Blog #Spain

According to the highly regarded British newspaper, The Guardian, Spain is “a progressive beacon in dark times”. In an editorial published on Wednesday 26 February 2025, the paper claimed that Pedro Sánchez’s Socialist-led government has welcomed immigration and boosted public spending, with stellar results. Read on to find out more.

I first visited Spain in 1970, when Spain was a dictatorship under the tight control of General Franco and the Roman Catholic Church. I was 20. Viewed back then as a fascist country and a strictly religious society, pretty much everything was banned, including all forms of contraception. What's that got to do with suppositories? Read on to find out!

Local council mayors can earn good money these days. Previously, being mayor was a voluntary role and an honour. Whether they were effective is another matter. Surely, it’s right that the “chief executive” of a council with a budget to manage is regarded as a professional who should be paid.

The right is rearing its ugly head all over Europe. Right-wing parties are gaining more and more support, eg in Germany, in Spain, in France. And the Netherlands have just elected a right-wing party. Conversely, it looks like the right has had its day in the UK. Despite the rise of the AfD and Pegida, Germany has a socialist-led coalition in the Berlin Bundestag. VOX in Spain appears to be losing support.