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No more crucifixes in schools
A court in Valladolid has ordered that crucifixes in a state school be taken down, on the grounds that the presence of religious symbols affects the principles of religious freedom, and also that the state may not promote any religious faith.
The Catholic Church regrets the loss of its influence in public life and one bishop said the role of the church was being reduced to the “Sunday garden”.
Judges on strike
Judges in Murcia and Extremadura have decided to strike on the 18th February. Those from other Regions are still to decide if they will also do so. The strike is directed against the failure of the Government to provide the courts with the necessary materials and personal to cope with the huge case load. In Madrid and Las Palmas the courts are only accepting the number of cases which correspond to the maximum that a judge can deal with during his/her normal working hours.
Ibex rebounds
The Spanish stock exchange Ibex Index jumped 8.13% on Monday, following the general euphoria of the financial world following the massive intervention of the American Government to save City Bank. On Thursday morning the index stood at 8,696.60.
Banco Santander improved its standing on the stock exchange, by 9.23% on Monday and 2.99% the next day.
1,120 journalists out of work
Due to the lack of publicity following the financial crisis, and newspapers rapidly losing readers to the digital sector, 1,120 journalists have lost their jobs in the past three months. Several newspapers have closed, including Localia TV, Segundamano, Teleindiscreta, La Gaceta de Canarias and El Mundo de Almeria. Several others will follow.
Solar panels in the cemetery
The municipality of Santa Coloma de Gramenet (Barcelona) have taken the development of sustainable energy seriously and have installed 752 square metres of solar panels on top of the cement niches in the town’s cemetery, which produce 124,374 kwH annually. In 2009 they will extended the solar collection area by 400%.
Substantial fall in tourist bookings
Due to their customer’s lack of money, and the 20% fall in the exchange rate for the British pound against the euro, TUI Tour operators who bring British tourists to Spain, are reducing their reservations in tourist hotels for the coming summer season. Thomson and First Choice have made reductions of 27%, and Thomas Cook 15% fewer reservations and will concentrate on the ‘economical places’ in Spain.
The number of overnight stays in Spanish hotels fell 5.1% in October, compared with last year; the third consecutive monthly reduction.
Sale of dwellings, false statistics
Certain news media, due either to lack of knowledge or with the intention to rose-paint the situation of the property market, are misusing statistics provided by the Spanish College of Registrars on the registration of property purchases. The statistics show that property purchases, registered in the Property Registries all over Spain, are down only 30.48% compared with the same quarter last year. However, the Registrars and the news media fail to mention that many of the properties being registered today, are ones which were bought “off plan” during the heydays of 2005 and 2006, which are only now completed.
Surviving on less than 1.141 Euros
10,863,957 employees in Spain receive a monthly salary (paid 14 times a year) of less than 1,140 euros before taxes. They represent 66% of national work force. The average salary in 2007 was 18,077 euros, bolstered by the 129,796 people who had an average income of 130,000 euros.
11.1% less used car sold
Over the first 10 months of the year 1.22 million second hand cars were sold in Spain, down 11.1% on last year. 55% of the cars sold were more than 8 years old and 39% were more than 11 years old. 29.2% more used cars were sold than new ones.
Buyers without mortgages
The independent consumer organisation FUCI, during October received a total of 4,023 complaints (13 per day) and 17,450 requests for information (58 per day) all of which related to property. 68% concerned property sales or purchases, the rest rentals. FUCI reports that the majority of complaints and requests for information are from people who have bought a dwelling “off plan” or under construction, who cannot now get a mortgage due to the credit restrictions.
Aifos gone bust
Aifos, who were the biggest property promotion and sales company in Andalusia, has gone bust. The company, which owns the famous hotel Guadalpin in Marbella and who is involved in the corruption scandals in that town, also had a reputation for its rough dealing of clients. According to newspapers on Costa del Sol, it has left debts of 850 million euros; 200 million to Banco Popular and 150 million to Banco Pastor.
Aifos leave a number of unfinished property projects, subcontractors and suppliers in dire straits and 2,000 employees without a job.
Bloated regional administration
The regional governments are increasing their spending; more local government officials, public companies which are in deficit and local televisions stations with low levels of viewers. 54.1% of all municipal officials (an army of 1,398,081 people) are employed by the regional governments (of course from the ruling parties). The regions have total debts amounting to 63,508 million euros. The regional television stations cost taxpayers 945 million euros per year.
No crisis for politicians
The politicians are not affected by the financial crisis. In previous Reports we have mentioned their expensive perks. It seems the list is indefinite. The Mayor of Valencia, Rita Barbera, on 14th November renewed the contract for ‘leasing with option to buy’ 29 official vehicles, 8 for the socialist opposition, 20 for the PP councillors and an especially big and expensive car for herself.
The Vice-President of the government in Extremadura, socialist Maria Dolores Aguilar, had ordered a car with a price tag of 68,000 euros, but due to the public outcry, in the poorest of the regions, has cancelled it.
Airbus reduces workers in Spain
Airbus, with 455 employees at its 3 factories in Spain, has temporarily reduced its staff. The factories produce parts for the biggest aircraft in the world, the new A380 (with a length of 80 metres, and able to transport 550 to 800 passengers over a distance of 15,200 kilometres). Spain has 5% of the shares in the European consortium EADS, which builds the Airbus.
More politicians in prison….
The PP Mayor of Librilla (Murcia) has been arrested, together with the councillor for Urban Affairs, the Director of the municipal land company and the, until recently, leader of the Department for Relations with the Municipalities in the regional government. A professor from the catholic university in Murcia which has produced a general plan for the town hall was also arrested. The Accusations? The normal frauds connected with the world of urban planning ….
…also on Mallorca
The courts in the Balearic islands have sentenced the ex-director for Territorial Planning in the previous PP-government of the region, to 5 years imprisonment for his participation in urban planning manipulations. The previous mayor of Andraitx from the same party has been prohibited from holding public office for 7 years. He was previously sentenced to a term of imprisonment for urban planning fraud.
Income down, expenses up
Between January and October this year, the income of the state fell by 17.4% to 116,739 million euros. During the same time period, expenses increased 10.3% to 125,324 million. The deficit has grown to 6,818 million euros, against the surplus of 25,079 million this time last year.
Can anyone tell us how the big bailouts of the banks and other institutions, and the assistance given to normal people suffering from the crisis, will be financed, at a time where the government is supposed to lower taxes, as promised in the G-20 Summit?
Euribor and inflation down
For everyone looking for good news: The Euribor is moving down. At the time of writing, the index for most of the mortgages has fallen to 4.041% and inflation is expected by the Government to fall to 2.5% in December.
The reverse side of this good news is of course the large reduction in economical activity and the drop in domestic consumption.
A court in Valladolid has ordered that crucifixes in a state school be taken down, on the grounds that the presence of religious symbols affects the principles of religious freedom, and also that the state may not promote any religious faith.
The Catholic Church regrets the loss of its influence in public life and one bishop said the role of the church was being reduced to the “Sunday garden”.
Judges on strike
Judges in Murcia and Extremadura have decided to strike on the 18th February. Those from other Regions are still to decide if they will also do so. The strike is directed against the failure of the Government to provide the courts with the necessary materials and personal to cope with the huge case load. In Madrid and Las Palmas the courts are only accepting the number of cases which correspond to the maximum that a judge can deal with during his/her normal working hours.
Ibex rebounds
The Spanish stock exchange Ibex Index jumped 8.13% on Monday, following the general euphoria of the financial world following the massive intervention of the American Government to save City Bank. On Thursday morning the index stood at 8,696.60.
Banco Santander improved its standing on the stock exchange, by 9.23% on Monday and 2.99% the next day.
1,120 journalists out of work
Due to the lack of publicity following the financial crisis, and newspapers rapidly losing readers to the digital sector, 1,120 journalists have lost their jobs in the past three months. Several newspapers have closed, including Localia TV, Segundamano, Teleindiscreta, La Gaceta de Canarias and El Mundo de Almeria. Several others will follow.
Solar panels in the cemetery
The municipality of Santa Coloma de Gramenet (Barcelona) have taken the development of sustainable energy seriously and have installed 752 square metres of solar panels on top of the cement niches in the town’s cemetery, which produce 124,374 kwH annually. In 2009 they will extended the solar collection area by 400%.
Substantial fall in tourist bookings
Due to their customer’s lack of money, and the 20% fall in the exchange rate for the British pound against the euro, TUI Tour operators who bring British tourists to Spain, are reducing their reservations in tourist hotels for the coming summer season. Thomson and First Choice have made reductions of 27%, and Thomas Cook 15% fewer reservations and will concentrate on the ‘economical places’ in Spain.
The number of overnight stays in Spanish hotels fell 5.1% in October, compared with last year; the third consecutive monthly reduction.
Sale of dwellings, false statistics
Certain news media, due either to lack of knowledge or with the intention to rose-paint the situation of the property market, are misusing statistics provided by the Spanish College of Registrars on the registration of property purchases. The statistics show that property purchases, registered in the Property Registries all over Spain, are down only 30.48% compared with the same quarter last year. However, the Registrars and the news media fail to mention that many of the properties being registered today, are ones which were bought “off plan” during the heydays of 2005 and 2006, which are only now completed.
Surviving on less than 1.141 Euros
10,863,957 employees in Spain receive a monthly salary (paid 14 times a year) of less than 1,140 euros before taxes. They represent 66% of national work force. The average salary in 2007 was 18,077 euros, bolstered by the 129,796 people who had an average income of 130,000 euros.
11.1% less used car sold
Over the first 10 months of the year 1.22 million second hand cars were sold in Spain, down 11.1% on last year. 55% of the cars sold were more than 8 years old and 39% were more than 11 years old. 29.2% more used cars were sold than new ones.
Buyers without mortgages
The independent consumer organisation FUCI, during October received a total of 4,023 complaints (13 per day) and 17,450 requests for information (58 per day) all of which related to property. 68% concerned property sales or purchases, the rest rentals. FUCI reports that the majority of complaints and requests for information are from people who have bought a dwelling “off plan” or under construction, who cannot now get a mortgage due to the credit restrictions.
Aifos gone bust
Aifos, who were the biggest property promotion and sales company in Andalusia, has gone bust. The company, which owns the famous hotel Guadalpin in Marbella and who is involved in the corruption scandals in that town, also had a reputation for its rough dealing of clients. According to newspapers on Costa del Sol, it has left debts of 850 million euros; 200 million to Banco Popular and 150 million to Banco Pastor.
Aifos leave a number of unfinished property projects, subcontractors and suppliers in dire straits and 2,000 employees without a job.
Bloated regional administration
The regional governments are increasing their spending; more local government officials, public companies which are in deficit and local televisions stations with low levels of viewers. 54.1% of all municipal officials (an army of 1,398,081 people) are employed by the regional governments (of course from the ruling parties). The regions have total debts amounting to 63,508 million euros. The regional television stations cost taxpayers 945 million euros per year.
No crisis for politicians
The politicians are not affected by the financial crisis. In previous Reports we have mentioned their expensive perks. It seems the list is indefinite. The Mayor of Valencia, Rita Barbera, on 14th November renewed the contract for ‘leasing with option to buy’ 29 official vehicles, 8 for the socialist opposition, 20 for the PP councillors and an especially big and expensive car for herself.
The Vice-President of the government in Extremadura, socialist Maria Dolores Aguilar, had ordered a car with a price tag of 68,000 euros, but due to the public outcry, in the poorest of the regions, has cancelled it.
Airbus reduces workers in Spain
Airbus, with 455 employees at its 3 factories in Spain, has temporarily reduced its staff. The factories produce parts for the biggest aircraft in the world, the new A380 (with a length of 80 metres, and able to transport 550 to 800 passengers over a distance of 15,200 kilometres). Spain has 5% of the shares in the European consortium EADS, which builds the Airbus.
More politicians in prison….
The PP Mayor of Librilla (Murcia) has been arrested, together with the councillor for Urban Affairs, the Director of the municipal land company and the, until recently, leader of the Department for Relations with the Municipalities in the regional government. A professor from the catholic university in Murcia which has produced a general plan for the town hall was also arrested. The Accusations? The normal frauds connected with the world of urban planning ….
…also on Mallorca
The courts in the Balearic islands have sentenced the ex-director for Territorial Planning in the previous PP-government of the region, to 5 years imprisonment for his participation in urban planning manipulations. The previous mayor of Andraitx from the same party has been prohibited from holding public office for 7 years. He was previously sentenced to a term of imprisonment for urban planning fraud.
Income down, expenses up
Between January and October this year, the income of the state fell by 17.4% to 116,739 million euros. During the same time period, expenses increased 10.3% to 125,324 million. The deficit has grown to 6,818 million euros, against the surplus of 25,079 million this time last year.
Can anyone tell us how the big bailouts of the banks and other institutions, and the assistance given to normal people suffering from the crisis, will be financed, at a time where the government is supposed to lower taxes, as promised in the G-20 Summit?
Euribor and inflation down
For everyone looking for good news: The Euribor is moving down. At the time of writing, the index for most of the mortgages has fallen to 4.041% and inflation is expected by the Government to fall to 2.5% in December.
The reverse side of this good news is of course the large reduction in economical activity and the drop in domestic consumption.
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