Editorial:
I’m told the FIFA-Games begin this Thursday. Gracious me, what a time we live in: Pope, Bunny and now footie. All very exciting, I’m sure. Since the Spanish are playing, then they are of course my team (Go Spain!), but then I’m told that little Cabo Verde is doing well (they play Spain on June 15th in Atlanta) and that they will need our support.
Indeed, may the odds be ever in your favour.
I’ve never cared much for soccer (as you will probably have guessed by now). The sports master put me on the left wing at my first school, since I was tall and fast, but as I learned much later, when trying to ski in a straight line, my left leg is a fraction smaller than my right, which meant I kept missing when shooting at the goal (that, and crashing into a tree). At my second (and last) school, they made us play rugger, and my inclination was to keep as far away from the ball as possible.
Since then, my only sport has been walking around in giant circles.
I’ve only ever watched one soccer game as an adult, when I was dragged to an Almería – Granada game after attending a political rally in the city bullring (you see how useful these things can be?). I genuinely thought they were teasing me, all the way to my seat high above the pitch, and this in the days before Facebook. God, it was boring.
I did join a game on one interesting occasion just after I had finally left school. I was seventeen and the foreigners (we were neither called either ‘expats’ or ‘immigrants’ – or guiris – in those days) decided to play against the cream of our village in a ‘friendly’, the losers to stump up for a jolly barbeque following the adventure.
Their side took it a bit more seriously than ours, with a final score of 11-1 (I think the Mojaquero team scored an own goal just to cheer us up). I remember that, as the final whistle went, five of our stalwarts were seen to be standing off the pitch and surrounding my mum who had at that moment fortuitously arrived with a freezer-box full of beer.
But enough of this, the gentle reader wants to hear about the World Cup (Yay!).
It’s being played in various stadia scattered across Mexico, the USA and Canada. It’s apparently very expensive to go there, cripplingly expensive to stay there (while not being arrested or deported by Trump’s goons), and a veritable King’s Ransom to travel from one game to the next, if the inclination to do so should tempt you.
For me, having just watched a full week of the Pope’s visit to Spain on the telly, plus listening to Bad Bunny on the radio (he’s still performing concerts in Madrid), it’s now six weeks of endless footie (104 games says the webpage). No news, just penalty shoot-outs.
Luckily, I’ve just loaded up with some thrillers at our English library.
This may all be good for Pedro Sánchez, as the attention of the electorate is swung to other distractions, and it may even be good for Donald Trump (the American 250th celebrations will be held on July 4th, half-way through the games).
So, if you like soccer, have a great time, don’t drink to many beers or eat too many hotdogs, and may your team make it to the finals.
If you don’t, I could lend you a book about fishing once I’m through with it.
Housing:
From Spanish Property Insight here: ‘Spain may have flirted with the politics of blaming outsiders and second-home buyers for the housing crisis, but so far it has mostly remained political theatre. In France and Britain, by contrast, second-home owners are being hit with higher taxes...’
From Inarqía (commercial site) here: ‘Are you thinking about buying a prefabricated house and don't know what paperwork you need to complete? Applications to build a prefabricated home have multiplied in recent years. This is not surprising. Prefabricated houses have many advantages (price, fast construction, good integration of renewable energy systems, etc.) and offer a wide variety of models, prices, and features. However, some doubts still exist regarding the permits, procedures, and legal obligations for this type of modular construction. Nevertheless, knowing this information is vital when choosing its location, the expected timeframe, and the total budget that will affect the project…’
From The Olive Press here: ‘The right-wing coalition that took power in Castilla y León says they will introduce strict residency requirements for access to key public services, mirroring what may happen nationwide if Pedro Sánchez loses his grip on power at next year’s general election. The regional government, formed by the conservative Partido Popular and far-right Vox after elections held in March, would require applicants seeking to buy a subsidised public home to have been registered as ‘empadronados’ in both Castilla y León and in Spain for at least ten years’ (updated). This is part of the supremacist ‘National Priority’ policy being pushed by the PPox coalition.
Tourism:
From Ecosistema here: ‘Tourism in Spain: So Expensive That Spaniards Can't Afford It’. We read: ‘Spain has spent decades building its economic identity on tourism. But in 2024 and 2025, an uncomfortable paradox has become impossible to ignore: the country that receives more foreign tourists than ever before is, at the same time, a destination that its own citizens can no longer easily afford. Data from the National Institute of Statistics confirms this with a starkness that should set off alarm bells throughout the sector. The numbers don't lie: domestic tourism decline in 2024. According to the INE, residents of Spain took 184.4 million trips in 2024, representing a 0.8% decrease compared to 2023. But the truly worrying figure is another: domestic trips fell by 2.3%, while trips abroad by Spaniards skyrocketed by 12.1% in the same period…’
From the BBC, Guy Hedgecoe reporting from Benidorm: ‘Spain's visitor numbers hit new highs as tourists avoid Middle East’.
A story from The Guardian here: ‘A family holiday on the hoof: donkey trekking in the Spanish Pyrenees’.
From Cabin Bag Info here. Cabin baggage size and weight limits: will your bag fit?
Finance:
El Economista brings us: ‘Goldman Sachs enthuses over the Spanish economy’: "It's growing three times faster than Europe, and with increases in quality, not just quantity."
From Híbridos y Eléctricos here: ‘A historic moment: Skoda begins production of the Epiq, its affordable €22,800 electric car, in Spain. The third of the Volkswagen Group’s affordable electric cars begins production at the Navarra plant’.
Politics:
From El Huff Post here: ‘Pedro Sánchez takes up Vox's "Spaniards first" challenge, and everything he says is going to sting more than a few people. "Spaniards first, they say. And we say, of course they are". He says in a viral video: "Spain has always been the first to respond to major challenges. It has always been the first to denounce injustices, to say no to war, and to achieve economic growth and job creation. Spaniards are the first in reducing inequality, in life expectancy and quality of life. They are also first in organ donation and transplantation, in gender equality, and in LGBTQ+ rights," he stated…’
elDiario.es says that ‘The Ayuso government approves the law to consider the embryo a member of the family unit. The Community of Madrid has approved this bill as part of its Strategy for the Protection of Maternity and Paternity: “It will be another member of the family unit from the moment of conception,” they state’.
El Mundo says: ‘Tensions are running high between the government and the judiciary: "Some judges are just trying to create a headline." Several ministers don't see it as a coincidence that cases like that of the president's brother, Zapatero's case, and the PSOE's dirty tricks scandal have all come to light at the same time: "There's a political motive, and we all know who's behind it"…’
From Infobae here: ‘The 25-year-old councillor who will preside over the PP's youth wing, Nuevas Generaciones, has been paid €445 for every hour he has attended plenary sessions. Ignacio Dancausa was Ayuso's candidate. A councillor in Las Rozas, he receives a per diem of €1,218 for attending plenary sessions, of which 46 have already been held...’
The Pope’s Visit:
The Pope used his first address to the Spanish authorities to praise the defence of international law, multilateralism, peace, and the welcoming of migrants. From the BBC here: ‘The Pope begins Spain visit with praise for country's opposition to war and support for migrants’, and here, ‘Huge crowds throng Madrid streets for Pope's open-air mass’.
ABC News (USA) has: ‘In first papal speech to Spanish parliament, pope demands respect for migrants. Pope Leo XIV has called for respect for migrants' rights and international law during an address to the Spanish parliament’. With video.
The Pope spent Tuesday and Wednesday in Barcelona (speaking Catalán to the faithful). On Thursday he heads to the Canary Isles and returns to the Vatican on Friday evening.
From The New York Times here: ‘One is the Pope; the Other is an Atheist. They both oppose Trump. Pope Leo XIV and Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez of Spain, who met on Monday, have recently clashed with President Trump. Their motivations, however, may be different’.
Europe:
From the BBC here: ‘US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth attacks Europe over migration with beach 'invasion' D-Day speech’.
From The Guardian here: ‘Only one in 10 Europeans now see US as an ally, survey suggests. An exclusive poll across 15 countries finds ‘deep mistrust’, with majority doubting US would come to their aid in an attack’.
‘Not a football fan? Here's how to sound like a World Cup expert’ found at the BBC.
Health:
El Plural notes that ‘Andalucía is the region that invests the least money per capita in healthcare. Madrid and the Valencian Community follow at the bottom of the list in regional spending, highlighting a deep territorial gap compared to leaders like the Basque Country or Asturias’. However, Lo Que Somos notes that all is not lost, as ‘Andalusian healthcare is being reinforced… They've hired 117 people; the professional category is quite a revelation for public medicine: they are not doctors, nor nurses, nor even nursing assistants or orderlies, no; they are 117 chaplains’.
Corruption:
From El Huff Post here: ‘Recorded cases of hate crimes are skyrocketing in Spain, reaching record highs. There were 2,417 criminal offenses in 2025, a 23% increase over the previous year. Islamophobia is the fastest-growing category’.
I don’t know, does the boyfriend have some special protection? ‘The investigation into the alleged bribery of a Quirón Group executive by Alberto González Amador remains stalled. Six months have passed since the Central Operational Unit (UCO) requested Judge Antonio Viejo to authorize access to the bank accounts and corporate information of Isabel Díaz Ayuso's partner, without the investigating magistrate granting the request, sources close to the case told elDiario.es’.
However far the accusations go against Zapatero, and the eventual trial – there is evidence of both the CIA and Mossad stirring the mud says Diario Sabemos here.
Courts:
Interview with Judge Baltasar Garzón (do you remember him – he was trying to have Agusto Pinochet arrested when he was in England having surgery): "Yes, lawfare exists. We have to name things to prevent them from happening." The magistrate discusses his new book ‘La democracia amenazada. Cuando el fascismo ataca la convivencia', an essay in which he warns about everything from judicial conspiracies to the consequences of Donald Trump's policies and fake news’. El Huff Post has the interview here.
From Rolling Stone here: ‘Pablo Hasél’s arrest ignited free speech protests in Spain. Years later, the rapper is still in jail. Hasél became a lightning rod that rallied people across Spain to fight for artistic freedom. He continues to speak out’.
As we watch, horrified, the absurd case against David Sánchez in Badajoz, the various private accusations (PP, Vox and sundry fascist groups) are now asking for six years jail-time. The Public Prosecutor meanwhile calls for the acquittal of David Sánchez: "There is no evidence", he says. The ruling should be with us (says my Google AI) in September.
Media:
There’s an article at Canal-Red decrying the Vox-supported ‘Prioridad Nacional’ (the nazis used the concept known as Bürgerrecht, ‘subjecthood’, against minorities, including the Jews, the homosexuals, the communists and so on).
Ecology:
From Xataca here: ‘Multiple independent studies, supported by official bodies such as the State Meteorological Agency have reached a devastating conclusion: the average summer temperature in Spain has increased by around 2°C in the last three decades. But this isn't the worst of it, because even the nights are no longer a refuge from the daytime heat’.
Various:
Málaga Hoy says ‘The toll on the Costa del Sol motorway increases from €12 to €19.55. The road operator Ausol raises rates by 62.9% with the arrival of summer’.
Marylee Wall is the Irish diplomat who currently serves as Ireland's Consul General in Fuengirola, Málaga.
Did Otto von Bismarck really say “The strongest nation in the world is undoubtedly Spain. It has always tried to destroy itself and yet has never succeeded. The day they stop trying, they will once again be at the forefront of the world.” Probably not, but it’s a well-known dicho which Spaniards are unaccountably proud of.
Letters:
Last week’s editorial: The Plot Thickens (here). I am frightened. This is just Spain. But it is being targeted all over the world by immoral and corrupt politicians. Pedro Sanchez looks haunted. What does Spain want? Another Franco?
Stephanie.
Politics is a dirty game everywhere in the world and all politicians are suspect, likely guilty of various misdeeds and above all, self-important.
Only Gabriel Rufián has got it right.
Salmon.
Finally:
Rozalén with La Puerta Violeta here on YouTube.
Si (
No(
