For a number of years around 2018 – 2012 I conributed paid for columns to a number of the English Speaking Newspapers here in Spain: The Reader, The Sol Times, The Round Town News and The Euro Weekly News to name but four!
Reading through my notes for these columns, I was taken by a) how relevant many of them still are today, and b) I had no online record of them of my own.
So I have added the original submissions to this blog, so if you want to read them just search for expatarticles.
There are a LOT and I have no record of which were submitted to which paper so I have grouped them together into a series of short essays!
Typically Spanish
As a rule I don’t like to write about something being ‘typically Spanish’ as I feel it portrays a level of arrogance that I, a mere expatriate living in Spain, should know enough about the country to be able to make that distinction, but ……… laws are there to be broken as they say!
I have been writing about life in Spain for four years now and it hard to think of a better way to describe the events of this week as anything other than ‘typically Spanish’: the tragic news of yet another domestic violence fatality in what has to be one of the biggest issues that Spain just doesn’t seem to be able to resolve, the comedy farce that the well intentioned reduced speed limits has become, and the classic case of shooting yourself in the foot that is the threat by the Spanish Airport Authorities (AENA) to strike throughout Easter and the Summer.
The latest victim of domestic violence here in Spain was a 52 year old British woman who was stabbed to death in Madrid by her 57 year ex partner, a Spaniard who was subject to a distancing order after he was reported by the victim for abuse last June.
Unfortunately this has been a recurring theme already this year: a domestic violence fatality caused by someone already under a ‘restraining’ order. In this latest case the man was actively under surveillance having previously broken the distancing order, which makes the death even more tragic, and highlights the need for the police and authorities to do more. Last year 73 woman died at home at the hands of their partners, but the last time that Spain amended it’s laws to make it easier for victims to seek legal redress: orders for abusers to stay away from victims were strengthened, and aggressive behavior like issuing death threats was deemed criminal, was in December 2004.
It is hard to think anything other than it is about time that they took another look!
Absolutely no surprise at all that confusion exists over the fines to be imposed for drivers exceeding the temporary 110km/ph speed limit with the Guardia Civil union themselves saying they don’t really know what is going on. The Tráfico Guardia Civil is reported to only be issuing speeding tickets for drivers who go over 132km/hr and the Union of Civil Guard Officials, the UOGC, say they have yet to receive any written orders as to the procedure, having so far only been given a verbal instruction.
Now let’s assume for a moment that there is a speedy resolution to the situation in Libya, at least enough to start the oil flowing again and bring the prices down. If Zapatero is true to his word this would result in a lifting of the speed restriction, and of course that would mean all the temporary signs would need to be taken down again.
You can see where I am going with this can’t you? What odds that the plan to save money actually ends up costing the Spanish government more than it saves/generates from fines!
I was left virtually speechless, which all things considering isn’t a great thing for a columnist, when I heard that Spain had once again shot itself in the preverbal foot with the threat by the Spanish Airport Authorities (AENA) to strike on 19 days between April and July. Of course it wont happen, but that is besides the point really: just as tourism was starting to increase, not least because of the unrest in the middle east, it is unbelievable that Spain would now go and create concern in the minds of people thinking of booking flights to Spain.
Real Reasons
Three subjects have dominated the comments and discussions on our site (www.almerimarlife.com) this week: the threat of the AENA strikes throughout Easter and the Summer, the ‘energy saving’ speed limits, and the remarkable levels of corruption in Spanish politics.
It is tempting to say: “just a normal week then” and move on but in the ensuing conversations this week a number of questions were raised.
There was never any real doubt that the threat of the airport strikes would ever be anything other than a threat, and fundamentally the AENA workers have legitimate concerns that the part privatisation of the airports by the government to raise some much needed cash will result in job losses, reduced hours and changes to conditions. After all whoever buys into the partial privatisation is going to want to make some money: generally achieved by increasing revenues and/or reducing costs.
The pre-agreement said that the number of current workers is guaranteed, that those currently employed as temporary workers will be converted to fixed contracts, and that labour rights are guaranteed. Hard to see how costs are going to be saved there then and as revenues are heavily linked to the number of flights, which tend to be linked to the number of tourists, hard to see to many opportunities to increase revenues.
What odds that the partial privatisation doesn’t take place?
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Any debate about the reduced speed limits at some point includes one if not both of the following views: that it is a means of raising revenue, or a safety measure to reduce the deaths on Spanish roads.
To be honest I find the former hard to accept. Anyone driving on the motorways in Spain over the last five years would know that a significant percentage of motorists regularly exceeded the 120km/ph speed limit, and not by a small margin. If the government really needed to raise revenues from speeding motorists they didn’t need to go to all the cost of imposing a new limit, just spend a bit more time catching those that were already speeding.
As for the safety argument, that is tempting, especially as only the other weekend it was reported that 15 people died on the roads of Spain in a 24 hour period. Granted there was torrential rain that weekend, but at the same time the new speed limit was in place.
Talking to a friend about this he was quick to point out via a Guest Post on the site that according to the latest figures only 2% of the deaths in Spain are attributed to road accidents, making it the ninth equal cause of death, and significantly the only non medical cause of death in the top ten. Rather surprisingly for a catholic country the number one cause of death is reported as abortion, with heart and obesity related deaths dominating the rest of the Top 10.
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If you think the expenses scandal was bad in the UK then you better ‘look away now’ as I suspect that corruption is going to be the them for both the local elections in May and the ‘general’ election in 2012.
Over 100,000 people recently signed a campaign against political corruption. The Spanish arm of pressure group AVAAZ, instigated the petition as it emerged that an amazing eight out of 10 Spaniards believe their politicians are corrupt.
The group, meaning ‘voice’, claims hundreds of ‘dirty’ candidates must be removed from running for local and regional elections in May.
Recurring Themes
As dramatic and sad as the events are in Libya it is hard not to watch them unfold online and on our TV screens without a sense of ‘here we go again’ and ‘flashbacks’ to the two Gulf Wars, although I can not help but think ‘Top Gun’ whenever I see footage of the planes taking off and the pilots preparing for action! Down here on the Costa Almería it is all a little surreal to be honest as we have seen a number of aircraft flying overhead, and up the coast a little reports came through of what looked like a ‘dog fight’, or else a very realistic training session. Looking out over the balcony into the mediterranean we have seen a number of battleships off the coast, and I can’t help but scan the horizon in expectation of seeing the missiles being launched from the submarine that has been reported to be in the Mediterranean.
Unfortunately domestic violence has once again hit the headlines with two deaths reported this week alone: a retired policeman confessed to killing his wife in Granada, and a 44 year old woman was killed by her ex partner in the Jaén province. This now brings the number of deaths through domestic violence in Spain this year to 16! So it was good news to read earlier in the week that some work is being done by the Spanish authorities to set up more Neighbourhood Watch groups, but with the war in Libya costing Spain 25€ million it would have been good to have seen some money dedicated to sorting out this internal problem.
The speeding ban won’t go away either, but if reports are to be believed on the Costa Almería they have seen a 71% drop in drivers stopped for speeding, year on year, since the introduction of the ban and across Spain the figure is reported as 62%. On the other hand one of the more interesting reports this week is that modern cars are tuned to perform at greater speeds and a number of manufacturers have said that the new speed limit may cause damage to their engines, and may not be covered under the warranty. Cynics say that the new speeding limit was just a means to get more cash but I have always maintained that if that was the objective the easiest thing to do would have been to increase the police presence and catch more of the motorists who were already speeding, rather than incur significant costs in introducing the new ban, and then try and catch more people speeding when you had just made everybody aware of the new limits.
And finally, another recurring issue, certainly down here on the Costa Almería and the Costa Tropical, as another 77 immigrants were intercepted this week trying to get into Motril and Alborán. It isn’t the ‘issue’ of immigration per se that catches my attention, and it is hard to deny those escaping the likes of Egypt and Libya the opportunity for a better life, but the sheer desperation that must drive these unfortunate people. In the above case the 77, 38 were stopped in an inflatable boat, and the remaining 39 in a small ‘patera’ boat, including six woman, two of whom were pregnant, two children and two babies. I find it almost impossible to comprehend how terrifying these journey’s must be, and how desperate they must be to attempt them.
Caught Speeding
Having written last week that there had been a 62% decrease in speeding fines issued in Spain since the introduction of the energy saving 110km/ph speed limit, I thought the least that I could do was to get caught for speeding to help them top up their funds!
I drove to France and back recently, and apparently somewhere around Valencia I was doing 123km/ph in a 100km/ph zone, which I assume was some temporary limit they had imposed. Note I was only going 123km/ph, which I accept is above the 116km/ph threshold, but was hardly ‘flooring it’ and I must say that throughout the whole journey I was more vigilant than usual – well with the above exception that is – and the fuel consumption was noticeably better, although as it rained constantly from 7.30pm on the Friday night until 3.30pm on the Saturday afternoon I suspect that had a lot to do with it.
As it was a hire car the first I knew about the fine was when they rang up to say that they had received notification of a 100€ speeding fine. As they left a message I had to call back, to be told that if I paid promptly and didn’t challenge it, the fine would only be 50€. The weird thing is this felt like a ‘result’, and upon reflection it is great psychological ploy by the Spanish: lead with one rather large number, then immediately offer a 50% discount if you just accept and pay up. Well it worked in my case!
Having helped out one government department with my 50€, I am now considering taking up smoking again as I felt so sorry for the Government when I read this week that the Governments tax income from tobacco has fallen by 32% as cigarette sales have slumped, and the state could lose out on 2.4€ billion this year.
I am joking. I quit nearly three years ago and don’t regret it at all, although ironically since the introduction of the smoking ban I seem to spend most of my time sat outside with the smokers on the terraces. In part this is because about 50% of the people I socialise with on a regular basis smoke, but primarily it is because one of the attractions of living in Spain was the outdoor cafe culture that seems so romantic when you read about it, and used to be so much better before the introduction of the smoking ban. Sure before the ban people smoked on the terraces, but they also smoked inside, and they didn’t congregate at the doors of the bars and cafe’s. It was possible to find a nice quiet table, away from the smokers and have a chat with friends, and never have to go inside as the waiter would take care of the orders and the bill. Now I am left with a choice, sit inside feeling trapped and somewhat ostracised from those outside, or join them, which means sitting at a table full of cigarette ends, surrounded by smokers ….. I remain unconvinced by the smoking ban, although I am slowly getting used to the concept of conversations that include the equivalent of the commercial break as people pop out for a quick cigarette mid chat!
A Little Bit Of Honour
The big news across Spain this week has to be the announcement from Prime Minister Zapatero that he will not be standing for re-election in 2012. Having come to power in April 2004, following the tragic Madrid Train bombings in April 2004, he apparently always said (albeit to himself it seems) that two terms would be enough.
It is hard to believe him, primarily because of the symmetry of his time in power: elected because of events outside of his control, not just the actual bombings but the subsequent claims by the PP that they had evidence implicating ETA, and of course the ‘crisis’ and ongoing economic meltdown that has effected Spain more than most in Europe.
At the same time I find it hard not to have a little sympathy for him, and it has to be said a little respect. Neither of the events that will effectively frame his leadership were of his doing or within his control, and although with hindsight Spain could have been better prepared for the recession and it’s effects, that is a criticism that the whole country has to put it’s hands up to.
It must have been particularly hard for a Socialist leader to take the decisions on reforms and austerity cuts, and while it is probably true that the phrase “to little and too late” can be applied, again the inherent greed that defines Spain’s last decade pre the crisis can’t be laid at one mans door.
Comparing Zapatero to the disaster that was Gordon Brown’s last weeks and months in power (think back to the televised debates amongst the leaders if you have a strong enough stomach) I have to say that Zapatero has done the honourable thing, and should be applauded for it, especially in a country with so much corruption and dishonour amongst it’s politician’s.
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The other two stories that really caught the eye this week involved numbers, specifically the increase in levels of unemployment in Spain, and the increase in people living in Spain, which surely isn’t a coincidence!
Unemployment in Spain increased by 34,406 during March to take the number out of work to 4,333,669. It was reported by the Ministry for Employment that nearly a third of the newly unemployed are looking for their first job, which does not bode well for the medium term recovery of Spain as I suspect that the sooner the businesses in Spain inject new blood into their workforce the better. No surprises that although there were increases in the numbers of both men and women out of work and once again it was once again the services sector which led to loss in jobs, followed by agriculture, industry and construction.
The new census for Spain shows that the number of residents who are listed on the Padron at their local town hall has reached 47,150,819, an overall increase of 130,000 over the year. What was interesting was that the number of Spanish residents increased by 146,855 while the number of non-EU foreign residents was down by 59,386 to 3.3 million, with the Moroccans, Ecuadorians and the Colombians the most numerous non-EU residents. Further evidence of one of the key problems restricting Spain’s recovery from the crisis: expats with cash returning to the UK while the ‘illegal’ work force that Spain so shamelessly exploited throughout the boom days are stuck here with no work, and no means of returning home.
Domestic Violence In Spain
Domestic Violence, The Economy and Education all caught the eye this week.
Yet another domestic violence killing made the headlines in Spain this week, this time in Beriáin, Navarra where the body of a 22 year old woman was found in a lagoon.
This young lady had a three year old daughter, and was strangled to death by her ex boyfriend, who has admitted dumping her body after killing her.
Yet another tragedy, and worse still no signs from the government that they are doing anything about it. Maybe they should take guidance from the UK where it was recently announced that all domestic violence deaths are to be fully reviewed under new laws which have just come into effect.
I confess I was startled to learn that on average two woman in the UK are killed every week by a current or former partner, and although the implementation of Section 9 of the Domestic Violence Crime and Victims Act (2004) comes too late for too many and probably wont have any immediate benefit the information will hopefully help prevent future tragedies in years to come, and should only be applauded as a positive move.
The economy has once again been in the news a lot with the Portugal Bailout resurrecting fears of a contagion effect here in Spain, although the general view seems to come down in favour of Spain surviving, not least because the austerity measures and reforms are perceived to be working, and the sovereign debts is been sold at rates that are seen to be sustainable.
Only time will tell, but with the Government insisting that no further cuts are required and the economy benefiting from an increase in Tourism, the signs are generally positive.
Two items caught the eye though, and I think give cause for concern in the long term here in Spain.
The average annual salary in Spain remains one of the lowest in the European Union at 22,000€ compared to 35,000€ in the other EU member countries. Only Greece, Portugal and Poland have a lower average, and we all know what has happened in Greece and Portugal.
Most commentators agree that for Spain to restructure post the recent economic crisis they must introduce a much broader, export focused economy to replace the old construction and tourism one that served them for so many years as their primarily sole economic contributor.
Nobody seems to disagree with this, and most accept it is going to take time, and that until the corner is turned austerity cuts and labour reforms remain the best option.
What I hadn’t realised until recently though was just how much in need of reform the educational system was here in Spain, and the reality is that until they address this issue it is hard to see how the mindset, culture and skill levels to implement a export focussed model will be created.
As far as the current Spanish educational system is concerned:
one in every three students between the ages of 18 and 24 left school early which is double the European Union average
test results in the fundamentals of maths, science and reading as measured by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s Pisa are below average
Spain does not have an University ranked in the top 150
35% of students drop out of university before graduation
To make things even worse with less tan 2% of the GDP spent on development, innovation and research, which for a economy the size of Spain is simply embarrassing, it is easy to see that it is going to be a long hard slog changing the foundations of the economic model!