administration by someone with a cigarette dangling from his or her fingers.

Spain's present government is determined to tackle the problem of tobacco addiction in Spain and announced this week measures aimed at reducing consumption. The government hopes to reach consensus with all the affected groups in terms of advertising, public spaces where smoking is allowed and the legal age at which teenagers are alllowed to buy cigarrettes - the Health Minister has already announced that fines imposed for selling tobacco to teenagers under the age-limit will be more severe than at present.

Ms Salgado, underlined last week that tobacco-addiction is the main cause of death in Spain, and the precentage of smokers in Spain is one of the highest in Europe. She said that government reforms would try to protect the rights of non-smokers and help smokers to give up the habit.

New anti-tobacco legislation in Spain is expected to be passed in 2006 and will include the following clauses:

• The sale of tobacco to people under 18 years throughout Spain will be illegal (in some autonomous communities the legal age is 16)
• The sale of tobacco will be forbidden in all health clinics, centres of education, culture and/or sport activities, and associations offering care and leisure to adolescents
• Smoking will be forbidden in all closed places of work in the private and public sectors
• Smoking will be forbidden in all health and education centers; sport facilities; centers offering advice and attention to citizens; centers offering help to teenagers under 18 and places where food is prepared, made or sold
• Smoking will be forbidden in all lifts, telephone booths, indoor cashpoints, public transport, bus stations, and all areas of public transport which are not open air (metro, indoor bus stations, railway stations, airports....)

According to the latest figures, tobacco causes 50,000 deaths in Spain each year, i.e. more than all deaths caused by AIDS, alcohol and road accidents together.

Spanish mortgage loans reach new high

Despite reports earlier this year that the Spanish property market was going to slow down, figures released by the Spanish Mortgage Association (Asociación Hipotecaria Española) yesterday suggest that Spanish house-buyers have decided not to wait and see if prices become more stable or even come down before purchasing their new home. September registered a new high in terms of mortgage loans, and current figures put the growth of the mortgage market at 25.3%, its highest since 1996.

By the end of September 2004, Spanish families owed banks, savings banks and credit companies an total of 551.203 million euros in mortgage loans, that is 111.262 million euros more than last year. Experts predict that this trend will continue until the end of this year and will start to slow down during the first months of 2005.

Last week the Spanish Finance Minister, Pedro Solbes, announced reforms to enable borrowers to switch their mortgage from one bank to another without having to pays fees required until now. These fees usually represent a percentage of the amount outstanding at the moment of the changeover and tends to disuade borrowers from choosing the best offer available if it means changing their mortgage to another bank. The new reform is expected to further increase competition in a market still dominated by the Spanish savings banks (cajas de ahorros), although Spain's major banks have improved their share of the market in recent years.

Related links
Latest news itemas about the property market in Spain
Mortgages in Spain
Property in Spain
Vivienda (in Spanish)

Aznar in the US accuses European governments of encouraging "Anti-americanism"

In another extraordinary attack on the foreign policies of the Spanish and other European governments yesterday, Jose Maria Aznar claimed that "At present, in many countries, including unfortunately my own, we find that for the first time an anti-american feeling is not only present on the streets, but is actually encouraged by the governing elites".

Speaking at Georgetown University where he is a Distinguished Scholar this year, Aznar insinuated that Europe is weak because it prefers to be so, and because it doesn't want to stand up and face threats or challenges. For this reason, in the opinion of Aznar, we should be grateful for the interventionist international policies applied by the US government.

Aznar applauded Bush's victory in the presidential elections once again, and spoke out in favour of American foreign policy. He refused to acknowledge that he had been mistaken about the existence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq (Aznar, unlike Bush and Blair, has never admitted any misjudgement about wmd). He also spoke about his visit the previous day to the White House - "Yesterday I went to the White House to speak to president Bush for one reason, because he is my friend... I have various friends in America, and one of them is the president". Although some Spanish media criticised this meeting yesterday, the Spanish foreign minister, Miguel Angel Moratinos, said Aznar's visit to the White House was "normal" in that it was a "private visit".

Meanwhile, according to El Mundo, diplomatic sources have confirmed that King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia have accepted an invitation received from the Bushes to have lunch with the US President and his wife during a visit they will be making to the States later this month. Apparantly the invitation was made yesterday, when President Bush learned that the Spanish King and Queen would be visiting Seattle on 20th November.

Juan Carlos and Sofia visited the Bushes during an official visit to the US at the beginning of George Bush's first presidency in 2001. Known for his affability and diplomatic skills, hopefully this royal visit will contribute to a thaw in the frosty Spanish-US relations. King Juan Carlos sent Bush a telegram after the elections congratulating him on behalf of the royal family, the Spanish government and the Spanish people. Rodriguez Zapatero also sent a telegram and telephoned, but his telephone call has not yet been returned. While most commentators and politicians here put this down to the negative US-Spanish relations at the moment, yesterday in his daily press conference the White House spokesman said that Bush had not yet spoken to Zapatero because of problems in their mutual agendas.

Related links:
Spanish relations with the US
Close ties between Georgetown University and the Spanish Popular Party
Aznar to join Georgetown University
Spain's Royal Family

Telefonica offers free phone cards worth 16 euros to European residents in Spain

Today Telefónica, Spain's largest telephone operator, launches a campaign with Euroresidentes to find out telephone needs and habits of European residents in Spain.

This month the telephone company will give a telephone card worth 16 Euros to all of our non-Spanish users who have a house in Spain (you don't have to be a permanent resident) and who fill in the online survey they have prepared.

We asked Telefónica to make the questions short and easy, and they did. The questionnaire only takes about 2 minutes to complete. Just click on the Telefonica banner on this page and click your way through the questions, which are all multiple choice. Once you have answered them all, fill in your name and address on the form on the last page of the survey, and Telefónica will post a 16 Euro phone card off to you straight away.

The offer is only valid until 31st November, and the cards are usable up until 31st December.

Related links:
Telefonica Internet services

Chancellor Shroeder visits Spain

Relations between Germany and Spain, strained in recent years, have improved markedly under the Spanish socialist government, and today President Rodriguez Zapatero receives Chancellor Shroeder in what is expected to be a very relaxed and cordial summit meeting between the two leaders.

Gerhard Schroeder arrives in Leon at midday accompanied by serveral ministers, and will be met by Zapatero and his government in the famous Hostal San Marcos, Spain's oldest hotel and most magnificant parador.

Once they have got the usual diplomatic formalities over with, the two leaders will have a meeting, while parallel meetings are held between the foreign ministers, Miguel Angel Moratinos and Joschka Fischer; interior ministers, José Antonio Alonso and Otto Schily; defence ministers José Bono and Peter Struck; agricultural ministers, Elena Espinosa and Renate Kuenast and the justice ministers, Juan Fernando López Aguilar and Brigitte Zypriess.

At two o'clock all the meetings end and the two governments will pose for a photo. Then they will all have lunch and in the afternoon one big meeting is scheduled to be attended by all the ministers and their two leaders. Once that meeting is over, and after signing a joint declaration, Zapatero and Schroeder will then have a stroll around the city centre.

José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero has concentrated much of his recent international policy efforts in getting closer to Germany and France and in improving Spain's image and influence among European Union states. He seems to get on very well with Schroeder, although they disagree on the financial structure proposed by France and Germany for the period 2007-2013, and this is one of the issues they are expected to discuss during their meeting.

Spain is one of the European Union's biggest recipients of EU funds. For this reason, Zapatero wants the EU budget to remain 1.24% GDP of member states and also wants to avoid having to face a drastic reduction in money received by Spain from the EU regional funds and the Cohesion Fund.

The Cohesion Fund was set up in 1993 under the Maastricht Treaty to contribute to the strengthening of the economic and social cohesion of the European Union. With a budget of more than 15 Billion ECU for the period 1993 - 1999, it aimed to help the least prosperous Member States of the European Union to be able to fully participate in Economic and Monetary Union from 1999. Currently four Member States benefit from the Cohesion Fund - Ireland, Spain, Portugal and Greece. The eligibility criterion is that GNP be 90% or less than that of the EU average and with the entry of the EU's new ten member states, Spain is no longer eligible to receive money from this particular Fund.

Germany is in the opposite position and is the EU's biggest contributer of funds. Last year the German government requested that the EU budget be reduced to 1% GDP of member states. So it will be interesting to see if the two leaders make any progress in their negotiations today. They are also expected to discuss other international issues, including the situation in the Middle East and Iraq.

Related links:
Spanish foreign policy
Guide to Spanish paradors

Spanish Catholic Church campaign against Socialist government policies

According to an article in El Mundo this morning, today marks the first of a series of campaigns designed and led by Spain's Catholic Church to protest against some of the policies announced by the Spanish government and heavily criticised by representatives of the Spanish Catholic Church.

Relations between the Spanish Catholic Church and the Socialist Government could hardly be worse. Spanish bishops have criticised government policy on several issues. In July, the country's highest archbishop, Cardinal Rouco Varela, declared that the Socialist proposals were taking Spain back to the medieval ages when it was under Muslim rule! And in September, Juan Antonio Martinez Campo, spokesman for Spain's Episcopal Conference, described gay marriage as a "virus," threatening Spanish society.

The Catholic Church's new campaign will center around three main issues:

• Religious education (the Church favours compulsory religious education in all schools)
• Family values (the Church is against gay marriages, the right of gay couples to adopt, research with embryos, reform of the divorce law)
• The right to life (the Church opposes abortion, embryo research and euthanasia).

In a press conference held yesterday, the Episcopal Conference spokesman said that the main objective of its campaign is to "mobilise the conscience" of all Christians. In an unprecendented move, it has published more than 7 million leaflets in Spanish, Catalan, Basque and Galician, explaining the Catholic doctrine about life and death. One of the sentences from the leaflet reads as follows "Euthanasia is always a form of homicide, because it involves one man giving death to another".

The campaign, which also includes advertising on television and in the media, posters, billboards, conferences etc. will continue until the Summer. No information has been given about the overall cost (in terms of euros) of such an elaborate campaign.

Related links:

Gay marriages in Spain
Pope receives Zapatero in the Vatican
Divorce in Spain - reforms

Spanish relations with the US

The Spanish media this morning centers its response to the US election results around the future of Spain's relations with the United States. Some newspapers, notably La Razon and ABC, even claim that the victory of George Bush is a victory for Aznar and his policies. Aznar has repeatedly spoken openly of his support for Bush during the US election campaign both in Spain and in the US. The Spanish president, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, never expressed his support for Kerry in public, but political commentatos agree that it would have been easier for the Socialist government to rebuild Spain's relations with the US if the Democrat had won.

After the Spanish withdrawal of troops from Iraq, Zapatero's comments criticising the "illegal" US invasion of Iraq at the United Nations, and the US Ambassador's decision not to attend Spain's national day celebrations last month and to go hunting instead, Spain-US relations are at what many consider to be an all-time low.

Yesterday Spain's defence minister Jose Bono said that the election results had not changed Spain's wish to "maintain and even increase" the relationship of "friendship and alliance" with the US. Bono said that it was the "obligation" of any government to reach "a proper understanding" with the United States government, "not by anyone putting their feet on the table" (in allusion to the famous photo taken of Bush and Aznar during a meeting just prior to the invasion of Iraq) "but certainly with respect".

José Bono stressed his good relationship with the US Ambassador in Spain with whom he watched the elections results coming in from the US Embassy in Madrid. He also criticised the declarations of PP politicians yesterday for stressing the difficult relationship between the Socialist and Bush administrations.

Consequences of climate change in Southern Spain

According to an article published today in Diario Información, the European Environment Agency has published a report on the consquences of climate change in Spain. The report warns that the province of Alicante will lose 20% its water resources during the next 75 years as average temperatures are expected to rise by as much as 4º. This means that if population in Southern Spain continues to rise, the whole area will have a serious drinking-water problem in a few decades time. Last week was Alicante's driest ever week in October.

The results of the study were made public last week by the Spanish Secretary of Prevention of Pollution and Climate Change, Arturo Gozale Azpiri during a talk at a conference held about desalination, a process which converts salt water into drinking water.

Some experts claim that desalination represents the only solution for areas facing potential water resource problems, whereas other experts claim that the spread of desalination facilities will allow further growth of areas that do not have the natural means to support their exploding populations and that the pollution caused by desalination plants undermine the positive effects derived from the conversion of salt water to drinking water.

Gozale Azpiri said at the desalination conference that the plants which will be set up in Spain to counteract the desertification of some areas will respect the pollution limits established by the Kioto Agreement. Spain's Socialist government has completely overturned the previous administration's environmental policy, particularly in water management, and sees the construction of desalination plants as the most viable solution to Spain's water problems.

Related news items:
Climatic change in Spain

EU homeowners and ambassadors challenge Valencian land laws.

Valencia's most popular local newspaper, El Levante, dedicates one of its headlines this morning to a news item published by the Sunday Telegraph yesterday about the protest of foreign homeowners in tourist areas of the Valencian region who are being forced to sell "surplus" land at a fraction of its market value because of land laws which have already been declared as "unjust" by the European Parliament but which the Valencian Government has failed to modify.

In an unprecedented joint action, 17 EU ambassadors have written to the Spanish President asking him to intervene to prevent the Valencian government from expropiating homes or from demanding financial payment from homeowners on the Costa Blanca.

Ten years ago a law was passed by the Valencian government to prevent landowners from obstructing building development. According to the Telegraph, the law "is being exploited by construction companies, with the backing of corrupt local politicians. In one town after another, they have been granted the right to seize land around foreign-owned homes, pay paltry sums in compensation and demand cash from the sellers to pay for new roads, drainage and other services".

The Valencian government has refused to respond to complaints made by the European residents about the law, and according to the British Ambassador in Spain, the Valencian authorities rebuffed EU ambassadors two years ago. Earlier this year homeowners took their case to the European Parliament which issued a report condemning the law and criticising apparant corruption among developers, officials and lawyers. But the Valencian government did nothing to stop the practise. Protesters and EU ambassadors in Spain say that unless the Spanish central government intervenes, they will take their case to the European Courts of Human Rights. The ambassadors warn of negative consequences on the reputation of Spain in general and of Valencia in particular, as a risk-free place to invest in property.

President Zapatero's office have issued a statement saying that he has "taken note" of the letter, and Spain's foreign minister Miguel Angel Moratinos, has said he will approach the Valencian government to help ensure that the rights of property owners were fully protected.

According to one of the affected residents, Charles Zvoboda, a former director of Canada's intelligence service, the Valencia government is using the law as light relief for its massive debts. Property agencies consulted by the Telegraph say that law has already made the property market in the area vulnerable and less foreign buyers are prepared to risk buying land in the Valencian Region.

Related links:
Property in Spain
Vivienda
Related article (April 2005):
Brussels condemns the Valencia land laws.