Spanish elections and politics II: Catalan elections on February 14, 2021
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  Spanish elections and politics II: Catalan elections on February 14, 2021
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Velasco
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« Reply #1400 on: March 01, 2020, 02:40:09 PM »

PM Pedro Sánchez and Catalan premier Quim Torra were present in the first meeting of the "governments tabla" to discuss the future of Catalonia. The meeting took place in La Moncloa, the seat of government in Madrid. The scenography was impressive and elaborate. The result were three hours of "therapy" about the origins of the crisis

https://english.elpais.com/politics/catalonia_independence/2020-02-28/catalan-talks-start-with-three-hours-of-therapy-about-the-origins-of-the-crisis.html

Quote
Contrary to expectations, the first round of talks between Spain’s central government and the Catalan authorities on the future of the northeastern region did not focus on how to resolve the ongoing political crisis in Catalonia, or whether the region has the right to hold a referendum on independence. Instead, representatives from both sides – who until recently appeared irreconcilable – spent nearly three hours on Wednesday discussing a historical issue: what were the origins of the Catalan crisis, and when do they date from?

Although no agreement was reached on key issues such as the right to an independence referendum or a government pardon for jailed separatists, the 15 participants at the meeting underscored that the most important point was holding the meeting itself, and the fact that further negotiations will take place in the coming weeks and months.

The meeting ended with a joint statement, and several people who were present agreed that while there were major discrepancies, the tone was friendly and even seemed, at times, like a therapy session.

Holding these talks was a condition set by the Catalan Republican Left (ERC), a separatist party with 13 lawmakers in Spain’s Congress of Deputies, in exchange for its commitment to abstain at the congressional vote in January to confirm Pedro Sánchez, of the Socialist Party (PSOE), as the prime minister of Spain.

Opposition leader Pablo Casado claims this negotiation is "humiliating" and promised he will revoke -once in government- whatever agreement is reached.

On the other hand, the expenditure ceiling was passed in Congress with the PNV support and the abstention of EH Bildu, ERC and JxCAT. Finance minister María Jesús Montero looked relieved, because is the first and necessarystep to have the budget passed by summer,

However, the Catalan independence movement is disunited and the attitudes toward the negotiation table are different. While ERC supports it and favours a pragmatic and gradualist strategy, the "leader in exile" Carles Puigdemont downgrades its importance.

Puigdemont was the star of a massive rally taking place yesterday in Perpignan, on the French side of the Catalan border

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-spain-politics-catalonia/thousands-attend-rally-in-france-for-exiled-catalan-leader-idUSKBN20N0TK

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Tens of thousands of Catalan independence supporters gathered in Perpignan, southern France, on Saturday at a rally in support of exiled former Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont, who called on the crowd to prepare for the “definitive struggle” for independence. (...)

Puigdemont, who is now a member of the European Parliament and lives in exile in Belgium, urged supporters waving Catalan flags not to give up on the fight for an independent Catalonia.

“We know that we won’t stop and they won’t stop us. We don’t have to wait for better times because they are here,” he said, to cheers from the crowd, which numbered around 70,000 according to local police, though organizers put the number closer to 150,000. 

Galicia elections: Sondaxe poll

PP 39 seats (43.7%)
PSOE 15 (18.7%)
BNG 13 (16.7%)
Left 8 (12.6%)
Cs 0 (2.7%)
VOX 0 (1.8%)

The PP+Cs coalition in the Basque Country is polling between 7% and 8%
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Velasco
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« Reply #1401 on: March 02, 2020, 07:32:16 AM »
« Edited: March 02, 2020, 07:35:37 AM by Velasco »

Well, following from Velasco's question about "What are Arrimadas and the fake centrists doing?", it seems the Cs leadership election got a lot more interesting today.

Francisco Igea, leader of the party in Castille-Leon and well known critic of the leadership of Rivera and Arrimadas, has jumped into the leadership race. Igea became leader in Castille-Leon after winning an election that was rigged against him, and has been the highest profile critic in Cs. He even wanted a PSOE-Cs deal in Castille-Leon but the party shut him down.

Anyways, here is what Igea is proposing. The biggest difference is that Igea is defending a much more decentralized party model, where regional leaders have more autonomy. Currently Cs (alongside Vox) are the most centralized parties in Spain, where regional leaders are little more than puppets to the national leadership. Opponents claim this model is too inflexible and rigid, while supporters claim the alternative of high profile regional leaders (like the infamous PSOE barons) is worse. Igea is also against the PP-Cs deals that have been negotiated for the Basque Country, Catalonia and Galicia.

In a way, this primary reminds me slightly of the 2017 PSOE primary. All the Cs leadership is backing Arrimadas, while the bases (particularly in Catalonia) are supporting Igea. However, Igea is no Pedro Sánchez and I expect him to handily lose, in a scale of 80-20 or something like that; and Cs will slowly but surely be absorbed into PP.

Others have instead put the UP 2017 primary as the example, claiming that Igea is to Cs what Errejón was to UP.

https://elpais.com/politica/2020/02/23/actualidad/1582488811_600629.html

On a brief note, party convention will take place on March 14 and 15. Inés Arrimadas is set to win by a landslide, as she has collected 277 of 355 delegates (78%). The current parliamentary spokeswoman and future Cs leader ruled out a merger with the PP. Apparently Arrimadas is attempting a controlled renewal of the party without Rivera's inner circle and with more women in positions of power. Most of Rivera's lieutenants resigned, but not the powerful secretary for organization Fran Hervias (aka ''The Wolf''). Arrimadas won't count with the latter. She is totally opposed to regional leaders elected by membership, so the hyper centralized organizational model remains. The strategy of electoral alliances with the PP at regional level is partly motivated by the bad electoral prospects, but Arrimadas claims that Cs has its own niche and will run in its own in next general elections.
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mileslunn
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« Reply #1402 on: March 02, 2020, 06:26:04 PM »

With expenditure ceiling passing, how likely is it that the budget passes?  My guess is any tax changes take effect in 2021 or do they impact 2020 tax year?  If budget fails it seems deadlock although like Israel election today possible last minute voters swing heavily in one direction to prevent another deadlock.
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Velasco
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« Reply #1403 on: March 03, 2020, 02:19:05 AM »
« Edited: March 03, 2020, 04:20:36 PM by Velasco »

With expenditure ceiling passing, how likely is it that the budget passes?  My guess is any tax changes take effect in 2021 or do they impact 2020 tax year?  If budget fails it seems deadlock although like Israel election today possible last minute voters swing heavily in one direction to prevent another deadlock.

The expenditure ceiling is a first step, but ERC has the key to pass the budget and has conditioned its abstention to the "success" of negotiations. They should say the "narrative" about negotiations, because it's highly unlikely there are meaningful advances before the Catalan elections. With the current composition of parliament, Spain's political stability is conditioned to the political situation in Catalonia and the latter is quite complex and conditioned by the competition between the two main separatist forces (ERC vs JxCAT, Junqueras vs Puigdemont). I think it's in the ERC interest that the PSOE-UP coalition lasts, but who knows...

Do you mean the "Google Tax" and the likes? As far as I know, Spain and other European countries have been pressed by the Trump administration (there's a commercial war going on, triggered by the US) and the Spanish government would like to coordinate the implementation of taxes to internet giants (please note that some enterprises are bigger than medium-sized states) with France and other countries. In case you are referring to other taxes, please specify.

Thankfully Spain is not Israel. In any case, we haven't the full results of the Israeli elections and it's a bit early to talk about conclusive outcomes (it's clear that Bibi won, but he's on the brink of majority). Even though Pablo Casado is a rightwinger with aggressive rhetoric, he lacks the malice and talent for confrontation of Donald Trump or Benjamin Netanyahu. I think that only a catastrophic and unpredicted event can provoke a heavy swing in public opinion. Such eventualities have happened before (Madrid bombings in 2004, for instance), but I don't have a crystal ball to predict them
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mileslunn
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« Reply #1404 on: March 03, 2020, 02:40:55 AM »

With expenditure ceiling passing, how likely is it that the budget passes?  My guess is any tax changes take effect in 2021 or do they impact 2020 tax year?  If budget fails it seems deadlock although like Israel election today possible last minute voters swing heavily in one direction to prevent another deadlock.

The expenditure ceiling is a first step, but ERC has the key to pass the budget and has conditioned its abstention to the "success" of negotiations. They should say the "narrative" about negotiations, because it's highly unlikely there are meaningful advances before the Catalan elections. With the current composition of parliament, Spain's political stability is conditioned to the political situation in Catalonia and the latter is quite complex and conditioned by the competition between the two main separatist forces (ERC vs JxCAT, Junqueras vs Puigdemont). I think it's in the ERC interest that the PSOE-UP coalition lasts, but who knows...

Do you mean the "Google Tax" and the likes? As far as I know, Spain and other European countries have been pressed by the Trump administration (there's a commercial war going in, triggered by the US) and the Spanish government would like to coordinate the implementation of taxes to internet giants (please note that some enterprises are bigger than medium-sized states) with France and other countries. In case you are referring to other taxes, please specify.

Thankfully Spain is not Israel. In any case, we haven't the full results of the Israeli elections and it's a bit early to talk about conclusive outcomes (it's clear that Bibi won, but he's on the brink of majority). Even though Pablo Casado is a rightwinger with aggressive rhetoric, he lacks the malice andtalent for confrontation of Donald Trump or Benjamin Netanyahu. I think that only a catastrophic and unprotected event can provoke a heavy swing of public opinion. Such eventualities have happened before (Madrid bombings in 2004, for instance), but I don't have a crystal ball to predict them

I mean Bank tax and high earner's tax hike.  Last time high earners got hit some football players complained so would it impact 2020 salaries or only 2021?  Mind you even with hike top rates I believe will still be below France and Portugal while higher than Italy, Germany, and England and around the same as Netherlands.
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Velasco
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« Reply #1405 on: March 03, 2020, 02:37:43 PM »

I mean Bank tax and high earner's tax hike.  Last time high earners got hit some football players complained so would it impact 2020 salaries or only 2021?  Mind you even with hike top rates I believe will still be below France and Portugal while higher than Italy, Germany, and England and around the same as Netherlands.

The government just submitted the draft in Congress to implement the so-called 'Tobin Tax', which will take effect three months after its release in the Official Journal (later in this year). Apparently the tax to financial transactions will be set at 0.2% (France would be at 0.3%). Finance minister expects to raise about 850 EUR millions, a drop in the ocean.

Regarding the big fortunes, enhancing tax revenue implies the reform of corporate and income taxes. I get from the news that the government is developing measures to tax SICAVs* , but I can't tell much more at this moment.

*SICAV: A SICAV is an open-ended collective investment scheme common in Western Europe, especially Luxembourg, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Belgium, Malta, France and Czech Republic.

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mileslunn
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« Reply #1406 on: March 03, 2020, 05:28:28 PM »

I mean Bank tax and high earner's tax hike.  Last time high earners got hit some football players complained so would it impact 2020 salaries or only 2021?  Mind you even with hike top rates I believe will still be below France and Portugal while higher than Italy, Germany, and England and around the same as Netherlands.

The government just submitted the draft in Congress to implement the so-called 'Tobin Tax', which will take effect three months after its release in the Official Journal (later in this year). Apparently the tax to financial transactions will be set at 0.2% (France would be at 0.3%). Finance minister expects to raise about 850 EUR millions, a drop in the ocean.

Regarding the big fortunes, enhancing tax revenue implies the reform of corporate and income taxes. I get from the news that the government is developing measures to tax SICAVs* , but I can't tell much more at this moment.

*SICAV: A SICAV is an open-ended collective investment scheme common in Western Europe, especially Luxembourg, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Belgium, Malta, France and Czech Republic.



I thought corporate tax rate would be 3% higher for banks than other corporations?  As for income taxes, isn't the plan a 2% hike on those making over 130,000 Euros and 4% on those making over 300,000 Euros and I know in past football players tend to complain every time top rates go up.  Depending on autonomous community, I believe football players would be taxed at 47.5% to 52% so not highest in Europe but as mentioned higher than Italy, Germany, and England while similar to Netherlands and slightly below Portugal and France.  So I was thinking more that.  I know in English speaking world, pushing top rates over 50% has often been criticized and I believe Sanchez's hike would put marginal rates over 300,000 Euros over 50% in majority of autonomous communities and over 50% on as little as 130,000 Euros in some, so I was wondering how likely this tax hike will be and if so, does it apply to 2020 year or only to 2021 year?  If to 2021 year, I would imagine some football players will want trades to lower taxed countries.
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Former President tack50
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« Reply #1407 on: March 03, 2020, 05:59:24 PM »

Footballers will probably just dodge taxes. Both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi (to put 2 famous examples) have been convicted of tax evasion, but were left free as they didn't have previous criminal records and their sentences were short.

Honestly I wish Messi and Ronaldo had gone behind bars for a while. It would have sent a powerful message to tax dodgers in the country; we should be more strict on that stuff.

I guess it also shows that I am not a soccer fan Tongue
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Velasco
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« Reply #1408 on: March 04, 2020, 06:50:54 AM »
« Edited: March 04, 2020, 09:53:36 AM by Velasco »

Last polls show Galicia premier Alberto Núñez Feijóo on the brink of losing majority

Celeste-Tel/eldiario.es

PP 36-38 (43.9%)
PSOE 20-22 (25.2%)
BNG 9 (13.6%)
Galicia in Common 8 (11.1%)
VOX 0 (2.9%)
Cs 0 (1.3%)

Very good for the PSOE. 38 seats needed for majority



Sigma Dos for Antena 3 / Sociométrica for El Español


PP 37-39 (46.9%) / 37-38 (46.2%)
PSOE 18-20 (24.4%) / 19-20 (22.3%)
BNG 14 (19%) / 9 (13.9%)
Galicia in Common 3-6 (7.3%) / 8 (10.2%)
VOX 0 (2.4%) / 1 (4.9%)
Cs 0 (0.7%) / NA

Sigma Dos predicts a bombastic result for the BNG, while Sociométrica predicts that Vox will jump into parliament with a single seat. I think the disparities in the results of the BNG and Galicia in Common (GeC: Podemos, IU, Anova, Mareas) are due to the interconnected voter bases and the low name recognition of the GeC camdidate. Podemos leader in Galicia Antón Gómez-Reino. However GeC has a big asset in the Spanish government with Labour minister Yolanda Díaz (IU member and close ally of Pablo Iglesias), who is revealing as the most efficient of the UP cabiinet members.

The worst scenario for Alberto Núñez Feijóo is losing majority (obviously), but another nightmarish scenario for him is falling short by one seat with Vox in parliament. The Galicia premier is a moderate within PP and the Galician branch of the conservatives has a regionalist character incompatible with Vox. For instance, Feijóo claims that Galicia is a "historical nationality", which is a very constitutional definition (article 2 mentions the existence of "regions" and "historical nationalities" within Spain). However, the allegedly 'constitutionalist' Vox stands for the recentralization of the state and rejects that definition.  


Basque Country polls: Sigma Dos / Sociométrica

EAJ-PNV 32-34 (41.9%) / 27 (37.3%)
EH Bildu 18-21 (23.1%) / 18 (22.2%)
PSE-PSOE 10-11 (14.8%) / 12 (14.1%)
Elkarrekin Podemos 6-8 (10.3%) / 10 (12%)
PP+Cs 4-5 (7.5%) / 7 (9.3%)
VOX 0 (1.2%) / 1 (3.1%)

Disparities in the results. As it happens with Galicia, Sociométrica predicts a shocking result with Vox jumping into regional parliament winning a single seat (presumably for Álava). Bad prospects for the PP+Cs alliance headed by Carlos Iturgaiz.

The recent collapse of a landfill in the Basque Country, with a massive dumpslide (thousands of tones) and two casualties, might have eroded somewhat the solid PNV grip on the region

https://elpais.com/politica/2020/02/13/actualidad/1581592963_032517.html
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« Reply #1409 on: March 04, 2020, 10:12:47 AM »

Looking at polls I would actually be moving Galicia from tossup to Lean PP.

It seems to me the Vox vote will consolidate behind PP and that Feijoo is personally popular in a similar way to the Southern PSOE premiers like Guillermo Fernandez Vara (Extremadura) and Emiliano Garcia Page (Castille-La Mancha

Another interesting story in Galicia is the recent BNG surge. With a good campaign they could get a really good result, a big comeback from their miserable 2016 result

The Basque Country is still boring and a PNV lanfslide though I guess the recent landfill disaster mighg make them lose votes
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Velasco
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« Reply #1410 on: March 05, 2020, 01:49:31 PM »
« Edited: March 06, 2020, 05:34:37 AM by Velasco »

The Spanish government approved recently a draft law to strengthen rape convictions

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/03/spain-approves-draft-law-to-strengthen-convictions

Quote
Spain’s leftwing government has approved a bill that would define all non-consensual sex as rape, acting on a pre-election promise to strengthen laws in defence of women’s rights.

Combating gender violence has been high on Spain’s political agenda since the 2016 “wolf pack” trial, in which five men were jailed for sexual abuse, but not rape, after gang-raping a young woman at the Pamplona running of the bulls festival.

Mass protests against that conviction, which attracted international attention in the wake of the global #MeToo movement, led to an appeal in 2019 in which the supreme court ruled the men had committed rape, not sexual abuse (...)  

The draft was prepared by the Equality minister Irene Montero (Podemos) and was presented after the cabinet meeting on Tuesday

https://english.elpais.com/society/2020-03-03/spanish-cabinet-takes-first-step-toward-major-overhaul-of-sexual-assault-laws.html

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The legislation underwent a series of changes as recently as Monday, after it was debated with other ministries – in particular the Justice Ministry required modifications. The law includes changes to the Criminal Code, such as the classification of street harassment as a misdemeanor, punishable by house arrest, community work or a fine, and also includes planned changes for the sentencing of sexual offenses.

The comprehensive law pays particular attention to the prevention of sexual offenses, and includes education on equality and diversity in all levels of the education system. The draft legislation sets out a time frame of a year to decide whether gender violence courts should judge a particular case or if they should be passed to other specialized tribunals, ministry sources added.  

Last minute modifications triggered an argument between Irene Montero and Deputy PM Carmen Calvo, who was mediating between Equality and Justice departments. The tension between PSOE and UP representatives during technical discussions reveals an underground conflict for the leadership of the feminist movement, which is very important for both coalition partners. According to PSOE and UP sources quoted by El País, this cracks the coalition. Pablo Iglesias amplified the sensation of crisis suggesting without saying his name that the Justice minister is a "frustrated male chauvinist". We'll see if they manage to save the situation, but this argument breaks the image of unity and collaborative spirit cultivated the first two months. Equality affairs were previously managed by Carmen Calvo, who was initially reluctant to cede them to UP.

On the other hand, the management of the coronavirus crisis is being coordinated by the Health minister Salvador Illa (PSC) and an expert with remarkable communication skills called Fernando Simón, who has been praised for his efficiency and transparency. Pedro Sánchez has reinforced the powers of the Health Ministry after a relatively minor controversy caused by a guide released by the labour Ministry in its own.

In other news, a Swiss prosecutor is investigating an alleged million-euro donation to Corinna Larsen, who was the "special friend" of former king Jun Carlos

https://english.elpais.com/international/2020-03-05/swiss-prosecutor-investigating-alleged-million-euro-donation-to-friend-of-spains-former-king.html

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A public prosecutor in Switzerland has been investigating a multi-million-euro donation received by Corinna Larsen, a friend of former Spanish King Juan Carlos I, from a Swiss bank account linked to a Panamanian foundation, according to a number of sources close to the judicial probe who have been consulted by EL PAÍS.

The documents where these payments are reflected were found during searches ordered by the prosecutor, Yves Bertossa, in the offices of the Geneva-based asset manager Arturo Fasana and the lawyer Dante Canonica, both of whom are linked to the network of companies that is currently being investigated by the prosecutor. Fasana was also investigated as part of the sprawling “Gürtel” case, a kickbacks-for-contracts network involving Spain’s conservative Popular Party (PP). He was probed for having moved funds for the businessman at the center of that case, Francisco Correa.  

UP, Compromís and ERC have requested an inquiry commission in Congress, in order to investigate the "alleged corrupt activities" of the "emeritus" king Juan Carlos. This upsets the PSOE, which is nominally republican but supportive of constitutional monarchy. Socialists will oppose the commission arguing Juan Carlos is constitutionally inviolable.
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« Reply #1411 on: March 09, 2020, 02:03:37 PM »

Well, it seems coronavirus is taking all the national attention recently. As of now, all schools will be closed for 14 days in the province of Vitoria (Basque Country). Madrid has also closed all schools in the region. (Madrid and Vitoria are 2 of the 3 main outbreak centers, the last one being centered around the town of Haro in La Rioja).

A Lombardy-like lockdown of Madrid, while I think is unlikely, would be absolutely massive, especially considering it is the nation's capital.

Much like stock markets around the world, the Spanish stock market is also in free fall.

Certainly not the greatest situation out there.
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« Reply #1412 on: March 10, 2020, 06:27:20 AM »



Holy crap VOX's Secretary General Javier Ortega Smith has Coronavirus.
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Velasco
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« Reply #1413 on: March 10, 2020, 09:46:13 AM »

Vox is a virus, too
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« Reply #1414 on: March 11, 2020, 05:30:00 AM »
« Edited: March 11, 2020, 05:37:41 AM by Velasco »

Pedro Sánchez made a statement yesterday calling for calm and announcing the government will do whatever necessary in the "difficult weeks" ahead. Extraordinary cabinet meeting today

https://english.elpais.com/society/2020-03-11/spanish-pm-calls-for-calm-warns-of-difficult-weeks-ahead-in-face-of-coronavirus-crisis.html

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In an atmosphere that reflected the complexity of the situation caused by the novel coronavirus crisis, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez spoke on Tuesday evening from La Moncloa prime ministerial palace to announce economic assistance for companies and families who are suffering from the epidemic. The aid will be particularly aimed at parents who are unable to go to work and need to take care of their children, as well as the sectors that have been most affected by the outbreak.

The Socialist Party (PSOE) politician also promised liquidity for small- and medium-sized companies, and warned that there would be “difficult weeks” ahead in Spain. He did, however, announce that he had achieved progress in a meeting with his European partners: the European Union would be more flexible on the deficit targets for the countries most affected by Covid-19, as the disease caused by the virus is known. This will include Spain and Italy.

    Faced with a complex crisis, the Spanish  

Valencia premier Ximo Puig announced yesterday the world famous Fallas fiestas will be postponed. On the other hand, egardless their recent differences, PSOE and UP are working together. Also, it's remarkable the cooperation between the central government and the different regional administrations, including thoise governed by PP and Cs (propped up by Vox) and the Catalan government.

As said before, Vox secretary general Javier Ortega Smith tested positive for coronavirus. The Vox leader attended several events before, including a crowded rally taking place last Sunday with some 9000 people. Later, Vox apologized for that

https://english.elpais.com/society/2020-03-10/secretary-general-of-spains-far-right-vox-party-tests-positive-for-coronavirus.html

Quote
The Spanish far-right party Vox confirmed on Tuesday that its secretary general, Javier Ortega Smith, has tested positive for the novel coronavirus. The group also apologized for organizing an event on Sunday in the Vistalegre arena in Madrid, which was attended by around 9,000 people.

The far-right party did not explain how Ortega Smith, who is a lawmaker in Spain’s lower house, the Congress of Deputies and member of the Madrid local government, contracted the virus. In response to the situation, Vox said in a statement that its 52 deputies will work from home and not enter  

Previosuly Vox was developing a narrative on an alleged government's  "inaction" and criricized heavily the leftist coalition for allowing feminist demonstartions on the Inernational Women's Day, which attracted mass numbers last Sunday despite coronavirus fears

https://english.elpais.com/society/2020-03-09/womens-day-marches-in-spain-attract-mass-numbers-despite-coronavirus-fears.html

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Tens of thousands of people took to the streets of Spain on Sunday evening to take part in marches called across the country for International Women’s Day. The reasons driving the protest were the same ones that inspired the mass demonstrations of the past two years: gender violence, the gender wage gap, sexism and the burden of non-remunerated work.

The strength of Spain’s feminist movement was just as evident as other years. From Bilbao in the northern Basque Country to the eastern region of Valencia, the streets were filled with people calling for greater gender equality. Turnout, however, was not as high as the 2018 and 2019 demonstrations, given the concerns over the coronavirus and the divisions within the women’s movement with respect to the transgender community.

Despite this, tens of thousands of people still took to the street – an indication that the feminist movement has perhaps the greatest capacity to mobilize, particularly in Spain which has some of the largest women’s marches in Europe. This year, all Spain’s political parties – with the exception of the far-right Vox – attended the demonstrations. Even the conservative Popular Party (PP), which did not attend previous marches, took part in the protest. Members of the center-right Ciudadanos were also present, but had to leave the march in Madrid after they were yelled at by some demonstrators for their dealings with Vox. Ciudadanos and the PP govern in several regional and local governments in Spain thanks to the support of the far-right group, which has used its parliamentary position as kingmaker to push for controversial policies like the so-called “parental veto,” which gives parents the right to stop their children from attending non-curricular classes on issues such as LGBTQ+ rights and teenage pregnancy.
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« Reply #1415 on: March 12, 2020, 01:17:42 PM »

So, the country seems to be having a 🔥THIS IS FINE🔥 moment regarding the Coronavirus pandemic. How are your cities? Mine is doing fine for now. There are no Coronavirus cases in my province AFAIK. Though I've seen pictures from Madrid that show empty supermarket shelves. I'd rather not go through that again, thanks.
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« Reply #1416 on: March 12, 2020, 01:56:21 PM »

So, the country seems to be having a 🔥THIS IS FINE🔥 moment regarding the Coronavirus pandemic. How are your cities? Mine is doing fine for now. There are no Coronavirus cases in my province AFAIK. Though I've seen pictures from Madrid that show empty supermarket shelves. I'd rather not go through that again, thanks.

You will probably have to, though.
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« Reply #1417 on: March 12, 2020, 03:05:28 PM »

Emergency measures agaisnt coronavirus: Pedro Sánchez pledges millions in relief, recommends remote working and the closure of schools throughout Spain

https://english.elpais.com/economy_and_business/2020-03-12/spains-pm-pledges-millions-of-euros-in-relief-for-coronavirus-emergency.html

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peaking via video conference, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez of the Socialist Party (PSOE) said his government will inject €1 billion into the health system and transfer a further €2.8 billion to regional authorities to help them shore up their healthcare services.

The announcement came as the number of infections in Spain rose to 3,000 and deaths reached 84, with a further 189 people declared as having recovered from the Covid-19 disease. Meanwhile, investor fears caused Spain’s blue-chip Ibex 35 index to plunge by a record-setting 14.06%.

 ánchez said that besides the health package, the government will also introduce measures to provide economic relief to businesses, including a six-month moratorium on tax payments for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and the self-employed.

“This is an important measure that will facilitate the injection of €14 billion into the productive system,” said Sánchez, whose Deputy Prime Minister Pablo Iglesias is currently quarantined at home after the latter’s partner, Equality Minister Irene Montero, tested positive for the coronavirus.

All the cabinet members took the coronavirus test this morning, as well as king Felipe and queen Letizia (recently she attended an event with Montero). Results will be released anytime

Many Spanish regions opt to close schools, in an attempt to slow coronavirus. Last time I heard about figures, there were more than 3000 positives and more than 80 dead. Presumably in the following weeks, Spain will follow the steps of Italy

https://english.elpais.com/society/2020-03-12/basque-country-galicia-and-murcia-close-schools-in-bid-to-slow-coronavirus.html

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The regional governments in Catalonia, the Basque Country, Galicia, Aragón, Castilla-La Mancha, Navarre, the Canary Islands, Valencia, Castilla y León and Murcia on Thursday all opted to close all of their universities, schools and kindergartens, following the lead of Madrid and La Rioja, which took the same measure earlier in the week. The move comes in a bid to slow the transmission of the novel coronavirus. In total, the measures will affect 6.57 million school pupils and 932,000 university students – 55% of the total in Spain.  

Spanish Health Ministry predicts the coronavirus epidemic will last between 2 and 5 months

https://english.elpais.com/society/2020-03-11/spains-health-ministry-predicts-coronavirus-epidemic-will-last-between-two-and-five-months.html

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Under ideal circumstances, if all of the measures being taken to control the spread of coronavirus work perfectly in Spain, the Health Ministry believes that the Covid-19 epidemic could come to an end in the country in two months. But this outcome is so idyllic that the experts consider it to be highly unlikely. “In the worst case, it could last four or five months,” said Fernando Simón, the director of the Health Ministry’s Coordination Center for Health Alerts and Emergencies. Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday  

Basque Country and Galicia regional governments are considering to postpone elections, but there are neither precedents nor a clear legal path to follow

In other news, Spanish Congress refusaed to investigate former king Juan Carlos (that obscure affair involving Saudi Arabia, corrupt businessmen and plicemen and Corinna Larsen)

https://english.elpais.com/politics/2020-03-11/spanish-congress-refuses-to-investigate-former-king-juan-carlos-for-alleged-irregular-donation.html

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Spanish congressional leaders on Tuesday rejected the creation of an investigative committee to explore alleged irregularities committed by Spain’s emeritus king, Juan Carlos I, who abdicated from the throne in 2014.

The proposal for an inquiry came from the left-wing group Unidas Podemos, a partner in Spain’s governing coalition, and from several regional parties, including the separatist Catalan Republican Left (ERC) and Together for Catalonia (JxCat).

Unidas Podemos last week said that Congress should investigate “the alleged corrupt activities” of the emeritus king, after Swiss public prosecutors announced an investigation into a $65 million (€57 million) donation made in 2012 to Corinna Larsen, a Monaco-based businesswoman described as an old friend of Juan Carlos, from a Swiss account with ties to a Panama foundation, as this newspaper recently revealed.

Swiss prosecutors are trying to determine whether this donation was made by Juan Carlos and whether it is linked to the alleged payment of illegal commissions for the construction of a high-speed AVE train link in Saudi Arabia by a Spanish consortium.  
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« Reply #1418 on: March 12, 2020, 03:17:36 PM »

So, the country seems to be having a 🔥THIS IS FINE🔥 moment regarding the Coronavirus pandemic. How are your cities? Mine is doing fine for now. There are no Coronavirus cases in my province AFAIK. Though I've seen pictures from Madrid that show empty supermarket shelves. I'd rather not go through that again, thanks.

Reportedly there have been about 50 cases so far in the Canary Islands. In the first stages of the coronavirus crisis there were some tourists isolated in hotels and hospitals, as well as some cases of Italian residents (we have a thriving Italian community here) and locals coming from Italy. Regional government has closed schools already and we will have to be prepared for harsher measures in the weeks to come
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« Reply #1419 on: March 12, 2020, 05:58:02 PM »

So, the country seems to be having a 🔥THIS IS FINE🔥 moment regarding the Coronavirus pandemic. How are your cities? Mine is doing fine for now. There are no Coronavirus cases in my province AFAIK. Though I've seen pictures from Madrid that show empty supermarket shelves. I'd rather not go through that again, thanks.

Guess living in "la España vaciada" has some perks after all Tongue

Also situation in my town is exactly the same as Velasco's (it is literally the same town lol). Classes at university are cancelled, everyone is on high alert and what not.

For the anectotal reports on supermarkets, everything seemed normal to me. Other anecdotal stuff includes students from the "minor" islands (everything that is not Gran Canaria or Tenerife) rushing to go to their homes; much like how all the Canarian students in Madrid and what not rushed to get back to the islands.
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« Reply #1420 on: March 13, 2020, 01:59:14 PM »
« Edited: March 13, 2020, 02:16:50 PM by Velasco »

Spanish government declares the State of Alarm

https://english.elpais.com/politics/2020-03-13/spanish-government-declares-state-of-alarm-in-bid-to-combat-coronavirus-spread.html

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The Spanish government announced on Friday that it was implementing a state of alarm for 15 days in a bid to control the spread of the coronavirus pandemic in the country. Speaking during a press conference at around 3.30pm, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez informed the Spanish public that the Cabinet would meet tomorrow to put the measure into effect, allowing the government to temporarily restrict the movement of citizens. Fundamental rights, however, will not be affected.

We are only in the first phase of combatting the virus,” Sánchez said on Friday. “We have some very tough weeks ahead of us. We cannot rule out reaching 10,000 [infections] by next week.”

The Socialist Party leader went on to explain that the state of alarm “would allow for the maximum mobilization of resources against the virus, but victory will depend on each one of us. Heroism also consists of washing your hands and staying at home. We are going to stop the virus with responsibility, and with unity.

“We will overcome this emergency by relying on advice from science and with support from all or the resources of the state,” he continued. “But it is also undeniable that we will manage it sooner, and with the least human, economic and social damage possible if we do it together.”

State of Alarm allows the government to:

https://english.elpais.com/politics/2020-03-13/what-is-a-state-of-alarm-and-what-will-the-spanish-government-be-able-to-do.html

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  1.Limit the circulation or presence of people or vehicles at determined times or in determined places, or oblige them to comply with certain requirements.

  2.Temporarily requisition all kinds of assets and impose mandatory services.

  3.Temporarily take over and occupy industries, factories, workshops, operations or commercial premises of any kind, with the exception of private households, informing the relevant ministry of such actions.

 4.Limit or ration the use of services or the consumption of essential items.

 5.Issue the necessary orders to ensure supply for the markets and the functioning of the services of production affected by article (4).

What’s more, the state of alarm works in a similar way to Article 155 of the Constitution, which allows the central government to suspend a region’s devolved powers. All civil authorities, regional and local police forces and other civil servants are placed under the orders of the competent authority as per the decree. The central government is able to require “extraordinary services,” according to the law.

I'm not sure what is going to happen with regional elections in Galicia and Basque Country. Stay tuned for updates

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« Reply #1421 on: March 13, 2020, 04:42:45 PM »

For the record this is only the 2nd time ever that emergency powers (states of alarm, exception and siege) are activated. Last time was in 2010 during an illegal air controllers strike so even that is very different from this
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« Reply #1422 on: March 16, 2020, 07:09:31 AM »

The Basque regional elections are officially delayed. I would expect the Galician elections to be similarly delayed. No new dates have been set.

Also many politicians are having coronavirus. The latest one being the premier of Madrid, Isabel Díaz Ayuso.
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« Reply #1423 on: March 16, 2020, 10:14:17 AM »

Galicia premier Alberto Nuñez Feijóo agrees with representatives of the opposition parties to postpone regional elections. The path to postpone the Basque elections was similar. Lehendakari (premier) Iñigo Urkullu called the other parties and they reached a consensus. Additionally, Urkullu committed to call opposition representatives again in.order to call elections once the crisis is over. Previously Feijóo and Urkullu asked their respective regional electoral commissions to decree the suspension, but the answer was that such decision had to be agreed by all the contesting parties. Apparently the Galicia government will issue a decree to be ratified by the electoral commissuon, while the Basque government will issue a decree of suspension sustained by the Health department that will last until the Basque gpvernment declares the health emergency is over
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« Reply #1424 on: March 17, 2020, 05:08:33 PM »
« Edited: March 18, 2020, 06:46:31 AM by Velasco »

Miracles like this don't happen every day; we'll see how long it lasts. Meanwhile we better enjoy this truce in our political wars from our home confinements

https://english.elpais.com/politics/2020-03-17/spanish-political-parties-close-ranks-around-the-government-in-battle-against-the-coronavirus.html

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CORONAVIRUS
Spanish political parties close ranks around the government in battle against the coronavirus

With the Spanish (and global) economy in freefall, the coronavirus pandemic still spreading, and citizens in Spain on lockdown in their houses, Spain’s political parties – including the opposition – opted on Monday to close ranks around Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. The leader of the conservative Popular Party (PP), Pablo Casado, stated yesterday that he would support all of the measures that the Socialist Party (PSOE) and Unidas Podemos coalition government is taking, and avoided criticizing the actions of the executive, which declared a state of alarm in the country on Saturday, giving it greater powers to combat the ongoing health crisis.

Pedro Sánchez announced today a 200 billion relief package. Stock markets recovered a bit from free fall

https://english.elpais.com/society/2020-03-17/spain-announces-200-billion-relief-package-against-effects-of-coronavirus.html

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The measures include delaying mortgage payments, easing social security contributions and allowing employees who need to care for dependent relatives to reduce their workday by as much as 100%.

The amount of this package, which comprises public and private funds, is the equivalent of 20% of Spain’s gross domestic product (GDP). “These are extraordinary times that require extraordinary measures,” said Sánchez, of the Socialist Party (PSOE), after the Cabinet meeting that greenlighted the financial assistance against the effects of the new coronavirus, which has already infected more than 11,000 people in Spain and caused close to 500 deaths.

Today's PM address was his best since the beginning of the crisis

On a side note, king Felipe VI will address the nation tomorrow. I think the monarchy will emerge fully discredited from this crisis. Felipe owes us a full explanation comcerning his father's activities (and his level of knowledge). Nobody expects he apologizes or says anything meaningful

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