Revolting Europe
popular party
Democracy and corruption in Spain: Why Rajoy must go and elections should be called
The only answer to the party financing scandal engulfing prime minister Mariano Rajoy and his right-wing Popular Party is Mr Rajoy’s head and immediate elections says Joan Coscubiela Never before has a social and political conflict presented itself in Spain so clearly. Either the citizens and and institutions rescue democracy or corruption in all its facets, … Continue reading
Spain’s bad banking joke
Despite an infusion of tens of billions of euros funded by citizens now left with huge debts and a downsized welfare state, Spain’s nationalised banks are providing fewer loans to the credit-starved economy than private lenders. It’s all a very bad joke, says Vicente Clavero If something clearly reflects the huge bad joke being played … Continue reading
The overwhelming success of austericide
Vincente Clavero The austerity Taliban will be satisfied by the announcement by the IMF that, despite the policies advocated by them, the debt crisis in Spain may now extend for no less than ten years. According to the latest report of the Fund, presented this week by its chief economist, the Frenchman Olivier Blanchard, there’s … Continue reading
Poverty scares us, but inequality outrages us
By Edmundo Fayanas Escuer Spanish Caritas has just published a new report (FOESSA) with data for 2012. The outlook is bleak and should mark a turning point for us all to do something to end this social disaster caused by these neoliberal policies imposed by the European Union and which here in Spain are executed … Continue reading
The austere roots of Nazism and fascism
Europe today is facing, on the one hand, the rise of “apolitical” technocratism, and on the other, right-wing authoritarian government. The Continent needs a democratic alternative, or else we are heading towards a disaster that will bring enormous suffering to the popular classes in the name of the ruling financial and economic elites, says Vincent Navarro … Continue reading
Spain’s evictions, the ECJ ruling and the banking lobby
By Vicente Clavero The two main parties in Spain, the Socialists and the Popular Party, should hang their heads in shame because it took a decision from overseas to fix our legislation on evictions. Legislation, which, since the beginning of the crisis, has been used by banks to seize the homes of half a million … Continue reading
Corruption: it’s not true, politicians are not all the same
By Manel García Biel Generalizations are often not fair, but now seem to be fashionable on the issue of corruption. We often say “everyone is corrupt”, “all politicians are the same”, “they do not represent us.” Generalizations lead to us to put them all in the same boat, and this is neither true nor fair. … Continue reading
Spain is in the hands of thieves
Corruption in Spain is an intrinsic part of the crisis as politicians’ subservience to financial power is exposed. It is time for Spaniards to act, argues Esther Vivas No doubt. We are in the hands of thieves. The Barcenas, Pallerols, Crespo, Nóos and Mercurio cases, added to the Gürtel case, Millet, Champion, Pretoria and many … Continue reading
Power and money equals corruption
By Cándido Marquesán Millán Numerous cases of political corruption are being uncovered in our country in recent times, degrading beyond the reasonable and tolerable the confidence of citizens in the institutions. News reports now have a special section on “corruption”. Any citizen concerned about the present and future of his country must inevitably feel a … Continue reading
From public health to private business
By Vicente Clavero To justify their cuts, the Popular Party (PP) has long been trying to convince us that Spain’s public health system suffers unsustainable hypertrophy. Nothing could be further from the truth: in 2008, at the start of the economic crisis, Spain devoted 6.5% of its GDP to this end. This is well below … Continue reading
Spain: a long, hot summer – and an even hotter autumn
As the financial crisis accelerates in Spain, resistance to austerity is growing Spain is living through the sharpest period of unrest in a generation. Mass protest is now a daily fact of life. Millions having filled the streets and plazas. Job centres and mines have been occupied, and roads blocked. Thousands have marched on the … Continue reading
Rajoy’s new austerity drive pours ‘gasoline onto the streets’
Right-wing prime minister Mariano Rajoy has unveiled the biggest attack on Spain’s welfare state in history in a move described by radical opposition MPs pouring ‘gasoline onto the streets’. The measures include a swathe of new taxes and spending cuts designed to reduce the budget deficit by 65 billion euros by 2014 in line with … Continue reading
Madrid’s men and women in black
Last Friday thousands of local government workers took to the streets of Madrid. The reason – cuts by the capital’s right wing Popular Party administration to public services and work rights of the public servants delivering them. The government had just imposed changes to collective contracts and wide ranging increases to local taxes and tariffs. … Continue reading
Spanish bankers bailed out again
Rajoy’s strategy on the banks: privatise the gains, socialise the losses Six months ago Mariano Rajoy pledged not to give ‘a single euro of public money’ to the banks. Last week, this promise went the same way as his pledges on not raising tax: in the shredder. Spain’s right wing prime minister has unveiled yet … Continue reading
Tens of thousands protest against cuts
Tens of thousands turned out in the streets of Toledo, Spain on Saturday against cuts by the right-wing Popular Party regional government of Castilla-La Mancha. The measures include a 3% cut to public servants’ wages and an increase in the working week. People attended from across the region, arriving in dozens of coaches. The demo ended with … Continue reading
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