Business over Tapas Nº 588

A digest of this week's Spanish financial, political and social news aimed primarily at Foreign Property Owners:

Prepared by Lenox Napier.  Consultant: José Antonio Sierra

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June 26 2025            

Opinion:

Languages – especially those that one doesn’t speak – are an eternal problem for us all. It’s really very tiresome to have to listen to someone yattering away in a foreign tongue, and even worse when they decide that speaking louder might help.

And thus, the dismay from many of the Spanish, faced with a foreign tourist (or sometimes even a resident) as everyone finally must resort to pantomime.

Pity the poor woman who bought an apartment in Tenerife and finds she must bring along a translator for the regular community meetings. For some reason or other, this local woman doesn’t speak German – which is the majority language spoken in that particular block of flats located in Santa Úrsula.

There are a lot of foreigners living in Spain – something like 19% of the population. Most of them speak perfect Spanish (think: 4.2 million Latin Americans plus many others). Most of the rest of us can get by (short of sudden visits to the hospital or the lawyer, when one finds one’s vocabulary begin to fail).

Then there are all those tourists flopping around – most of whom simply know nothing much beyond una cerveza and (usually spelt wrong while pronounced perfectly), ¡hola! 

Maybe if I speak a little louder. Anyway, I ordered a sandwich, what on earth is this?

In winter, it’s easy for us guiris to distance ourselves from the trippers. We wear long trousers and a sweater while they are in t-shirt and shorts.

They’ll be pinker too – we know all about the power of the sun.

Summer’s a problem though – perhaps we’ll feel obliged to flex our linguistic muscle and order un tinto de Verano. That’ll show ’em.

Some of our leaders here in Spain are also challenged by ‘foreign’ languages. Isabel Díaz Ayuso walked out of a meeting of Spain’s regional presidents the other day when one of them spoke in Catalán (How Dare He?), and how about Feijóo’s lack of languages or Abascal’s comic recent attempt at speaking French.

A waiter needs to speak English to get a decent tip; but a politician can – as Feijóo says – always finds an interpreter.

The gangs of gabbling tourists are a problem in the cities, as anyone who lives and works in Madrid, Barcelona, Granada or Seville must know, as the local folk on their way to and from work or to the supermarket must zigzag around unconscious groups of culture-vultures. Some of our younger and more impressionable neighbours with itchy trigger-fingers have taken to arming themselves with water pistols and anyone pink over five foot eight tall (173cms) and wearing flip-flops might receive an unwanted squirt. Indeed, some Spaniards are so angry, they’ve been using ‘super-soakers’ (the assault-weapon of water-pistols. I believe Amazon sells them).

The answer is to choose a holiday in those resorts that are geared to tourism. A jolly time to relax rather than a hurried visit to some city crammed with camera-shots, selfies and a guide yapping on about squeezing in just one more palace before lunchtime.

There are no water-pistol shops to be found in Benidorm or Marbella and everyone there speaks English.

You know something?

Business is good.

…...

Housing:

From Spanish Property Insight here: ‘The European Commission has issued a formal demand for Spain to end its practice of taxing non-resident EU property owners differently from Spanish residents—a move that could bring significant relief to thousands of foreign homeowners in Spain...’ El País also handles the story here.

From MSN here: ‘Spain housing crisis: Locals blame tourists and speculators. Short-term rentals are worsening Spain's housing crisis, while investor demand continues to drive up prices. For many locals, the situation is devastating’.

The Majorca Daily Bulletin says (or rather, claims) that ‘Spanish government is to be told by the real-estate sector to have a rethink over the 100% property tax for non-EU citizens as British holiday home buyers would be hit hard by new tax. 60 percent of Britons who bought homes in Spain were non-residents’.

Sur in English here: ‘The Ministry of Consumer Affairs opens proceedings against a real estate company that operates nationally for charging illegal fees. If the abusive practices are proven, the department could sanction the Spanish company with a fine of between 100,000 and one million euros’. Another company, Alquiler Seguro, is already under investigation.

From Idealista here: ‘The coolest cave houses for sale in Spain. Cave houses offer a naturally cool escape from the summer heat in Spain, with some on sale for less than €50K’.

From 20Minutos here: ‘The northern coasts of Spain are receiving a flood of Americans looking for beaches, land... and to escape Trump’. This may be an exaggeration. We read: ‘Foreigners purchased nearly 140,000 homes in Spain in 2024, according to data from the Notarial Statistical Information Centre. The south and the islands remain the preferred areas, especially for British and German residents. The French are looking to stay close to the border and are opting for places like the Basque Country. And they aren't the only ones making a name for themselves in the north of the country. Americans are investing in areas where they were barely present before the pandemic: in Galicia, Asturias, and La Rioja...’

EFE Verde reports that the Partido Popular would like to re-examine the Coastal Law to allow exceptions to the rules in the case of traditional coastal urban complexes and nautical sports clubs affected by the rising sea levels.

From The Times here: ‘Goodbye to Old Madrid: The Spanish capital welcomes the global super-rich. An influx of billionaires — Jeff Bezos chose the city for his stag do — is rapidly changing traditional neighbourhoods, and not everyone is celebrating’.

Diario As has an article about how some Brits have had enough of the Costa-life and after living in an English-speaking location (Mijas is mentioned) for ten or twenty years, are now moving inland ‘into the real Spain’. We wish them well.

A Scottish couple throws in the towel after living a year in Barcelona, says Infobae, ‘because the language barrier made it impossible to understand anything’.

elDiario.es reports that ‘The owners of Mercadona and Sos rice predict future homes without kitchens while sales of prepared meals skyrocket. The most popular items in Spanish homes are soups and creams, but tortillas are growing the most, while the families that buy the most prepared meals are those from a lower socioeconomic background’.

…...

Tourism:

From The Independent here: ‘Judge rejects Airbnb’s appeal in move that could change Spanish tourism forever. The order will see 66,000 Airbnb rental listings blocked’.

Opinion from The Guardian here: ‘As anti-tourism protests grow in Europe, we need a rethink – but that’s no reason to stop travelling. Visitors could be more sensitive, while the authorities should seek sustainable solutions for residents and tourists. But just staying at home is no answer’. We read – ‘...it’s important to put the water pistol incidents in perspective: these are symbolic, isolated acts and far from the norm. More importantly, tourism is vital to Spain’s economy, accounting for roughly 12% of GDP. The country wants tourists, but that doesn’t mean business as usual should continue. National and regional governments, and city councils, must do far more to regulate short-term rentals, support local communities and invest in affordable infrastructure – for residents and visitors alike’.

From Público here: ‘The European Parliament confirms that it is illegal to charge for carry-on luggage on airplanes. The European Parliament's position conflicts with the proposed reform of the regulation on air passenger rights, approved recently by the EU Council, which seeks to charge for this type of luggage. The MEPs also advocate for children under 12 and people with reduced mobility to be able to sit with their companions on airplanes without having to pay extra’.

‘The dark side of tourism: the real-estate crisis in Mallorca’. A video from Deutsche Welle.

…...

Finance:

Junts Per Catalunya has voted with the PP and Vox against reducing the working week from 40 to 37.5 hours. This may be a risky move on Junt’s part, but the party is conservative (along with being secessionist). The headline at MSN is ‘The president of the Dia, Lidl, and Mercadona employers' association thanks the PP, Vox, and Junts for their amendment to the reduction of working hours’.

Spanish Property Insight has ‘The Bank of Spain warns that tourism is putting pressure on housing affordability’.

From El País here: ‘Spaniards would be prepared to pay more taxes to strengthen healthcare, but not for defence. Taxpayers want the majority of resources allocated to basic public services and research, according to the Ministry of Finance's think tank’.

…...

Politics:

When The Church dabbles in politics, it’s not necessarily the message from Jesus that they have in mind. From Cadena Ser here: ‘The government accuses the bishops of acting in "communion" with the right and deviating from institutional respect by calling for early elections. "I would appreciate it if you would commit to political and partisan neutrality," Justice Minister Bolaños tells the president of the Conferencia Episcopal, Luis Argüello’.

It may be wishful thinking, but could Koldo García have been working with the PP as well? From EuropaPress here: ‘The PSOE has requested that PP leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo and the PP spokesperson in Congress, Miguel Tellado, appear before the Senate's commission of inquiry into all the ramifications of the Koldo case to "clarify" their "possible involvement" with former ministerial advisor Koldo García Izaguirre’.

The PP now claim – without any proof – that the PSOE cheated on the postal votes in the last election says elDiario.es. You would have thought that they’d have managed better results instead of a super-narrow majority with the sometimes-uncomfortable alliance with several small parties. The story also appears at Público here: ‘PP and Vox take to the hills: Feijóo delegitimizes the electoral system without evidence and Abascal calls for blocking the Constitutional Court. The Spanish right is embracing the most radical strategies to undermine Pedro Sánchez, although experts consulted by 'Público' warn that this could have an unexpected boomerang effect’.

From InfoLibre here: ‘Far-right parties, such as Vox in Spain and Chega in Portugal, are now the main sources of dissemination of fake content on social media, according to a study by the SmartVote project, which brings together more than twenty Spanish and Portuguese researchers from six different organizations…’

In another blow to the evidence of the far-left groups sticking together if they want to be heard, Àgueda Micó, a deputy from the Sumar Alliance, has crossed to the Grupo Mixto (‘unaligned’). That’ll show ’em. 

…...

Gibraltar:

El Economista brings us ‘All the United Kingdom's illegalities in Gibraltar during more than three centuries of British presence’. It begins with ‘The United Kingdom, the European Union, and Spain have reached an agreement on the status of Gibraltar. This pact, expected to be finalized in the autumn and implemented in January 2016, lays out a roadmap with numerous new features that promise to transform the Rock and make it more accessible to all. The agreement entails, among other things, the elimination of the Verja and the free movement of people and goods…’ The article then turns to Gibraltar’s illegal expansion over the past 300 years at Spain’s expense. The leading photo is a good one, I think.

The Standard (UK) has ‘Spain handed new visa powers over Gibraltar in secret UK-EU talks. Details have now emerged revealing that Spanish officials will be involved in vetting people moving to the British Overseas Territory’.

…...

Europe:

The story begins with the AP reporting that ‘Spain rejects NATO’s anticipated 5% defence spending proposal as unreasonable’. All for one and one for all. Indeed, Trump’s insistence on a major defence budget works well in Washington, since most of the arms come from American factories. However, the NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte seemed to have accepted over the weekend that Spain is different and agreed to a 2.1% limit for España. How did Sánchez manage this? Certainly, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, the leader of the Partido Popular would like to know. Sánchez replies in a tweet – ‘Here you go, Alberto, get someone to translate the letter from Rutte into Spanish for you’. Good fun (Alberto is no linguist). On Monday, the NATO secretary general Mark Rutte told Donald Trump that ‘all the NATO allies have agreed to spend 5%’.

El HuffPost however reported on Tuesday that ‘Belgium and Slovakia join Spain in defending their "sovereign right" to limit their defence spending before NATO. These NATO member countries reject increasing their contributions and demand "flexibility" at the summit being held in The Hague’.

The New York Times quotes the American president: “They’re having a problem with Spain,” Mr. Trump said on Tuesday. “Always a problem with Spain. Spain’s not agreeing, which is very unfair to the rest of them”. Elsewhere, we read that Trump is plotting revenge against Spain: ‘We’re gonna make them pay double’. El Mundo says that ‘Allies revolt against Sánchez and his "bad example" in NATO: "Many countries are not happy with Spain". Spain's stance contrasts sharply with the commitment made by Germany, France, and the United Kingdom, which have announced their intention to embrace the 5% defence spending target’.

The left-wing Nueva Tribuna on the other hand thinks that Spain should leave the organisation entirely: ‘It's not national defence, it's business. If the United States wants to maintain NATO as an aggressive and feudalized organization to provide billions in revenue to its military industry, it is urgent that good and patriotic people, led by the Spanish military, urgently demand that NATO be abandoned’.

A graphic shows how much of their GDP each NATO country has been paying to date.

A late headline from Spanish Revolution here: ‘Spain, Belgium and Slovakia say NO’.

The Final Word here: ‘Sánchez reaffirms that the 2.1% military spending limit is sufficient despite NATO's doubts: "It's not an arbitrary figure"’.

From Público here: ‘Spain calls on the European Union to "immediately" break the association agreement with Israel. Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares also called for "courage" to say "no to war and yes to diplomacy" regarding the escalating tensions with Iran’.

‘Post-Brexit youth visa scheme with EU given the green light in major step towards closer ties with the bloc. Supporters described the move as a ‘massive step’ forward for young people’. The story is at The Independent here.

…...

Health:

From the Diario As (with a cheeky title here): ‘Britons urged to "not drink beer" following safety alert issued in Spain. Health authorities advise avoiding alcohol in the face of a heat wave that could exceed 40°C in several parts of the country’. A British friend says on hot days he orders two beers, one non-alcoholic which he drinks for his thirst, followed by the the second, regular, for the taste.

‘Spain’s Mediterranean diet declines as ready meals rise’. InSpain says ‘For decades, Spain has been celebrated as a model of healthy eating. This is thanks to its rich Mediterranean diet of fresh fruit, fish, vegetables, olive oil, and whole grains. But new data suggests this time-honoured way of eating is being steadily eroded. Moreover, it is being replaced by convenience foods and highly processed products that may have serious consequences for public health…’

‘Spain leads the world in nursing: "We have the most highly valued professionals in the world"’. ConSalud.es interviews José Luis Cobos after being elected president of the International Council of Nurses.

…...

Corruption:

You can’t have corrupt politicians without corrupting business-folk willing to buy them. If that’s the case, will we be hearing more from those Ibex-35 companies who have been successfully bribing our representatives? From Robando Tu Tiempo here, we read: ‘Political corruption in Spain is not a temporary disease, but an institutionalized metastasis. In recent decades, the Spanish state has witnessed an endless succession of corruption scandals affecting all levels of government and virtually every major political party. These are not bad apples, but a diseased tree whose roots are so deeply embedded in the political and judicial culture that no one knows where justice begins and power ends…’ The key point being:

‘In this polluted political culture, the role of corrupt businessmen is barely mentioned. Companies that pay bribes and finance campaigns in exchange for political awards are rarely singled out. While the media exposes the politicians involved, the names of the major construction companies, consulting firms, and economic groups disappear from the spotlight, shielded by their power, the fear of losing institutional publicity, or the collusion of media and economic power…’

Opinion at elDiario.es here: ‘The "business system" is indeed corrupt, Mr. Garamendi (head of the CEOE Business Association). Only a cynic could suggest that the real power in this country lies with politicians and that they are the corrupters of the angelic businessmen. In reality, the culture of favours, fixes, and bribes that flourished during the dictatorship has continued and even worsened under democracy…’

The ludicrous far-right Manos Limpias organisation has now filed a complaint for malfeasance against the judge investigating the issues over the Valencian storm tragedy from last October. El Plural has the story here.

Opinion from elDiario.es here: ‘The shadow of PP corruption threatens Feijóo's offensive against Sánchez. Feijóo is working hard to turn cases related to the PSOE into the "worst" cases of democracy, on the level of the Gürtel or Kitchen scandals, and attempts to use them as leverage for a vote of no confidence, but he ignores the three convictions against his party and the cascade of trials scheduled for later on in the summer’.

Diario Red claims that Koldo García was offered a proposal in March of this year by a senior PP deputy to get him out of his troubles.

‘The former head of the UCO (the Guardia Civil’s fraud unit) has been on Acciona's payroll for the past four years’ says La Vanguardia here. (‘Acciona, a major company implicated in the scandal involving Santos Cerdán, José Luis Ábalos, and Koldo García…’)

How did the judge get away with his illegal home? El Plural explains here: ‘The fine print of the Prosecutor's Office's brief on the statute-barred violation of justice at Judge Peinado's villa in La Adrada (Ávila). The document includes a "crime of omission" by the PP City Council, the referral of the facts to the SEPRONA (National Secretariat for Development), and the reasons for closing the investigation…’.

The ABC talks to the historian Ian Gibson on the crisis within the PSOE: "This country has been corrupt for centuries". The historian links structural corruption in Spain with a national identity marked by centuries of fear, an obsession with purity, and a culture based on the picaresque.

…...

Courts:

Bribery: ‘The Supreme Court judge indicts five businessmen and postpones Santos Cerdán's statement to June 30’ says elDiario.es here.

The eccentric judge on the Begoña Gómez (the wife of Pedro Sánchez) case is now accusing the Minister of Justice, Felix Bolaños, for ‘false testimony’. He also made the mistake of declaring Begoña Gómez to be deceased in his summing up. Both stories at El HuffPost.

If they don’t honour the judge with at the very least a street-name when this is all over, I shall be most surprised. Meanwhile, Joaquín Urías, a former lawyer from the Constitutional Court, says that Judge Peinado’s endless and ill-argued campaigns against various members of Sánchez circle shows him to be "mentally ill"’.

…...

Media:

Le Monde writes about our dodgy far-right ‘journalists’ ‘In Spain, a porous constellation of influencer-journalists serving the far right (with a picture of Eduardo Inda as an amuse-bouche). "The rise of reactionary media in Europe." In Congress, political agitators, armed with press cards due to their collaboration with radical right-wing media, provoke left-wing MPs in order to create viral content that they then share on their social networks’.

‘A judge investigates the HazteOir banners and trucks against Pedro Sánchez and requests information from Madrid City Council. A court in Madrid has opened an investigation after another court ordered the removal of one of these banners in front of Congress as a precautionary measure and is requesting information from the city council on the authorizations granted’. Item from elDiario.es here.

Property: ‘Spain’s anti-foreigner sentiment will push buyers to these countries instead. Agents in areas like Montenegro and Greece are already fielding more calls, offering an opportunity for home buyers to get ahead of a long-term trend’. Mansion Global comes out with this silly item.

The Washington Post says ‘As Trump shuts out migrants, Spain opens its doors and fuels economic growth. Defying the anti-immigrant trend in the U.S., Spain is reaping economic benefits by granting citizenship to tens of thousands of newly-arrived workers.

The Olive Press is offering reduced subscription rates here.

…...

Ecology:

And then there’s this from Worldcrunch here: ‘How coastal homes in Spain are being swallowed by a rising sea. Spain’s coastline is shrinking, caught in a relentless battle between rising seas, legal disputes and private interests. Thousands of homes now stand precariously close to the waves, some awaiting demolition, others clinging to legal loopholes. As nature advances, the struggle for land — and survival — intensifies’.

…...

Various:

Age in Spain brings us Renewing your TIE here. ‘This guide is for UK citizens who had the right to residency in Spain before 1 January 2021 and currently hold a TIE (Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjeros/Foreigner’s Identity Card) that needs renewal’.

Apparently... ‘The photovoltaic plant responsible for the blackout was Iberdrola's Núñez de Balboa megaplant in Badajoz’.

El Independiente tells of the Spaniards who fought on the side of the allies during the Second World War: ‘Los Españoles de Churchill’.

An enormous sculpture of Jesus Christ is to be built in Boadilla del Monte (Madrid), between the M-50, the Ciudad Financiera, and the M-501. Its location and size at 37 meters in height and 60 meters in width (Jesus will have his arms stretching out), will make it visible from almost any nearby location. The aim is to transform this Madrid municipality into a global pilgrimage centre... 20Minutos has the story (and the picture).

The Guardia Civil says that it is hard to see those little V16 emergency lights we are now meant to put on the roof of the car during daylight hours. It’s an own goal for trafico, says El Debate here.

The Olive Press is warming us up (or perhaps, firing up our indignation) for the Pamplona fiestas de San Fermín (July 6th onwards) which features the notorious Running of the Bulls (I ran back in 1977, egged on by some locals. It certainly sobers you up).

20Minutos says that ‘Benidorm is "a city divided in two", according to the Daily Mail (‘Benidorm’s Battle Lines’ here): "The Spanish avoid the British like the plague". The Spanish concentrate in the Old Town area, while the British concentrate in the New Town’.

‘On August 24, 1937, in the midst of the Civil War, the Interprovincial Council of Asturias and León made an unprecedented decision: to proclaim the region's sovereignty. Thus was born the Sovereign Council of Asturias and León, which defined itself as the supreme civil and military authority. It established its capital in Gijón, issued its own currency, and reorganized the regional government as if it were a new country...’ The story is recalled by La Cope here (or, in English, with Wiki here). Sad to relate, the region was occupied on 20 October 1937 by Franco's military forces. Belarmino Tomás was the Sovereign Council's first and only President. The city of Gijón proudly proclaims its resistance to Franco's forces and its temporary role as the seat of anti-Franco resistance in northern Spain to this day.

Karethe Linaae, writing at Eye on Spain here, tells how ‘we discovered La Maison de Tanger in Morocco, and there it was again – this feeling of having come ‘home’. My husband and I have returned several times since, and when we finally met the rock musician owners, it became clear why this North African refuge is so unique. So, if you are looking for that special lodging away from home, join me on a trip across the Strait of Gibraltar to our 'home' in Tangier...’

…...

Letters:

I have been told the report that “Spain is not against tourists, just the poor tourists” is incorrectly translated: apparently, it’s ‘poorly behaved’ tourists, that the locals don’t want. I’m sure we would agree with that!

Chris

Re-reading the Marco d'Eramo story about the impecunious tourists, I found this: 'It's funny to me that cities like Barcelona, ​​Florence or Venice, which did everything to attract tourism, which organized the Olympic Games and have made great promotional campaigns, now complain'.

It is too sad. Few of the Spanish in my village like Sánchez, but I do. It is obviously very right wing. For instance, when I retired last year, I was not allowed to join the old people’s bar because I professed to preferring white wine over red. Quote, unquote - retired people do not drink white wine. They drink red wine. The secretary really meant that it was because I don’t attend mass!

That aside. an important point you seem to have omitted is the corruption charges against Sánchez’s wife which have far from disappeared and hang around to do him down. I fear Spain will go the way of France and Italy, to mention a few increasingly right-wing countries.

Stephanie

…...

Finally:

A song to go with this week’s editorial: Facundo Cabral with No Soy de Aquí, Ni Soy de Allá on YouTube here.