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470 News results found for 'Independence'
- Opinion poll places Ciudadanos as most voted party in Spain - Sat 13th Jan 2018
An opinion poll compiled by Metroscopia and published in the Spanish "El Pais" newspaper on Friday predicts that if a general election were held in Spain now the center-right party Ciudadanos would win the most support ... more - Spain overtakes US to become second most-visited country in the world - Sat 13th Jan 2018
Spain’s tourism sector is on a roll, and it looks like the good times will extend to 2018 ... more - Fugitive former leader cannot rule Catalonia from abroad says Madrid - Sat 13th Jan 2018
The Spanish government dismissed outright on Friday the possibility of former Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont ruling the region from self-imposed exile in Brussels, and said Madrid would contest any attempt to do so in the ... more - Puigdemont pressures ally to support his bid to be sworn in from Brussels - Thu 11th Jan 2018
Catalonia’s two main pro-independence parties have hammered out part of the deal that could see them forming a new government in the region, but the question of who will become regional premier, or more precisely how, ... more - Catalan parties propose self-exiled former leader as president - Wed 10th Jan 2018
The two main pro-independence parties in Catalonia have agreed to back former leader Carles Puigdemont as their candidate to head the region, raising the likelihood of a renewed push this year for a split from Spain. ... more - Catalan police planned to burn evidence of diversion of €3 million to separatists - Wed 10th Jan 2018
A Barcelona judge investigating crimes related to the illegal Independence referendum in Catalonia on October 1 has found evidence that €3 million in state funds was siphoned off for the independence cause ... more - Spain closes in on 80 million foreign tourists in record-breaking 2017 - Tue 9th Jan 2018
Spain welcomed 4.4 million foreign tourists in November, 7.4% up on last year. Though December figures are not yet available, the 2016 record of 75.3 million was already broken by mid-November. By the end of November, a ... more - Catalan crisis ‘probably cost Spain around 1bn euros’ - Thu 4th Jan 2018
The Catalan independence crisis has likely cost Spain a billion euros, according to the country’s economy minister. ... more - Ex-Catalan official seeks release from jail as he mulls bid for the premiership - Thu 4th Jan 2018
The Spanish Supreme Court will decide on Thursday whether to keep Catalonia’s ousted deputy premier, Oriol Junqueras, in pre-trial custody in connection with a criminal inquiry into rebellion against the authority of Spain ... more - Anti-independence parties close to victory in Catalan election: poll - Mon 18th Dec 2017
A new poll commissioned by EL PAÍS has indicated that it is still unclear whether pro-independence parties or the so-called constitutional parties – which are against independence – will triumph at the Catalan regional ... more - Jailed Catalan leader signals softer stance towards Spain ahead of vote - Mon 18th Dec 2017
The jailed leader of Catalonia’s main pro-independence party has backed away from demands for unilateral secession from Spain, days ahead of regional elections that could swing the course of the Catalan crisis toward ... more - Spain to send 3,500 Civil Guard officers to Catalonia for election day - Wed 13th Dec 2017
The Spanish Interior Ministry is considering sending 3,500 Civil Guard officers to beef up security ahead of the Catalan regional elections on December 21, according to an internal memo which EL PAÌS has had access to ... more - Business creation drops 14.3% in Catalonia as independence push bites - Wed 13th Dec 2017
Catalonia has paid an economic price for the flurry of political activity by the pro-independence movement in October ... more - Healthcare funding slashed in Catalonia during independence push - Mon 11th Dec 2017
Catalonia’s public health system is feeling the effects of political instability in a region that has held three early elections since 2012 ... more - Catalan separatists to lose majority in tight election - poll - Mon 11th Dec 2017
Catalonia’s independence movement could suffer a serious setback in elections this month, according to a poll published on Sunday, which suggests separatist parties will narrowly fail to secure a majority in the regional ... more - Pro-independence demonstration in Brussels attracts 45,000 protestors - Sat 9th Dec 2017
The Belgian police estimate that around 45,000 people attended a demonstration in Brussels today to call for independence for Catalonia, and for the European Union to alter its position on the secession drive ... more - Spanish PM : Willing to overhaul Constitution, but conditions apply - Thu 7th Dec 2017
PM Mariano Rajoy said on Wednesday that he is willing to reform the Spanish Constitution, on three conditions ... more - Unionist parties to benefit most from expected record turnout at Catalan elections - Thu 7th Dec 2017
Opinion polls indicate that turnout at the Catalan elections of December 21 could be in the 80% range, a figure that would shatter the record of 74.95% set in September 2015 ... more - Former Catalan leader says to stay in Belgium "for the moment" - Thu 7th Dec 2017
Former Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont on Wednesday said he and four of his ex-cabinet members plan to remain in Belgium “for the moment” after Spain dropped an international warrant for his arrest on Tuesday. ... more - Spain withdraws international arrest warrant for Catalonia former politicians - Tue 5th Dec 2017
Spain’s Supreme Court said on Tuesday it had withdrawn an international arrest warrant for Catalonia’s former leader Carles Puigdemont and four of his cabinet members saying the politicians had shown willingness to return to ... more - Basque leader defends region’s fiscal deal amid claims of special treatment - Mon 4th Dec 2017
Basque regional premier Iñigo Urkullu has come out strongly in defense of the region’s special fiscal regime, the “Cupo vasco” – a deal in which the Basque government gets to collect its own taxes and return a sum to Madrid ... more - Spanish court refuses to release two prominent Catalan ex-officials - Mon 4th Dec 2017
Spain’s Supreme Court has decided to release six Catalan politicians from pre-trial custody but to keep the two most prominent ones behind bars ... more - Spain Declares Disinformation Campaigns as Threat to National Security - Sat 2th Dec 2017
Spain has declared cyber disinformation campaigns as a threat to its national security in the new strategy as Madrid earlier said that it has become a victim of cyberattacks spread via social networks during the Catalonia’s ... more - Spain judge to decide fate of jailed Catalans on Monday - Sat 2th Dec 2017
Spain’s Supreme Court judge will decide on Monday whether to release jailed Catalan cabinet members currently in custody after being accused of sedition, rebellion and misuse of public funds, judicial sources said. ... more - Spain's Economy to Count the Cost If Catalan Crisis Continues - Thu 23rd Nov 2017
Spain’s economy is going to pay a price for Catalonia’s bid for independence ... more - Catalan crisis puts paid to Barcelona bid to host EU medicines agency - Tue 21st Nov 2017
Amsterdam will be the new home of the coveted European Medicines Agency (EMA) and its 900 employees, following a tight vote held on Monday in the Belgian capital ... more - Detained Catalan government members say they accept Madrid's control - Tue 21st Nov 2017
Two former members of the Catalan government held in custody over their roles in Catalonia’s banned independence drive have asked to be released from custody after accepting Madrid’s control of the region, according to ... more - Ousted Catalan leader could remain in Belgium until after Christmas - Tue 21st Nov 2017
Ousted Catalan premier Carles Puigdemont and four of his former regional ministers will very likely remain in Belgium until after Christmas due to the timings of the legal procedure underway in that country ... more - NATO intelligence reports show spike in disinformation about Catalonia - Mon 20th Nov 2017
NATO intelligence reports show that Russian online networks have been focusing their activities on Catalonia in order to make the most of the secessionist crisis there ... more - Camp Nou could be closed if Barca fans insult Spain - Fri 17th Nov 2017
La Liga president Javier Tebas said on Friday Barcelona supporters are free to chant in favour of independence for Catalonia at games but said any “insulting” chants against Spain could lead to the temporary closure of their ... more - Belgian judge delays ruling on extradition request for Puigdemont - Fri 17th Nov 2017
Sacked Catalan premier Carles Puigdemont and the four former members of his government who fled to Belgium after the Catalan parliament approved a universal declaration of independence last month appeared before a Belgian ... more - US “very concerned” about claims of Russian meddling in Catalonia - Thu 16th Nov 2017
The United States is turning its attention to claims that Russia has been using social media to amplify the impact of Catalan separatism as yet another tool to destabilize western democracies ... more - Russia : Allegations of meddling in Catalonia "Hysteria" - Wed 15th Nov 2017
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday dismissed allegations that Moscow had fomented separatist sentiment in Spain’s Catalonia as hysteria, the Interfax news agency reported. ... more - Airline Passengers in Spain Grounded for Speaking Catalan - Tue 14th Nov 2017
Two passengers of a Vueling Airlines flight from Menorca to Barcelona ended up grounded apparently for refusing to address the cabin crew in Spanish ... more - Spain banks' ECB borrowing jumps in October - central bank - Tue 14th Nov 2017
Spain banks borrowed EU175 Bln from the ECB in October from EU171.7 Bln a month earlier after lenders stocked up on cash at the beginning of October as Catalonia held a banned independence vote. ... more - Over half of Spaniards want early national election - poll - Mon 13th Nov 2017
More than half of Spanish voters favour an early national election, a survey showed on Monday, as support waned for a minority government embroiled in the country’s worst political crisis in decades. ... more - Spanish PM, in Catalonia, calls for big turnout at December election - Mon 13th Nov 2017
PM Mariano Rajoy urged Catalans to turn out in force in a December election to “restore normality” to a region buffeted by attempts to split from Spain. ... more - Key Catalan ideologue met with Julian Assange in London - Mon 13th Nov 2017
Oriol Soler, a Catalan entrepreneur and publisher who has been one of the leading ideologues of the secessionist movement, met with Julian Assange on November 9 ... more - Government confirms intervention of Russian hackers in Catalan crisis - Sun 12th Nov 2017
Speaking after the weekly Cabinet meeting on Friday, government spokesperson Íñigo Méndez de Vigo and Defense Minister María Dolores de Cospedal confirmed that Russian and Venezuelan hackers have been interfering in the ... more - Spain's Rajoy heads to Catalonia for first visit since imposing direct rule - Sun 12th Nov 2017
Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy will travel to Catalonia's capital, Barcelona, on Sunday, his first trip to the region since the national government dismissed the regional administration for its unilateral ... more - Catalan parliament speaker to appear before Spain's Supreme Court - Fri 10th Nov 2017
The Catalan parliament’s speaker and five lawmakers will appear before Spain’s Supreme Court in Madrid on Thursday to answer charges of rebellion and sedition for their roles in staging a banned referendum on Catalonia’s ... more - Constitutional Court annuls Catalan independence declaration - Fri 10th Nov 2017
Spain’s Constitutional Court annulled on Wednesday the unilateral declaration of independence that was voted through the Catalan parliament on October 27, as well as striking down the law that the same chamber approved on ... more - Spanish Government fines Google for data harvesting - Wed 8th Nov 2017
The Spanish Data Protection Agency (AEPD, Spanish : Agencia Española de Protección de Datos) has hit Google with a €300,000 ($347,835) fine ... more - Catalan leader's farmhouse pact to make last stand in Brussels - Wed 8th Nov 2017
24 after Spain removed him from power, Catalonia’s leader had resolved to leave the country and take his independence campaign to the heart of the EU, but first he needed to tie off an important loose end. ... more - Carles Puigdemont in Brussels: “We all know we can end up in jail” - Tue 7th Nov 2017
A team from Catalunya Ràdio, a regional publicly funded radio network, traveled to Brussels on Tuesday to interview former premier Carles Puigdemont and the four ex-ministers who fled with him to Belgium last week to avoid ... more - Only 1 in 7 Catalans see dispute with Madrid ending in independence - poll - Mon 6th Nov 2017
Just one in seven people from Catalonia believe the current standoff between Barcelona and Madrid will end in independence for the region while more than two thirds think the process has been bad for the economy, a survey ... more - Catalonia's ex-leader granted freedom to campaign for independence - Mon 6th Nov 2017
Catalonia’s former leader Carles Puigdemont was spared custody on Monday, when a Brussels court ruled he could remain at liberty in Belgium until it had heard Spanish charges against him of rebellion. ... more - Spanish economy could lose €27bn over Catalan crisis, warns Bank of Spain - Sun 5th Nov 2017
The Bank of Spain is warning about the medium-term economic consequences of the ongoing political tension in Catalonia ... more - High Court issues international arrest warrant for former Catalan premier - Sun 5th Nov 2017
High Court Judge Carmen Lamela has issued a national and international arrest warrant for former Catalan premier Carles Puigdemont, who is currently in Brussels. As well as the ex-president of the northeastern Spanish ... more - Spain's stat office : 5.5Mln may vote in Catalonia December independence elections - Sat 4th Nov 2017
Some 5.5 million Spaniards will be eligible to vote in the Catalonia’s parliamentary elections that Spain’s government has called for after the region tried to unilaterally declare independence, according to the official ... more - Catalonia unemployment jumps as political crisis drags on - Fri 3rd Nov 2017
Registered unemployment rose sharply in Catalonia in October, data showed on Friday, with more people signing on as jobless in the region than anywhere else in Spain as companies fled in the midst of the country’s worst ... more - Scottish MPs call for international recognition for Catalan independence - Fri 3rd Nov 2017
Pro-independence Scottish members of parliament have presented a motion in their devolved parliament urging international recognition of Catalonia’s unilateral declaration of independence from Spain, putting pressure on ... more - Bank of Spain warns of possible growth slowdown due to Catalonia - Thu 2th Nov 2017
The uncertainty over the independence drive in Catalonia could lead to slower economic growth and lower job creation in the next few months in Spain, the Bank of Spain said on Thursday. ... more - Judge sends eight former members of Catalan government into custody - Thu 2th Nov 2017
A Spanish High Court judge today ordered former deputy Catalan premier Oriol Junqueras and seven other former members of the regional cabinet to be held in pre-trial custody, after questioning them over their role in their ... more - Catalan police call for neutrality as Spain exerts control - Sat 28th Oct 2017
Catalonia’s police force told its officers to remain neutral in the struggle over the region’s fight for independence from Spain, a step towards averting possible conflict as the Madrid government starts to impose control on ... more - Gold rises as crisis over Spain's integrity deepens - Sat 28th Oct 2017
Gold futures on the COMEX division of the New York Mercantile Exchange rose on Friday as crisis in Spain boosted safe haven demand ... more - NATO says Catalonia issue domestic matter to be resolved by Spain - Sat 28th Oct 2017
Spain remains an important NATO ally and Catalonia is a domestic issue that should be resolved by the Spanish institutional framework, a NATO official said on Friday ... more - Spain's Rajoy Fires Catalan Leader, Calls Regional Elections - Fri 27th Oct 2017
Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy dismissed the Catalan regional government and dissolved its parliament, calling a regional election for Dec. 21, as he sought to restore control of the rebel region ... more - Is Catalonia independent ? - Fri 27th Oct 2017
Catalan leaders on Friday voted for independence in an assembly that was half empty, where they cast secret ballots on a resolution with neither legal or effective value. Of 135 deputies, 70 voted in favor of a resolution ... more - Catalan parliament declares independence from Spain - Fri 27th Oct 2017
Catalonia’s regional parliament declared independence from Spain on Friday in a disputed vote that is now likely to be declared illegal by Spain’s constitutional court. ... more - Spain economy to grow above 3 percent this year despite Catalonia crisis: Economy Minister - Thu 26th Oct 2017
Spanish Economy Minister Luis De Guindos said on Thursday he sees economic growth of just above 3% this year despite a secession bid by the wealthy northeastern region of Catalonia. ... more - Putin encourages independence movement via envoy to Catalonia - Thu 26th Oct 2017
A politician from South Ossetia known for his political affinities with Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Barcelona this week, with the goal of establishing ties between Kremlin circles and a hypothetical independent ... more - Spain aims to avoid economic damage to Catalonia through direct rule - PM - Wed 25th Oct 2017
Spain’s central government aims to avoid further economic damage to the wealthy northeastern region of Catalonia due to its secession bid by exercising direct rule, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy told parliament on Wednesday. ... more - Catalan separatists want to declare independence on Friday - Wed 25th Oct 2017
While the Catalan government has yet to openly define what it plans to do in response to the impending application of Article 155 of the Spanish Constitution, which entails a suspension of home rule, recent guidelines issued ... more - French Catalans offer Puigdemont luxury safe-house, just in case - Tue 24th Oct 2017
French Catalans have a villa with a swimming pool and other safe houses ready in the event that Carles Puigdemont and other leaders of Spain’s Catalonia region have to seek refuge from Madrid ... more - EU Commission says it has not changed its position on Catalonia - Tue 24th Oct 2017
The European Commission said on Monday it had not changed its position on Catalonia after Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy announced he would invoke special constitutional powers to fire the regional government and force ... more - Which other regions want to secede from Spain ? - Tue 24th Oct 2017
Spain's plans to use Article 155 of its constitution to dissolve Catalonia's parliament and directly administer the northeastern region could have a rippling effect on the country's independence movements, analysts and ... more - Breakdown in Spanish police relations may hamper fight against terrorism - Tue 24th Oct 2017
Relations between the Spanish National Police and the Civil Guard, on the one hand, and the Catalan police force, the Mossos d’Esquadra, have hit rock bottom. Joint operations are on hold, medals have been handed back and ... more - Snap election not enough to solve crisis, Spain tells Catalan leader - Tue 24th Oct 2017
Catalonia’s leader cannot solve its political crisis with Madrid just by calling regional elections, Spain’s justice minister said on Tuesday, dampening hopes of a quick fix for a dispute that has rattled investors and ... more - Direct Catalonia crisis key risk to Spain rating - S&P - Mon 23rd Oct 2017
S&P Global has said it had no specific view on whether or not Spain reinstates direct rule over Catalonia, but is instead waiting to see whether the crisis does any sustained damage to a robust economic recovery. ... more - Madrid to remove all Catalan officials who refuse to comply with the law - Mon 23rd Oct 2017
The Spanish government is aiming to remove a minimum number of key Catalan officials when it implements emergency measures to restore the law in the breakaway region next Saturday ... more - Spain urges Catalonia secessionists to obey Madrid - Sun 22th Oct 2017
The Spanish government on Sunday urged Catalans to accept direct control from Madrid and ignore instructions from the restive region’s secessionist leadership once it has been removed from power ... more - Spanish PM announces reduction of Catalan powers without dissolving parliament - Sat 21st Oct 2017
In a news conference following a two-hour Cabinet meeting on Saturday, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy announced that Catalan premier Carles Puigdemont, his deputy and all the members of the Catalan government will be ... more - Spanish Constitutional Court website down after ‘Anonymous hack’ - Sat 21st Oct 2017
A hack purportedly executed by Anonymous, the online activist group, has blocked the website of the Spanish Constitutional Court. On Saturday morning, the court’s website was unreachable online and displayed a connection ... more - Rajoy: a leader being “forced to act” to restore the law in Catalonia - Sat 21st Oct 2017
Article 155 of the Spanish Constitution will be applied in Catalonia “to restore institutional legality and normality,” said Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy in a Friday news conference at the close of a EU summit in Brussels ... more - Spain government aims for January vote in Catalonia debacle - Sat 21st Oct 2017
The Spanish government has secured opposition support to dissolve Catalonia's parliament and hold new elections there in January in an effort to defuse the regional government's push for independence ... more - Spain to trigger suspension of Catalan autonomy on Saturday - Fri 20th Oct 2017
Spain’s government will trigger on Saturday the Article 155 of the constitution, which allows to suspend Catalonia’s political autonomy, the Prime Minister’s Office said on Thursday. ... more - Merkel, Macron and May show support for Spain over Catalan crisis - Fri 20th Oct 2017
While the Catalan secessionist challenge is not officially on the agenda of the two-day European summit of state and government leaders currently being held in Brussels, it is something of an elephant in the room: everyone ... more - Madrid moves towards direct rule over Catalonia - Mon 16th Oct 2017
Spain moved closer on Monday to imposing central rule over Catalonia to thwart its push for independence after Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont missed an initial deadline to make his intentions clear. ... more - Catalan leader must drop independence by Thursday - Spain Deputy PM - Mon 16th Oct 2017
Spain’s government will take control of Catalonia and rule it directly if Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont does not drop a bid to split the region from Spain by Thursday at 1000 a.m. (0800 GMT), deputy Prime Minister Soraya ... more - Spain Rejects Catalan Reply, Paving Way for Suspending Self-Rule - Mon 16th Oct 2017
Catalan President Carles Puigdemont defended his region’s claim to independence as the Spanish government signaled it will move ahead with the process of suspending self-rule this week ... more - Catalan independence bid unlikey to move Spain's credit rating - Fri 13th Oct 2017
International credit ratings agency, Standard and Poor, today said how Spain’s continued dispute with catalonia is unlikely to see credit ratings move unless tensions escalate further ... more - Puigdemont’s far-left partner tells him to proclaim a Catalan republic - Fri 13th Oct 2017
The radical far-left party that is supporting the minority government of Carles Puigdemont in Catalonia has sent the regional premier a letter demanding “the proclamation of the republic.” ... more - Miltary Plane Crashes on Spanish National Day - Thu 12th Oct 2017
Spaniards began lining the streets of Madrid on Thursday and national flags hung from balconies across the capital as unionists used a holiday military parade to show unity in the face of moves by Catalonia to declare ... more - Spain gives Catalan leader eight days to drop independence - Thu 12th Oct 2017
Spanish PM Mariano Rajoy on Wednesday gave the Catalan government eight days to drop an independence bid, failing which he would suspend Catalonia’s political autonomy and rule the region directly. ... more - EU Commission backs efforts to ensure unity in Spain - Thu 12th Oct 2017
The European Commission said on Wednesday it supported efforts to promote unity in Spain after Catalan moves to declare independence. ... more - Spain gives Catalan leader five days to clarify independence - Wed 11th Oct 2017
The Spanish government has given Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont five days to say whether he declared independence or not, Spanish news agency Efe said on Wednesday. ... more - Spain's Socialist leader agrees with Rajoy to launch constitutional reform - Wed 11th Oct 2017
Spain’s opposition Socialist leader Pedro Sanchez said on Wednesday he had agreed with Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy to launch a constitutional reform that could change the way Spain’s autonomous regions, including Catalonia, ... more - Spanish PM in Congress : “To vote against democracy or outside of it is not democracy” - Wed 11th Oct 2017
Spanish PM Mariano Rajoy addressed Congress on Wednesday afternoon to talk about his government’s plans, a day after Catalan premier Carles Puigdemont declared independence, then immediately placed it on hold ... more - Spain's creditors size up cost of Catalan independence bid - Wed 11th Oct 2017
Investors who lend billions of euros to Spain every year are struggling to sketch out the repercussions for the country’s finances of a possible independence proclamation by the wealthy region of Catalonia. ... more - Independence in Catalonia – now what ? - Wed 11th Oct 2017
After a standoff that has now been going on for five years, the Catalan regional premier declared independence in a speech to the regional parliament, temporarily suspending its effects. It’s a moment to which those in favor ... more - Spain steps up security at Catalan airports, rail stations : source - Tue 10th Oct 2017
The Spanish government is reinforcing security at airports and rail stations in Catalonia before a meeting at which the regional leader could declare independence from Madrid, a police source said on Tuesday. ... more - Demand for ECB money spikes in tense week for Spain's future - Tue 10th Oct 2017
Banks borrowed more at the ECB's weekly auction on Tuesday than at any point over the past six months, in a week marked by market concerns about a potential break away of Catalonia from Spain. ... more - Merkel tells Rajoy of support for unity of Spain - Tue 10th Oct 2017
German Chancellor Angela Merkel spoke to Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy on Saturday to discuss the Catalan crisis and stressed her support for the unity of Spain while encouraging more dialogue, her spokesman said on ... more - Corporate flight damages Catalonia’s image - Tue 10th Oct 2017
Barcelona, which the Financial Times once defined as the best city to live in, made the front page of Europe’s financial publications last week. This is because several major listed companies – including CaixaBank, Banco ... more - Spain's Socialist leader says would back government on Catalonia - Mon 9th Oct 2017
The leader of Spain’s Socialists, the main opposition to PM Mariano Rajoy’s conservative People’s Party (PP), said on Monday the party would back government action if Catalonia makes a unilateral declaration of independence ... more - Spain will not be divided, national unity will be preserved - Rajoy - Mon 9th Oct 2017
Spanish PM Mariano Rajoy said in a newspaper interview that Spain would not be divided, a week after Catalonia held a referendum that authorities there say showed voters overwhelmingly support independence. ... more - La Caixa foundation to move headquarters from Catalonia to Mallorca - Sun 8th Oct 2017
La Caixa Banking Foundation, which manages the holding company which controls Caixabank, said on Saturday it will move its headquarters to Palma de Mallorca for as long as political upheaval in Catalonia continues ... more - Spain's PM says may use constitution to block Catalan independence - Sun 8th Oct 2017
Spanish PM Mariano Rajoy said on Saturday he would not rule out using the constitutional powers to remove Catalonia’s autonomous status if it claimed independence as tens of thousands took to the streets to call for talks ... more - Final results in banned Catalan independence vote put "yes" on 90.18 percent - regional government - Sat 7th Oct 2017
Final results in last weekend’s banned Catalan referendum on independence from Spain showed “yes” votes winning 90.18% of votes cast against 7.83% of “no” votes, the Catalan regional government said. ... more - Spanish police protest to demand equal pay with regional forces - Sat 7th Oct 2017
Thousands of Spanish National and Civil Guard police officers have protested in the capital, Madrid, calling for equal wages with regional police forces such as the Catalan and Basque officers ... more - Spain’s CaixaBank to move from Catalonia - Sat 7th Oct 2017
Spain's 3rd largest bank CaixaBank have announced their intention to move its registered domicile out of Catalonia after separatist leaders threatened to declare the region independent ... more - Spain's apology to Catalonia soothes financial market jitters - Sat 7th Oct 2017
An apology from Spain for a violent police crackdown on Catalonia’s independence referendum settled a sell-off in Spanish financial assets on Friday, although global bond yields were broadly higher after a mixed U.S. jobs ... more - Spain passes law to make it easier for companies to move around country - Sat 7th Oct 2017
Spain’s government on Friday passed a law to make it easier for companies to move their operations around the country just as some businesses consider leaving the region of Catalonia amid a rising conflict over a plan for ... more - Catalan independence to be proclaimed on Monday - Sat 7th Oct 2017
An independent Catalan republic may be proclaimed as early as next Monday, according to members of CUP, the far-left party whose votes support the governing Junts pel Sí (Together for Yes) coalition ... more - Court suspends Catalan parliament session to avoid independence declaration - Thu 5th Oct 2017
Spanish PM Mariano Rajoy on Thursday said there will be no talks with Catalan authorities until the latter first cancel their project for a unilateral declaration of independence. Rajoy, of the Popular Party (PP), urged ... more - 3 scenarios for Spain-Catalonia stand-off - Tue 3rd Oct 2017
Leaders of Spain’s industrialised northeastern region of Catalonia said the regional population had voted for independence in a ballot on Sunday that the central government said was illegal and non-representative. ... more - Catalonia crisis is painful distraction for Spain - Mon 2th Oct 2017
The Catalonia crisis is a painful distraction for Spain. Sunday’s acrimonious independence referendum in the region is unlikely to trigger a break-up of the country. Nevertheless, investors may have to attach a bigger ... more - Violence erupts as Catalans vote on split from Spain - Sun 1st Oct 2017
Spanish riot police burst into polling stations across Catalonia on Sunday, confiscating ballot boxes and voting papers to try to halt a banned referendum on a split from Spain as Madrid asserted its authority over the rebel ... more - Police to remove people from Catalan voting stations on Sunday - government source - Sat 30th Sep 2017
Police will remove people from Catalan independence referendum polling stations on Sunday, a government source said on Saturday, without giving details on how this would be carried out. ... more - Spanish court orders Google to delete app used for Catalan independence vote - Sat 30th Sep 2017
Catalonia’s High Court on Friday ordered Google to delete an application that it said Catalan separatists were using to spread information about a disputed independence vote this Sunday. ... more - Spanish police raid Catalan government telecommunications centre - Sat 30th Sep 2017
Spanish police raided the Catalan government’s telecommunications and information technology centre on Saturday, La Vanguardia newspaper reported, citing RAC1 radio station. ... more - Catalan premier ahead of Sunday vote: “We have already won” - Sat 30th Sep 2017
We have already won, we have won over the fears and the threats of an authoritarian state that didn’t want to let us get this far and tried to make us surrender at the first sign of difficulty.” That was the defiant message ... more - Catalonia urges EU intervention in independence vote dispute - Fri 29th Sep 2017
The EU should do its duty as a repository of democratic values by telling Spain to allow a referendum on Catalan independence to take place, the region’s foreign affairs chief said. ... more - Bank of Spain warns Catalan secession push could put growth forecasts at risk - Thu 28th Sep 2017
The Bank of Spain on Thursday warned that political tensions over Catalonia’s independence drive could put growth forecasts at risk though left its expansion expectations for this year and next unchanged ... more - Russian “hackers” help keep banned Catalan referendum census site online - Thu 28th Sep 2017
For the government of Catalonia, it is crucial that it appears to have a valid electoral roll in the lead-up to the illegal referendum on the issue of independence from Spain planned for this Sunday, October 1 ... more - Guardia Civil Dispatched To Catalonia Ahead of Vote - Wed 27th Sep 2017
Guardia Civil battalions from across Spain have been dispatched to Catalonia ahead of a controversial independence referendum scheduled for Sunday, 1st October ... more - Catalan police ordered to take control of polling stations - Tue 26th Sep 2017
With five days to go before a planned independence referendum that has captured global attention, Catalan authorities are continuing to lay the groundwork for a vote that Spanish courts have suspended on the basis it is ... more - Constitutional Crisis Nears as Catalan Independence Referendum Looms - Wed 20th Sep 2017
With only 10 days to go until Catalonia heads to the ballot box and potentially succession from Spain, time is running out for Madrid to get creative and halt the referendum which threatens to plunge the nation into a ... more - Rajoy to meet Trump at White House in September - Mon 7th Aug 2017
The final details are being worked out for a proposed trip by Spain’s PM Mariano Rajoy to the United States in late September, where he will attend the UN General Assembly and meet President Donald Trump at the White House, ... more - How can Spain ensure the survival of its world-beating tourism industry ? - Thu 3rd Aug 2017
The recent attack on a Barcelona city tour bus by a radical separatist group has created a rift between the ruling Junts pel Si pro-independence coalition and its far-left partners in government, the CUP. Senior officials in ... more - Spanish government files legal bid to halt Catalan referendum - Sat 29th Jul 2017
Spain's government has lodged a legal bid to stop Catalonia holding an independence referendum, asking the Constitutional Court to veto moves by the regional assembly, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said on Friday ... more - Catalonia public workers torn over independence referendum dilemma - Thu 27th Jul 2017
For Catalan philosophy teacher Enrique Beck and his high school colleagues, an October referendum planned by the region's separatist leaders on splitting from Spain poses a dilemma. ... more - UN stonewalls attempt to give Catalan referendum global legitimacy - Wed 26th Jul 2017
Faced with the difficulty of finding international organizations willing to back its independence referendum due for October 1, the Catalan government has tried to attain global recognition in a new, unprecedented way: by ... more - Spain tells Catalonia will cut off funds if used for referendum - Fri 21st Jul 2017
The Spanish government told Catalonia on Friday it would lose access to some public funds if found using state money to organise a referendum on independence that Madrid says is illegal. ... more - Support for an independent Catalonia declining - Fri 21st Jul 2017
Supporters of Catalan independence have received a new setback, with the latest poll carried out by the regional government’s Opinion Studies Center (CEO) showing public support for secession from Spain has dipped 3% since ... more - Why is Catalonia the Spanish region pressing hardest for independence ? - Wed 19th Jul 2017
In a small northern corner of Spain, millions speak a language few people off the Iberian Peninsula will ever have heard of. Like Spanish but noticeably distinctive, it’s taught in schools and features in newspapers as well ... more - Catalan police chief resigns in run-up to independence referendum - Mon 17th Jul 2017
The head of Catalonia's police force resigned on Monday, just two and a half months before a referendum on independence from Spain which has been planned by regional separatist leaders but is staunchly opposed by the central ... more - Catalonia to split from Spain within 48 hours of secession vote - referendum draft bill - Tue 4th Jul 2017
Catalonia will declare independence from Spain within 48 hours if voters back secession in an October referendum, according to a draft bill proposed by secessionist parties on Tuesday, though it remains unclear whether the ... more - Over 65% of Catalans Likely to Vote for Leaving Spain at Referendum - Mon 3rd Jul 2017
According to the DYM survey made for El Confidencial newspaper, 70.1% of the surveyed Catalans are likely to participate in the independence referendum, of whom 28.4 percent are projected to oppose the region’s separation ... more - Spain excludes Catalan Police from Interpol - Mon 19th Jun 2017
The Catalan government expressed outcry after the Spanish executive granted the Basque police, Ertzaintza, access to the Europol database while excluding the Catalan police, the Mossos d’Esquadra. Spanish and Basque ... more - Catalans woo immigrants in quest to split from Spain - Fri 16th Jun 2017
In a community hall in the Spanish region of Catalonia, two independence activists take the stage against a backdrop of red and yellow striped Catalan flags: a Syrian-born tourist guide and a Spanish member of parliament ... more - Spanish parliament debates no-confidence motion against PM Rajoy - Tue 13th Jun 2017
Spain's parliament on Tuesday began to debate a no-confidence motion against PM Mariano Rajoy after corruption scandals linked to his ruling People's Party ... more - Catalonia to Call Referendum Split from Spain Friday - Thu 8th Jun 2017
THE REGIONAL GOVERNMENT of Catalonia is to call an independence referendum on Friday, setting on a collision course with Madrid lawmakers ... more - Over 60% of Catalans reject unilateral declaration of independence - Wed 24th May 2017
The regional government of Catalonia says in a document seen by EL PAÍS on Monday that it will declare unilateral independence if it is prevented from holding a referendum on sovereignty. But a poll carried out by EL PAÍS ... more - PM calls secret Catalan plan for independence “intolerable blackmail” - Tue 23rd May 2017
Visibly tense and evidently uneasy, the Spanish prime minister, Mariano Rajoy, spoke to the press on Monday after a meeting with his Popular Party (PP)’s National Executive Committee to respond to the news broken by EL PAÍS ... more - Catalonia to immediately declare independence if no referendum held - Mon 22th May 2017
With or without a referendum. The Catalan regional government has already prepared a mechanism to activate the immediate secession from Spain if the central government in Madrid stops it from holding a vote on independence, ... more - May calls for early election to strengthen Brexit hand - Tue 18th Apr 2017
British PM Theresa May called on Tuesday for an early election on June 8, saying she needed to strengthen her hand in divorce talks with the European Union by bolstering support for her Brexit plan. ... more - Catalonia prefers greater autonomy over independence from Spain - Mon 17th Apr 2017
Catalonia’s pro-independence leaders have captured the discontent among the majority of people in the northeastern region regarding their current status within Spain, but confuse desire with reality when they try to bring ... more - US snubs Catalan independence drive - Sat 15th Apr 2017
The United States has given the cold shoulder to supporters of independence for Spain’s northeastern Catalonia region, with both the US embassy in Madrid and the foundation run by former US president Jimmy Carter on Thursday ... more - Spain court blocks Catalan budget for independence referendum - Wed 5th Apr 2017
Spain's Constitutional Court on Tuesday blocked the part of Catalonia's 2017 budget which would used to fund an independence referendum, a court spokeswoman said ... more - Spain eases opposition to an independent Scotland in EU - Mon 3rd Apr 2017
Spain, at loggerheads with Britain over Gibraltar, appears to be easing its opposition to an independent Scotland in the EU, saying it would not block such a move at least initially ... more - Spain PM pledges EU 4.2 Bln investment in Catalonia - Tue 28th Mar 2017
Spanish PM Mariano Rajoy has promised to invest EU4.2 bln in northwestern Catalonia whose regional government is pushing for independence from Spain mainly over 'economic grievances' ... more - Madrid: Scotland is not Catalonia and Northern Ireland is not Gibraltar - Tue 14th Mar 2017
If Scotland were to leave the UK following agreement with London and in accordance with the law, Spain would respect the move, but would not allow the country to remain in the EU following Brexit. For Madrid, Scotland is ... more - Catalans prepare vote for independence from Spain - Fri 3rd Mar 2017
Catalonia is organising the logistics for a referendum on independence from Spain it plans to hold by the end of September, even if it goes against the wishes of the national government, the Catalan government's foreign ... more - Spain’s Constitutional Court Cancels Resolutions on Catalonia's Independence - Tue 14th Feb 2017
The Spanish Constitutional Court repealed two resolutions, aimed at holding a referendum on Catalonia's independence from Spain, after they were illegally passed by the Catalan parliament in October 2016, local media ... more - Thousands protest as former Catalonia head starts referendum trial - Mon 6th Feb 2017
Thousands of protesters gathered outside a Barcelona court on Monday as the former head of the eastern Spanish region of Catalonia went on trial for staging a 2014 informal referendum on independence in breach of a legal ... more - Catalan independence referendum 'not possible' - Spanish PM - Sat 31st Dec 2016
Spanish PM Mariano Rajoy on Friday flatly rejected the possibility of a referendum in the northeastern region of Catalonia on a split from Spain, telling pro-independence politicians to desist from attempts to hold one next ... more - The origin of Spain’s Christmas lottery: buying bullets to fight Napoleon - Tue 20th Dec 2016
Spain’s famous Christmas lottery, known popularly as ‘El Gordo’ (The Fat One) spreads fortune and joy, and bolsters the state’s coffers, but originally it was conceived for something else: to buy bullets and make cannons to ... more - Spain’s Constitutional Court halts call for Catalan independence vote - Wed 14th Dec 2016
In a move that marks the latest salvo in the long-running battle between Madrid and Catalonia over a possible vote on self-rule for the region, Spain’s Constitutional Court on Wednesday annulled two resolutions approved in ... more - Spain lifts Catalan deputy's immunity - Thu 24th Nov 2016
The immunity of Catalan deputy Francesc Homs, accused of abusing and disobeying Constitutional Court decisions in connection with pro-independence initiatives by the Catalonia autonomous government in Spain, has been ... more - Government admits it will be forced to raise minimum salary if bill passes - Thu 24th Nov 2016
The Spanish government admits that if a bill put forward by the leftist group Unidos Podemos to raise the minimum wage gets greenlighted by parliament, it will have no choice but to apply it. Although the ruling Popular ... more - Catalans protest Spain's legal challenges to secession - Sun 13th Nov 2016
Thousands of Catalan separatists have gathered in Barcelona to protest a series of legal challenges made by Spain's government against pro-independence Catalan politicians. ... more - Spain’s new Cabinet suggests few changes to major policies - Mon 7th Nov 2016
Spanish PM Mariano Rajoy, who was sworn into office for a second term on Monday, has announced the names of the ministers who will make up his new Cabinet ... more - Catalonia Developing ID Cards For Residents in Event of Separation From Spain - Thu 22th Sep 2016
According to La Vanguardia newspaper, the DNI will allegedly contain the holder's name, place and date of birth as well as the social security and health insurance numbers, and tax data ... more - Spain's regional rift makes third election more likely - Thu 22th Sep 2016
At the back of a council building in the Spanish town of Guernica, people take photos of each other in front of an oak sapling, a direct descendent of sacred trees under whose branches village elders held assemblies in ... more - Socialist Party assumes Rajoy will fail in bid to form government - Mon 22th Aug 2016
Spain’s Socialist Party (PSOE) says it will not review its decision to reject supporting interim PM Mariano Rajoy of the Popular Party (PP) in his bid to form a government at the investiture debate beginning on August 30, ... more - Spain’s regional parties call on Socialists to lead a coalition government - Fri 12th Aug 2016
The spokesman for the Catalan Democratic Party (PDC), formerly Convergència, one of the leading forces in the pro-independence Junts pel Sí bloc in the regional parliament, dismisses the ongoing talks in Madrid aimed at ... more - Spain Seeks Criminal Charges Against Catalan Parliament - Sat 30th Jul 2016
The caretaker Spanish government is seeking criminal charges be brought against the Catalan Parliament following a vote to pursue independence from Spain ... more - Galicia train crash investigation was not independent : Brussels - Sat 9th Jul 2016
Brussels is questioning the way Spanish authorities have been investigating a 2013 train crash that killed 80 people and injured 152 near Santiago de Compostela, in the northwestern region of Galicia ... more - Anti Corruption Raids Launched Across Spain - Wed 6th Jul 2016
A huge anti corruption operation has resulted in the raids of numerous town halls and businesses across the country, the Spanish Interior Ministry has announced ... more - Spain opposes Scotland negotiating EU membership - Sat 2th Jul 2016
Spanish acting PM Mariano Rajoy has shown his clear opposition to Scotland’s ambition to remain part of the European Union despite the UK’s recent decision to leave ... more - Spanish Socialists propose political deal with Catalonia to end conflict - Tue 31st May 2016
The central government’s ongoing conflict with Catalonia could be resolved through “a political pact” that would insert new wording in the Spanish Constitution to reflect the region’s “singularity” and to “improve its ... more - Manresa to Debate Use of Sea Sponges instead of Tampons - Thu 21st Apr 2016
Council politicians in the Catalonian city of Manresa are due to debate the use of alternative sanitary products such as menstrual cups, re-usable cloth sanitary towels and menstrual sponges – AKA Sea Sponges ... more - Spanish parties enter final stage of talks in weakened state - Mon 28th Mar 2016
Spanish politicians have a month left to negotiate a governing deal that will avert a fresh general election in June ... more - Ciudadanos ready to drop PSOE if they negotiate Catalan self-rule vote - Mon 14th Mar 2016
The alliance between emerging party Ciudadanos and the Socialists – the only such political agreement to emerge since Spain’s inconclusive December 20 general election – could yet flounder if the latter reaches any deals ... more - Spain's fears over corruption up eight points - Tue 8th Mar 2016
A new survey shows that 47.5% of Spaniards consider corruption to be the country’s second-most-pressing problem, topped only by unemployment ... more - Ciudadanos and PSOE sign deal hoping to win cross-party support - Wed 24th Feb 2016
Socialist Party leader Pedro Sánchez and Ciudadanos head Albert Rivera on Wednesday signed a wide-ranging policy agreement that they hope will win the support of other political forces and pave the way for a government led ... more - Cameron calls June 23 poll that will shape fate of Britain and EU - Sat 20th Feb 2016
UK PM David Cameron on Saturday called a June 23 referendum on membership of the EU that could have far-reaching consequences for Britain's unity and for the viability of the world's biggest trading bloc ... more - Booing at Spain's National Anthem : Not Illegal - Sat 20th Feb 2016
The High Court has dismissed a complaint filed by a citizens’ group calling for an investigation into booing and whistling during the Spanish national anthem before last year’s King’s Cup soccer final, which was held in ... more - Catalonia puzzle weighs on Spain's political pacts - Thu 18th Feb 2016
A cartoon in the Catalan newspaper La Vanguardia sums up the state of play in the prolonged struggle to form a Spanish government ... more - Podemos calls for Catalan referendum at beginning of new term - Mon 15th Feb 2016
With political stalemate still reigning in the wake of the inconclusive December 20 general election in Spain, the leader of anti-austerity group Podemos, Pablo Iglesias, sent a document to the Socialist Party (PSOE) on ... more - PSOE leaves territorial issues to one side in bid to close cross-party deals - Mon 8th Feb 2016
The PSOE is tiptoeing around the Catalan independence issue in its bid to hammer out a government program with other congressional forces that will ensure its secretary general, Pedro Sánchez, becomes the new PM of Spain ... more - Spain's Socialist leader to consult party bases for support on pacts - Sat 30th Jan 2016
Spain's Socialist leader Pedro Sanchez said on Saturday he will poll his party's members on any coalition deal to form the next Spanish government, a move which may head off a simmering internal rebellion from regional ... more - Fitch Affirms Spain at 'BBB+'; Outlook Stable - Sat 30th Jan 2016
Fitch Ratings has affirmed Spain's Long-term foreign and local currency Issuer Default Ratings (IDRs) at 'BBB+' with a Stable Outlook ... more - Spain's PSOE Under Pressure to Choose Partner - Wed 27th Jan 2016
Socialist leader Pedro Sanchez came under fire from all sides on Wednesday as he tries to secure support to form a government without alienating factions within his party ... more - Spain's parties to discuss new government with king next week - Tue 26th Jan 2016
Parties on the right and left have been jockeying for power in the month since the Dec. 20 vote, though none is yet in a position to cement an alliance after the political landscape fragmented at the ballot box. The part ... more - Spain's Ciudadanos'opposes any government, involving Podemos' - Mon 25th Jan 2016
Spain's centrist Ciudadanos party said it would oppose any government that included the anti-austerity Podemos, complicating any attempt by the Socialists to form a government with leftist allies to break the election ... more - Political impasse means Spain faces lost year for reforms - Mon 18th Jan 2016
A political logjam in Spain expected to last at least several months is set to slow the pace of economic reforms sharply, storing up obstacles for growth in a country seeking to extend a recovery from deep crisis ... more - Spain's king to meet political leaders amid deadlock - Fri 15th Jan 2016
Spain's King Felipe will meet leaders of political parties throughout next week in an attempt to help break the political impasse after last month's inconclusive national election, the palace announced on Friday ... more - New Catalan premier admits he lacks backing to declare independence - Fri 15th Jan 2016
The new Catalan regional premier, Carles Puigdemont, left puzzled looks on several faces after stating that “we are standing between post-autonomy and pre-independence” when he was voted in last Sunday ... more - Socialist leader Sanchez hints at non-PP coalition government for Spain - Thu 14th Jan 2016
Pedro Sanchez, the leader of the Spanish Socialist Party (PSOE) again implied he would prefer to make a pact with the center-right party Citizens and left wing formation Podemos, rather than the right-wing Peoples Party, to ... more - New Catalan premier ignores king and Constitution as he takes oath - Thu 14th Jan 2016
Carles Puigdemont on Tuesday became the first Catalan premier to take office without swearing allegiance to the Spanish king or the Constitution ... more - Catalonia's acting head Mas steps down as pro-independence leader - Sat 9th Jan 2016
Catalonia's acting head Artur Mas said on Saturday he would step down in order to clear the way for the formation of a pro-independence Catalan government after 5 years driving the separatist movement in the wealthy Spanish ... more - Spain's Socialist leader rules out pact with right - Thu 7th Jan 2016
The leader of Spain's opposition Socialist party, Pedro Sanchez, ruled out a pact with the ruling People's Party during a visit to Portugal on Thursday to study its leftist coalition government's success in booting out a ... more - Territorial integrity of Spain “not up for debate,” says Socialist leader - Wed 30th Dec 2015
Spain's PSOE leader Pedro Sánchez addressed his party on Monday morning, saying that he would “work his fingers to the bone” to try to deal with the demands for a “shift to the left” that Spanish society expressed at the ... more - Rajoy : “I will be the PP candidate if new elections are held” - Wed 30th Dec 2015
Acting PM Mariano Rajoy stated on Tuesday that he will be the Popular Party (PP) candidate for prime minister should he fail to be able to form a new government and new general elections have to be called ... more - Catalonia pro-independence party fails to agree on new leader - Mon 28th Dec 2015
Catalonia's pro-independence movement suffered a setback on Sunday when it failed to agree on a new leader, potentially forcing the region into a new election ... more - Spain's Socialists face hard choices in aftermath of inconclusive election - Thu 24th Dec 2015
Spain's Socialists face a tough choice of allying with a rival party or triggering a new ballot after an inconclusive election on Sunday plunged the country into political uncertainty ... more - Fitch: Inconclusive Spain Vote Increases Fiscal Reform Risks - Mon 21st Dec 2015
The following statement was released by Fitch's rating agency ... more - Socialists confirm they will vote ‘no’ to Rajoy as PM - Mon 21st Dec 2015
After the general election failed to produce a strong enough winner to create an easy majority in Congress, Spain’s political parties on Monday began the chess game of crafting alliances with likely, and even unlikely, ... more - Rajoy rejects notion of “great coalition” with Socialists - Sat 19th Dec 2015
Spanish PM Mariano Rajoy on Friday rejected the notion that his ruling Partido Popular would try to form a grand coalition with the main opposition Socialist Party (PSOE) after Sunday’s general election, in a bid to stop ... more - Debt and reforms top investor concerns as Spain goes to the polls - Wed 16th Dec 2015
Spain may no longer be in economic or financial crisis but record public debt and the ability - and willingness - of the incoming government to pursue "structural reforms" are reasons for investors to be cautious ahead of ... more - Socialist leader corners PM on corruption in one-on-one TV debate - Tue 15th Dec 2015
After declining to participate in two previous debates involving multiple candidates – including one organized by EL PAÍS – Spanish PM Mariano Rajoy finally faced off with one of his election challengers on Monday night ... more - Opposition leaders rail against deputy PM over corruption in TV debate - Tue 8th Dec 2015
With less than two weeks before the country goes to the polls, the leaders of Spain’s three main opposition parties last night outlined their programs and proposals in a televised debate alongside Deputy PM Soraya Sáenz de ... more - Spain's 'Anti-Terror' hotline hailed a success - Mon 7th Dec 2015
The Spanish government launched Stop Radicalism on Friday in a move that Interior Minister Jorge Fernández Díaz said would “involve the whole of society in the fight against brutality” ... more - Catalonia to pursue split from Spain despite court block - Fri 4th Dec 2015
Catalonia's government will continue its drive for independence, its acting head said on Thursday, a day after Spain's Constitutional Court annulled a Catalan assembly resolution calling for a republic to be established ... more - Spain annuls Catalan independence declaration motion - Wed 2th Dec 2015
In one of its fastest rulings ever, Spain’s Constitutional Court has annulled the independence declaration that was approved by the Catalan parliament on November 9. By doing so, the country’s top tribunal has hobbled the ... more - Spain's Rajoy stays away as candidates hold election debate - Tue 1st Dec 2015
Three of the candidates vying to become Spain's next PM clashed over the economy, corruption and Catalan independence in an election debate on Monday but a 4th, PM Mariano Rajoy, stayed away. ... more - Spain leftists block Catalan independence bid - Mon 30th Nov 2015
Efforts by the acting president of Spain's powerful northeastern Catalonia region to form a pro-independence regional government have been dealt another blow after the radical pro-secession CUP party reaffirmed its ... more - Spain's Ciudadanos overtakes Socialists ahead of debate - Mon 30th Nov 2015
Spain's ruling Partido Popular held on to its lead in an opinion poll three weeks before a national election but new party Ciudadanos overtook the Socialists (PSOE) to move into second place ... more - Fitch Downgrades Catalonia to 'BB'; Outlook Negative - Fri 13th Nov 2015
Fitch Ratings downgraded the Autonomous Community of Catalonia's Long-term foreign and local currency Issuer Default Ratings (IDR) to 'BB' from 'BBB-' and removed them from Rating Watch Negative (RWN). ... more - "No" vote would win at Catalan referendum by a point: new poll - Fri 13th Nov 2015
If a legal referendum on self-rule were to be held in Catalonia today, ‘no' would win over ‘yes' by one point, according to the latest poll by the Catalan Opinion Study Center (CEO), which is funded by the Catalan government ... more - Spain appeals against Catalan independence motion - Wed 11th Nov 2015
The Spanish Cabinet has given the green light to file an appeal before the Constitutional Court against the motion approved by the Catalan parliament on Monday to begin the process of breaking away from Spain. The Solicitor ... more - Spain's National Court Allows Police to Counter Sedition Attempts - Tue 10th Nov 2015
The Chief Prosecutor of the National Court of Spain, Javier Zaragoza, ruled on Tuesday that the National Police, Civil Guard and the Mossos d'Esquadra (Catalan police) may take appropriate action should "crimes against the ... more - Catalan parliament passes motion declaring start of secession process - Mon 9th Nov 2015
Exactly one year after Catalan separatists organized an informal referendum on self-rule, the regional parliament held a historic session to debate and vote on a motion to start breaking away from Spain. ... more - Spanish PM agrees to reform Constitution if he wins re-election - Sat 7th Nov 2015
PM Mariano Rajoy will accept discussing reforms to Spain's 1978 Constitution if he wins a second term in office in the December 20 general election ... more - Most Catalans reject ruling separatists' plan to split from Spain : Poll - Fri 30th Oct 2015
Most Catalans reject the region's ruling separatist parties' plan to start a political process that would lead to full independence from Spain within 18 months, a survey by pollster Metroscopia showed on Friday ... more - Catalan parties start independence roadmap, Rajoy vows to block it - Tue 27th Oct 2015
Catalan separatists launched their so-called roadmap for independence on Tuesday, offering a declaration in the regional parliament to split Catalonia from Spain, which PM Mariano Rajoy has vowed to block ... more - Rajoy officially dissolves parliament for December 20 general election - Mon 26th Oct 2015
PM Mariano Rajoy on Monday sidestepped questions about his political future after signing a resolution formally dissolving parliament ahead of December's general election ... more - Think Spain gets more public holidays than Germany? Think again... - Wed 21st Oct 2015
The number of national and regional holidays being proposed for next year in Spain falls closely in line with numbers in the rest of Europe, according to a review of the 2016 calendars in different countries ... more - Catalan chief assumes sole responsibility for 2014 self-rule vote - Thu 15th Oct 2015
Catalan premier Artur Mas stood before a judge for an hour on Thursday morning to answer charges of disobedience for organizing an informal referendum on independence held on November 9 last year ... more - Government appeals for unity on October 12 national holiday - Mon 12th Oct 2015
Spain's King Felipe VI presided over his second military parade as monarch to celebrate the October 12 National Holiday on Monday morning in central Madrid. The military parade, which ran through the capital's Castellana ... more - Catalan premier called to court over 2014 informal independence vote - Tue 29th Sep 2015
Catalan premier Artur Mas and two of his aides have been called in to testify as official targets of an investigation into an informal referendum on independence that was held on November 9, 2014 ... more - Spanish PM offers Catalonia “dialogue” within bounds of law - Mon 28th Sep 2015
PM Mariano Rajoy today offered the Catalan government "dialogue and institutional loyalty" within the bounds of the law ... more - Exit poll shows separatists winning majority in Catalan assembly - Sun 27th Sep 2015
Separatists have won a clear majority of seats in Catalonia's parliament, an exit poll showed on Sunday, in an election that could set the region on a collision course with Spain's central government over independence ... more - Catalan separatists eye election boost to defy Spain over independence - Sun 27th Sep 2015
Separatist parties are expected to win control of Catalonia's parliament in an election on Sunday, setting the region on course for a unilateral declaration of independence from Spain, which the central government says is ... more - Catalonia's secession plan and how Spain would block it - Sat 26th Sep 2015
About 5.5 million Catalans will elect their regional parliament on Sunday in a vote that has been framed by separatist parties as a proxy referendum on independence ... more - Madrid and Catalonia attract 88% of foreign investment in first half of 2015 - Wed 23rd Sep 2015
Foreign investment in Spain surged in the second quarter of the year, according to figures released by the Economy Ministry ... more - Bank of Spain warns Catalan Independence would mean exit from Euro - Mon 21st Sep 2015
If Spain's wealthy northeastern region of Catalonia claims independence from the rest of the country, it would be automatically forced out of the euro area and was likely to drop from the European Union, the Bank of Spain ... more - Catalonia could withhold its share of Spanish debt, regional premier warns - Mon 21st Sep 2015
Less than a week before Catalonia holds pivotal elections that are triggering innumerable displays of pro- and anti-secessionist sentiment, regional premier Artur Mas has hardened the tone of his own public statements ... more - Spain newspaper polls give Catalonia separatists slight lead - Sun 20th Sep 2015
Catalan separatists are on track to win a small majority of seats in the Catalan Parliament next week, three polls in Spanish newspapers showed on Sunday, possibly paving the way for a declaration of independence ... more - Banks warn they may leave Catalonia if it breaks away from Spain - Fri 18th Sep 2015
Spanish commercial and savings banks on Friday warned that they might consider leaving Catalonia altogether if the region breaks away from Spain. ... more - Constitutional Court temporarily halts plans for a Catalan tax agency - Mon 14th Sep 2015
Spain's Constitutional Court has temporarily suspended part of a Catalan law aimed at setting up a regional tax agency that would constitute a key step in the bid to create an independent Catalonia ... more - 1 Mln Catalans Still Undecided about Spanish Independence - Sat 12th Sep 2015
The start of the election campaign in Catalonia on Friday polarized a split between supporters of independence and permanence in the Spanish state are focusing their attention on about a million undecided ... more - Tight poll points to political struggle over Catalan independence - Thu 10th Sep 2015
The political struggle over Catalan independence from Spain looks set to intensify after an official opinion poll on Thursday showed separatist parties on track to achieve the slimmest of majorities in a regional election ... more - Cameron warns Catalonia that independence means leaving EU - Sat 5th Sep 2015
British PM David Cameron joined his Spanish counterpart Mariano Rajoy in Madrid on Friday afternoon to address the growing Syrian refugee crisis and the Catalan independence bid ... more - Cameron wins Spain's backing for EU reform drive - Fri 4th Sep 2015
David Cameron won Spain's support on Friday for his campaign for EU reforms before a British referendum on membership, with his counterpart in Madrid, Mariano Rajoy, saying a British EU exit would be "unthinkable" ... more - Spain's Rajoy says general election likely on December 20th - Thu 3rd Sep 2015
Spain will probably hold national elections on December 20, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said on Thursday, leaving him less than four months to persuade Spaniards an economic recovery is good enough to warrant giving him a ... more - Merkel calls on Catalonia to respect territorial sovereignty agreements - Wed 2th Sep 2015
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has called on Catalonia's administrations – and indirectly on regional premier Artur Mas – to respect European agreements on territorial sovereignty ... more - Separatist says independent Catalonia would leave EU temporarily - Thu 27th Aug 2015
A separatist leader has said Catalonia would have to leave the European Union temporarily if it won independence from Spain, in remarks that could be a vote-loser in Sept. 27 elections ... more - Catalan citizenship offer enrages authorities in Valencia and Aragon - Wed 26th Aug 2015
A suggestion by a Catalonia government official that the region could offer Catalan citizenship to residents of Valencia, the Balearics, parts of Aragon and parts of southern France if it becomes independent has been met ... more - King Felipe warns Catalan leader that respecting the law is “unavoidable” - Thu 23rd Jul 2015
King Felipe VI on Thursday reminded Catalan regional premier Artur Mas about the importance of respecting the laws in a democratic regime ... more - Rajoy : “There will be no Catalan independence” - Fri 17th Jul 2015
Spain's prime minister is asking Catalan leader Artur Mas for "prudence, sound judgment, moderation and common sense" in connection with regional elections scheduled for September 27 ... more - Catalan Independence Bid Hit by Podemos's Barcelona Win - Mon 25th May 2015
Catalan President Artur Mas's bid to win independence from the rest of Spain suffered a body blow on Sunday as voters in Barcelona ousted his party from city hall ... more - Spain's ruling PP gets worst local election result in 20 years - Mon 25th May 2015
Spain's ruling People's Party (PP) took a battering in regional and local elections on Sunday after voters punished Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy for four years of severe spending cuts and a string of corruption scandals ... more - Catalan nationalist parties outraged over flag ban - Sun 17th May 2015
Catalan nationalist parties reacted angrily on Thursday after Spain's Central Electoral Commission issued a resolution ordering all esteladas – the flag symbolizing the region's bid for independence – removed from "public ... more - Gibraltar would seek to preserve EU ties if Britain voted to leave - Tue 14th Apr 2015
Self-governing British territory Gibraltar would seek to preserve its ties with the EU if Britain voted to leave the trading bloc, Chief Minister Fabian Picardo said in an interview on Tuesday, outlining the economic risks ... more - Catalonia looks to revise the working day - Sun 12th Apr 2015
Catalonia's pro-independence coalition is proposing to "humanise" the working day by offering employees more flexible hours in a bid to further distinguish the self-governing region from the rest of Spain. ... more - Catalan Nationalists Plan to Leave Spain by 2017 - Fri 3rd Apr 2015
A number of nationalist parties in Spain's Catalonia region have signed an agreement that is being hailed as "a road map" to secession. ... more - Spain jails 8 over 2011 Catalan parliament siege - Tue 17th Mar 2015
Spain's Supreme Court has handed out three-year jail sentences to eight people who took part in a 2011 demonstration in Barcelona, which prevented Catalan lawmakers from being able to enter the regional parliament. The eight ... more - 'Sovereignty and Unity of Spain Are Not for Trade' : Rajoy on Catalonia - Mon 16th Mar 2015
Spain's PM Mariano Rajoy said Madrid would not make concessions to Catalonia's independence supporters ... more - Referendum 'proof that Catalonia can no longer be part of Spain' - Fri 13th Mar 2015
Known for its strong regional identity, Catalonia has long had a strained relationship with the Spanish government, demanding independence for a number of years. ... more - Spanish Court Declares Catalonia Independence Vote Unconstitutional - Fri 27th Feb 2015
The Constitutional Court said that the submitted referendum documents did not comply with the Spanish constitution. The relevant documents were signed by Catalan President Artur Mas before voting ... more - Spain arrests 8 accused of joining pro-Russian rebels in Ukraine - Fri 27th Feb 2015
Spain on Friday arrested 8 citizens who recently returned from fighting alongside pro-Russian rebels in Ukraine, the first such arrest in the EU of foreign citizens involved in the conflict, the Interior Ministry said ... more - Catalonia takes election gamble to keep independence drive alive - Sun 18th Jan 2015
Catalonian leaders are hoping that a regional election in September will keep alive a fading independence drive and force the hand of Spain's central government - but the move could also backfire ... more - Rajoy : “2015 will be the year that the economy definitively takes off” - Sat 27th Dec 2014
Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy made a televised address on Boxing Day in which he stated that his current priority is to "recover the standard of living for Spaniards that was lost during the crisis." During a press conference ... more - Sister's trial looms over King Felipe VI's first Xmas address - Wed 24th Dec 2014
This Christmas Eve, King Felipe VI faces his most important and difficult speech since his historic coronation address on June 19 ... more - Spain's Catalonia court to probe region head over independence vote - Mon 22th Dec 2014
Catalonia's High Court said on Monday it would open proceedings over the alleged disobedience of regional President Artur Mas and other local leaders for holding a symbolic vote on independence from Spain in November. ... more - Most Catalans would vote to stay in Spain: poll - Fri 19th Dec 2014
A majority of people in Catalonia would vote to stay part of Spain, a poll by the regional government showed on Friday, the first in years to show a majority against independence ... more - Spanish regions likely to overshoot deficit targets - Wed 17th Dec 2014
Spain's autonomous regions are likely to overshoot their budget deficit target this year and in 2015, the country's new fiscal watchdog said, urging the central government to act to prevent them overspending ... more - Catalonia to open new foreign delegations - Sat 6th Dec 2014
The regional government of Catalonia is working under the assumption that there will be early elections in the region, despite serious discrepancies between the two main secessionist party leaders ... more - Spain's Rajoy Rails Against Catalan Bid for Independence - Sat 29th Nov 2014
Spanish PM Mariano Rajoy, in his first appearance in Catalonia since the region held a symbolic vote on independence, tried on Saturday to rally unionists while dismissing the regional leader's 18-month road map for ... more - Catalonia announces new ‘independence plan' - Wed 26th Nov 2014
Catalan President Artur Mas has said he wants to call early regional elections, centred around the issue of independence from Spain. ... more - Barcelona Said to Be Considered as Site of Spain's Senate - Mon 24th Nov 2014
The Spanish government is studying a proposal to move the national Senate to Barcelona from Madrid as part of a program of measures to convince Catalans to remain part of Spain, according to two people with direct knowledge ... more - Spanish Attorney General Files Suit against Catalan President - Sat 22th Nov 2014
The Attorney General of Spain today filed a complaint against the President of Catalonia, Artur Mas, for the alleged crimes of disobedience, trespass, embezzlement and usurpation of functions ... more - PM calls on opposition to “get serious” and detail plans for federal state - Thu 20th Nov 2014
Mariano Rajoy on Wednesday asked the opposition Socialists to stop making vague calls for constitutional reform and start detailing their exact plans. ... more - Spain files suit against Catalonia head over secession vote - Tue 18th Nov 2014
Spain's state prosecutor will sue Catalan leader Artur Mas for defying a court ruling and holding a symbolic vote on the region's independence from the rest of the country.< ... more - Catalonia's Independence Push Risks Real Estate Revival - Tue 18th Nov 2014
Catalan independence, favored by 81% of voter, would put at risk a growing regional economy lifted by one of Spain's recovering property markets. ... more - Catalan leader sets one-month deadline to decide on early elections - Sat 15th Nov 2014
The Catalan government will decide before the year is out whether to hold early elections in the region in the wake of the November 9 unofficial vote on self-rule. ... more - State prosecutors postpone Catalan self-rule vote complaint - Thu 13th Nov 2014
Proponents of legal action against the organizers of the November 9 ballot on Catalan self-rule will have to wait a bit longer. ... more - Spain urges Catalonia to seek constitution reform - Wed 12th Nov 2014
Spanish PM Mariano Rajoy on Wednesday urged Catalonia to seek a constitutional reform to resolve its political problems with Madrid but he ruled out talks on a possible referendum on independence. ... more - Cameron backs united Spain after symbolic Catalan vote - Tue 11th Nov 2014
The UK wants Spain to stay united and any referendum to decide whether Catalonia becomes independent should be done through the proper constitutional framework, Prime Minister David Cameron said on Monday. ... more - Catalan Vote "Useless and Anti-Democratic" - Sun 9th Nov 2014
The national government of Spain have refereed to today's pseudo-referendum on Catalan independence as "useless" and an "anti-democratic exercise", according to EFE news agency. ... more - Catalan independence hopes high in symbolic vote on split from Spain - Sun 9th Nov 2014
Hundreds of thousands of Catalans are expected to back independence from Spain on Sunday in a symbolic referendum on secession that they hope will propel the issue further despite opposition from Madrid ... more - Catalans Prepare to Vote in Defiance of Spain - Sat 8th Nov 2014
In more than 900 towns across Catalonia, an army of volunteers is preparing to open polling stations tomorrow and offer their compatriots a vote on independence in defiance of Spain's central government and the nation's ... more - Madrid will not stop Catalan referendum if privately organised - Fri 7th Nov 2014
The Spanish government will not act to stop this Sunday's popular vote on self-rule in Catalonia if it is finally organized by private groups, rather than by the Catalan authorities. ... more - Spain arrests 10 'Online Haters' - Thu 6th Nov 2014
Ten people were detained and two minors charged with promoting Basque terrorism on the Internet, the Spanish Ministry of Internal Affairs said in a Thursday statement on its website. ... more - Defiant Catalonia to proceed with vote - Wed 5th Nov 2014
Catalonia will ignore a legal instruction from Madrid and proceed with the largely symbolic referendum to gauge the population's opinion on the issue of independence for the wealthy North-Eastern region of Spain ... more - Catalonia maintains November vote despite new suspension of process - Tue 4th Nov 2014
The ongoing legal showdown between Madrid and Barcelona entered a new stage on Tuesday, when the Catalan government announced it would press on with an informal referendum on self-rule despite a court-mandated freeze on ... more - Catalan Politician threatens Spain with default - Sun 2th Nov 2014
Oriol Junqueras, leader of the Catalan Republican Left party (ERC), has warned Spain the region could threaten to default on its debts if the national government refuses to negotiate on the issue of a referendum on ... more - Spain to block watered-down Catalan vote on independence - Fri 31st Oct 2014
Spain will seek to block in the courts a watered-down version of a Catalan vote on independence planned for Nov. 9 in the same way it stopped a non-binding referendum, Deputy PM Soraya Saenz de Santamaria said on Friday. ... more - Spain state adviser backs Catalonia referendum block - Thu 30th Oct 2014
The Spanish state adviser on Thursday backed a veto of a watered-down Catalan vote on independence planned for Nov. 9, making it likely the government will try and have the "consultation of citizens" blocked by the courts ... more - Madrid moves to block new Catalan vote - Tue 28th Oct 2014
Spain's central government took the first step on Monday towards blocking a "consultation of citizens" that the Catalonia region intends to hold next month in the place of a full referendum on independence from Spain that ... more - Spain defends Canary Island oil proposal - Sat 25th Oct 2014
Spain on Friday launched a legal challenge to defend plans to explore for oil and gas off the Canary Islands, a popular tourist destination. ... more - Catalan Finance Chief Open to 'Scottish Solution' in Spain - Wed 22th Oct 2014
Catalonia is open to offers from the central government that would allow it to remain in Spain with greater autonomy and control over its taxes, regional finance chief Andreu Mas-Colell said. ... more - "Only Catalan premier can call early elections" - Mon 20th Oct 2014
A week after the Catalan government said its planned November 9 referendum on self-rule was to be replaced by an unofficial vote, mounting divisions within the pro-sovereignty camp have forced officials to issue a reminder ... more - Thousands of Catalans crowd Barcelona to call for early elections - Sun 19th Oct 2014
Tens of thousands of Catalans crowded central Barcelona on Sunday calling for early regional elections after plans for a Nov. 9 referendum on independence from Spain were declared illegal by Madrid ... more - "Chapter of dialogue opened with Catalonia" : Rajoy - Wed 15th Oct 2014
Spanish PM Mariano Rajoy said on Wednesday that a new "chapter of dialogue" was being opened with Catalonia after the northeastern region dropped plans to hold a referendum on independence from Spain next month ... more - Barca criticised by Catalan separatists - Fri 10th Oct 2014
Spanish league leaders Barcelona have come out in support of the proposed November 9 referendum on Catalan independence, according to radio station RAC1 on Friday ... more - Catalonia moves forward with referendum - Sat 4th Oct 2014
Catalan premier Artur Mas took the confrontation with Madrid a step further on Friday by deciding to press ahead with the November 9 referendum on self-rule. ... more - Galica town hall targeted with explosive device - Wed 1st Oct 2014
The Ministry of the Interior has accused a 'separatist group' for triggering an explosive device outside a Town Hall building in Galicia this morning ... more - Catalonia suspends referendum campaign - Tue 30th Sep 2014
Catalonia's regional government said on Tuesday it would temporarily suspend formal campaigning for a referendum on independence from Spain, after Madrid filed a legal appeal to stop the vote taking place. ... more - Spain's Constitutional Court Declares Referendum "Illegal" - Mon 29th Sep 2014
Spain's Constitutional Court on Monday declared that the proposed referendum on independence called by the region of Catalonia would be against the law. ... more - Catalonian leader orders referendum on independence from Spain - Sun 28th Sep 2014
The Catalan President signed a decree on Saturday calling for a referendum on independence to be held on Nov. 9, putting the local government on a collision course with Madrid, which says such a vote is illegal ... more - Catalonia to call for independence vote ‘in the next days' - Tue 23rd Sep 2014
The president of Spain's Catalonia region said he would formally call "in the next days" for a vote on independence from Spain which has been scheduled for Nov. 9. ... more - Magaluf police implicated in suspected extortion ring - Sat 20th Sep 2014
The chief of police of Calviá, the municipality in Mallorca that includes Magaluf, is being investigated for running an extortion network in the holiday resort, which is popular with tourists from Britain and northern ... more - Catalonia call independence vote despite Scottish 'no - Sat 20th Sep 2014
The leader of Spain's Catalonia region said on Friday he would defy Madrid to hold a non-binding independence vote in less than two months, saying his people deserved the same right to determine their future as Scots who ... more - Four Catalans drive 1,500 miles to support Scotland's "Yes" - Wed 17th Sep 2014
Four firefighters from Catalonia drove more than 1,500 miles from Barcelona to Glasgow to show their support for Scottish independence - in a 45-year-old Seat 600. ... more - Spain Warns It Will Block Independence Vote in Catalonia - Tue 16th Sep 2014
Spain said it would use "the full force of the law" to block a planned nonbinding referendum on independence in Catalonia, including a suspension of the regional government's ruling authority if necessary. ... more - 11 Years of Spanish Property - Sat 13th Sep 2014
Few could deny that the Spanish property market has been though a number of highs and lows over the past decade ... more - Catalonia awaits Scotland Independence vote - Sat 13th Sep 2014
Hundreds of thousands of Catalans packed the streets of Barcelona on Thursday to demand the right to vote on a potential split from Spain, their ambitions boosted by an independence referendum scheduled for next week in ... more - Catalans want no part of illegal vote on independence - Tue 9th Sep 2014
A majority of Catalans believe a planned independence vote in November should not go ahead if, as expected, the referendum is declared illegal, two polls showed on Sunday, as the Spanish region prepares for a stand-off with ... more - Spain spends EU1 Bln on riot gear - Mon 8th Sep 2014
Today's edition of the Guardian has reported how Spain is preparing to spend EU1 Bln on equipment for riot police ... more - Scottish Independence Vote Registration Looms, Expats Nervous - Tue 2th Sep 2014
Eligible voters in the upcoming Scottish Independence Referendum later this month have until mid-night tonight to register their desire to vote ... more - Civil Guards suspected of stealing pro-independence Catalan flag - Fri 29th Aug 2014
Catalan police are investigating the disappearance of a flag from a roundabout in the village of Vilobí d'Onyar late on Saturday night. Members of the Civil Guard are suspected of participating in the theft of an ... more - Spain would veto an Independent Scotland entry into EU - Tue 26th Aug 2014
A former president of the EU's Finance Council has said that Spain would veto EU membership if Scotland becomes independent from the UK ... more - Catalan deputy premier suggests independence vote could be delayed - Tue 12th Aug 2014
The Catalan regional deputy premier, Joana Ortega, has suggested that the proposed November 9 vote on independence for the region might be postponed if the central government appeals it to the Constitutional Court ... more - Mas Looking for Rajoy to Propose a Plan for Catalan Concerns - Wed 30th Jul 2014
Regional President Artur Mas said he's looking for Spanish PM Mariano Rajoy to propose a plan to address Catalans' concerns they aren't getting a fair deal out of Spain. ... more - New Socialist leader out to attract Spain's angry voters - Tue 29th Jul 2014
Pedro Sánchez was ratified as the new secretary general of the Socialist Party (PSOE) on Sunday, and said he is out to attract voters who are angry at politicians and political parties ... more - Could a Scottish Yes vote derail Spain's fragile recovery? - Thu 24th Jul 2014
Some unionists have long argued a Yes vote in September would spell economic gloom for Scotland ... more - Catalan Separatists Say Debt Investors Can Help Campaign - Tue 22th Jul 2014
Catalan leaders pushing for a referendum on independence from Spain say investors might help force PM Mariano Rajoy to yield. ... more - Basque group ETA says dismantles its military wing - Sun 20th Jul 2014
Armed Basque separatist group ETA has dismantled its military wing and set up a group to finalise the deactivation of any remaining weapons and explosives, according to an ETA statement in a Basque newspaper on Sunday. ... more - Victims and Families of Santiago Crash Snub Gov't Award - Sat 19th Jul 2014
The decision to award the victims and heroes of the 2013 Santiago train crash with the Medalla de Galicia – the highest distinction given out by in the region – has become a problem for the Galician government. A number of ... more - Merkel supports Spain on issue of Catalan Independece - Sat 19th Jul 2014
German Chancellor Angela Merkel yesterday expressed her support for the Spanish government which is trying to block a Catalan vote on independence. ... more - Rajoy Dismisses Offer of Talks on Catalan Vote as Not Serious - Wed 16th Jul 2014
Spanish PM Mariano Rajoy dismissed his Catalan antagonist's offer to discuss modifying the region's plans for a referendum on independence. ... more - Mas May Be Ready to Delay Catalan Vote If Rajoy Will Talk - Tue 15th Jul 2014
Catalan President Artur Mas said he may be prepared to pause the countdown to November's referendum on independence for talks with Spanish PM Mariano Rajoy, so long as he gets the backing of the other pro-vote parties. ... more - Catalan language revival fuels backlash in Spain - Fri 11th Jul 2014
Francesca Munoz, the principal at Sant Miquel primary school near Barcelona, is fighting a linguistic crusade that has fuelled a remarkable recovery of the local Catalan tongue – and of the region's secessionist movement ... more - Catalonia calls for separate army to Spain - Wed 2th Jul 2014
The Catalan National Assembly (ANC), a powerful lobby group pushing for independence for Catalonia from Spain, has revealed plans for a new military force which would include light infantry units, amphibious assault ships ... more - Basques form human chain in call for Independence from Spain - Sun 8th Jun 2014
Tens of thousands of Basques held hands on Sunday to form a 76-mile chain stretching across the northern Spanish region calling for the right to hold a vote on independence. Organizing group "It's in Our Hands" estimated ... more - Catalan Leader Says Independence Vote Must Go Ahead - Thu 5th Jun 2014
Catalan President Artur Mas said on Wednesday his people have the right to decide on breaking away from Spain and he is forging ahead with plans for a Nov. 9 vote on independence that the central government vows to block on ... more - Spain's King Juan Carlos abdicates - Mon 2th Jun 2014
Spain's King Juan Carlos said on Monday he would abdicate in favour of his son Prince Felipe, aiming to revive the scandal-hit monarchy at a time of economic hardship and growing discontent with the wider political elite ... more - Spain's Basque Country proclaims right to self-determination - Thu 29th May 2014
Lawmakers in Spain's Basque Country on Thursday adopted a declaration of self-determination, stepping up a push for more powers and potentially creating a new political headache for PM Mariano Rajoy ... more - Spain's PSOE leader quits after party's worst-ever election - Mon 26th May 2014
Spain's Socialist opposition leader Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba said on Monday he was stepping down after the party had its worst-ever election result on Sunday with an upstart rival leftist group grabbing 8 percent of the vote ... more - Catalan leader to call independence vote despite Madrid resistance - Wed 23rd Apr 2014
Catalan President Artur Mas said on Wednesday he would call a non-binding vote on the region's independence in November to let locals at least express an opinion after Madrid blocked a full referendum ... more - Independent Catalaonia would not become EU member : Brussels - Tue 15th Apr 2014
The EU has poured cold water over Catalan nationalists' latest claims that an independent Catalonia would retain European membership ... more - Catalan government : "EU would accept us as a full member" - Mon 14th Apr 2014
The Catalan government's advisors believe that despite warnings to the contrary, the European Union would sooner or later admit an independent Catalonia as a member state for political and economic reasons ... more - Spain's parliament set to reject Catalan referendum - Tue 8th Apr 2014
Spain's parliament looks certain to reject a petition from Catalonia to hold a referendum on independence, despite heavy support for the separatist movement in the wealthy northeastern region ... more - Grifols chairman backs Catalan independence movement - Thu 3rd Apr 2014
The head of Spain's largest pharmaceutical company, Grifols, on Thursday became one of the first executives of a major corporation to back a Catalan leader seeking a referendum on independence for Catalonia ... more - Top court declares Catalan sovereignty declaration unconstitutional - Tue 25th Mar 2014
Spain's Constitutional Court has ruled that the sovereignty declaration passed by Catalonia's regional parliament early last year is unconstitutional ... more - Law experts question Catalan group's roadmap to fast-track independence - Thu 20th Mar 2014
The National Catalan Assembly (ANC), a private association set up to help achieve independence for the region, is pressuring the Catalan government into calling early elections "as soon as possible" if a popular referendum ... more - Rajoy: “I don't want to see a poor Catalonia outside the EU and UN” - Wed 19th Mar 2014
Mariano Rajoy told lawmakers on Wednesday that he did not want to see a "poor" independent Catalonia "outside of the EU and UN," while reiterating that he would not allow the northeastern region to hold its proposed November ... more - Over half of Catalans support independence - Tue 18th Mar 2014
Some 60% of all Catalans would vote in favor of independence from Spain in a referendum, according to the results of a survey conducted throughout the Autonomous Region ... more - Legal bid over expats' voting rights could delay Scottish independence referendum - Wed 12th Mar 2014
Calls to allow expatriate Scots to vote in the upcoming referendum on independence are heating up, with legal action in the pipeline ... more - Rajoy offers last-minute support for Merkel's choice in EU vote - Sat 8th Mar 2014
PM Mariano Rajoy on Friday joined other leaders of Europe's center-right alliance to pick a top candidate for the EU ballot later this year ... more - Breakaway State Like Catalonia & Scotland Not Guaranteed EU Membership - Sun 16th Feb 2014
European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said states breaking away from existing EU countries would struggle to gain EU membership, further complicating Scottish nationalists' already uncertain plans for ... more - UK urges Spanish press to censure Scotland independence - Sun 9th Feb 2014
Britain's Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) has asked Spanish press to publish criticisms of Scottish independence ... more - Catalonia seeks €6.347 Bln loan from Madrid - Fri 7th Feb 2014
The Catalan government, which is currently immersed on a self-rule drive, will ask the central government to lend it €6.347 Bln this year from the Regional Liquidity Fund (FLA), the region's economic and financial ... more - Spain "Will Not Interfere" With Scotland Referendum - Mon 3rd Feb 2014
In an interview with the Financial Times this weekend, Spain's Foreign Minister Jose-Manuel Garcia-Margallo commented how Madrid would not interfere with Scotland's bid for independence from the UK. ... more - Catalan leader says Spain cannot block independence vote - Sun 2th Feb 2014
Spain cannot block a non-binding vote on Catalan independence that could become the basis for negotiations on Catalonia's future, the president of the north-eastern region said in an interview published on Sunday ... more - Spain's Banco Popular says interested in Catalunya Banc - Fri 31st Jan 2014
The chairman of Banco Popular said on Friday the lender would consider buying state-owned bank Catalunya Caixa if it was put up for sale ... more - Editor of Spain's El Mundo exits after Gov't clash - Fri 31st Jan 2014
The influential founding editor of Spain's second-biggest newspaper, El Mundo, stepped down on Thursday after a decline in circulation and a series of revelations of alleged corruption in the ruling party ... more - Expat Scots threaten legal action over referendum - Tue 28th Jan 2014
A Scottish trainee lawyer who lives in London is leading the charge to try and secure the vote for the upcoming referendum north of the border ... more - BBVA official to head Spain's budget watchdog - Sat 25th Jan 2014
The Cabinet on Friday named the director of BBVA's research department, José Luis Escrivá Belmonte, as the head of the new Independent Fiscal Authority, which has been set up to oversee the finances of Spain's public ... more - Catalan Socialists suspend rebel deputies over referendum vote - Mon 20th Jan 2014
Three Catalan Socialists who broke ranks with their party last week by voting in favour of a request for a referendum on self-rule in the region were suspended from all their duties on Monday. They have not yet, however, ... more - Catalan Parliament Approves Independence Referendum - Fri 17th Jan 2014
The Catalan regional assembly on Thursday approved a motion to ask the national Congress for permission to hold a referendum on the independence of the region from the rest of Spain ... more - Basque protesters rally in support of ETA prisoners - Sun 12th Jan 2014
Tens of thousands of protesters marched through the streets of Bilbao in Spain's northern Basque Country on Saturday in support of jailed members of the Basque separatist group ETA, defying a court ban from Madrid ... more - Catalonia Calls on EU Leaders to Back Referendum - Thu 2th Jan 2014
Catalan premier Artur Mas has sent a letter to the leaders of 27 EU member states, as well as those of 20 or so peripheral countries, calling on them for support for a referendum later in 2014 to allow people in the region ... more - Mas offers “alliance” if Rajoy approves referendum - Wed 1st Jan 2014
In his year-end address, Catalan regional premier Artur Mas on Monday offered to become "a great ally" if PM Mariano Rajoy allows Catalans to vote next year in a status referendum ... more - "Catalonia will not remain part of EU" : President Mas - Sun 29th Dec 2013
Italian daily La Repubblica has printed an interview with Catalan Premier Arturo Mas, where he agreed that the region would not automatically become an EU member state in the event of an independent Catalonia ... more - Rajoy: “2014 will be the year of the recovery - Fri 27th Dec 2013
PM Mariano Rajoy addressed the media after the final Cabinet meeting of the year to review 2013, paying particular recognition to the "attitude of all Spaniards in a difficult year" during which the "results of so much ... more - King's Xmas Speech Shunned by Catalan TV - Thu 26th Dec 2013
The king of Spain's traditional Christmas Eve address was not shown on Catalonia's public television for the first time in the broadcaster's 30-year history, highlighting growing separatist fervour in the wealthy ... more - Spain 'Sabotaging' Independent Scotland Referendum - Tue 24th Dec 2013
Two senior British civil servants were recently invited to Madrid by the Spanish PM Mariano to discuss Scotland's referendum for Independence ... more - Spanish Regions Say 'No' to Further Budget Cuts - Tue 17th Dec 2013
Spanish regions can't endure more spending cuts, Andalusia's budget chief said, as she defended levying a tax on bank deposits ... more - Spain says NO as Catalonia referendum date set - Fri 13th Dec 2013
Separatist parties in Spain's Catalonia region set November 9th 2014 as the date for a proposed independence referendum on Thursday and agreed the wording, but the Spanish government immediately poured cold water on the plan ... more - Idea of an independent Catalonia gets a NATO no-go - Wed 4th Dec 2013
The EU has made it clear on many occasions that if Catalonia, or Scotland, decide to become independent, they will be excluded from the collective and will have to negotiate their re-entry with the 28 member states, all of ... more - Nationalist regional parties to snub Spanish Constitution Day - Mon 2th Dec 2013
None of the nationalist political parties in Spain will be present in Congress to mark the 35th anniversary of the Constitution, on December 6th ... more - Spain to Veto EU Membership of Independent Scotland - Thu 28th Nov 2013
Any plans an Independent Scotland might have for a smooth entry path into the EU look likely to scuppered by Mariano Rajoy ... more - Catalan Banks "would fail following independence" : Bank of Spain - Tue 26th Nov 2013
Banks such as CaixaBank, Banco Sabadell and Catalunya Banc, which are based in Catalonia, would face serious problems and could go under if the northeastern region were to declare its independence from Spain, the governor of ... more - China Warns Spain Over Persuit Of Politicians - Wed 20th Nov 2013
China has expressed is "great discontent" about the Spanish High Court's decision on Tuesday to issue an arrest warrant for former President Jiang Zemin, 87, and other Chinese Communist Party members, over the genocide in ... more - Spain Creates Fiscal Watchdog - Wed 13th Nov 2013
Spain set up a fiscal overseer on Wednesday to reassure investors it could control its finances, but doubts remain about the watchdog's independence and ability to rein in over-spending by local and national government ... more - Spain approves measure to protect Bullfighting - Thu 7th Nov 2013
Spanish lawmakers today approved a law intended to protect the 'cultural sport' of Bullfighting, however the measure is expected to cause further conflict with the region of Catalonia. ... more - Catalans prefer more autonomy over full independence from Spain - Sun 3rd Nov 2013
While 46% of Catalans continue to favour separatism versus 42% who wish to remain within Spain, if offered a third option of increased autonomy, 40% would vote in favour versus 31% who would still prefer independence, the ... more - Catalonia "Owed €9.3 bln by Madrid" - Tue 15th Oct 2013
As tensions continue to mount between the regional government of Catalonia and the Partido Popular central administration, the regional government of Artur Mas on Tuesday came up with a 50-page document listing scores of ... more - Prince Felipe calls for Spanish unity at national day parade - Sat 12th Oct 2013
Crown Prince Felipe took his ailing father's place at a national day parade in Madrid on Saturday and called for Spanish unity, as thousands marched against Catalan independence in Barcelona ... more - Spain slams Gibraltar's “false accusations” made before UN - Fri 11th Oct 2013
Spain on Thursday blasted Gibraltar's chief minister for the statements he made before the United Nations, calling them "false accusations" and "serious insults to the Spanish people." ... more - Franco-ists denied entry to Catalonia on 'Dia de Hispanidad' - Fri 11th Oct 2013
Spanish security forces are monitoring this weekend's Holiday festivities after experts have warned that a number of extreme neo-fascist groups are preparing a number of demonstrations across Spain to mark the country's ... more - Thousands march in Bilbao in support of ETA - Sun 6th Oct 2013
Early on Sunday morning thousand of protestors marched through the street of Bilbao, Pais Vasco, in support of jailed members of the Basque separatist group ETA ... more - Rajoy appeals to Catalonia over split with Spain - Tue 24th Sep 2013
Mariano Rajoy has appealed to the Catalan Premier to turn his back on pursuing a referendum for independence and instead opt to remain part of a unified Spain ... more - Estonian PM : "Spain can manage Catalan Independence" - Sat 21st Sep 2013
The Prime Minister of Estonia, Andrus Ansip, has refused to comment on the issue of Independence for Catalonia, saying how Spain can manage it's own internal issues without interference from third parties ... more - Catalonia to lose EU membership if split from Spain - Mon 16th Sep 2013
The European Commission vice president responsible for competition, Spaniard Joaquín Almunia, has said that if Catalonia opted to break away from Spain and create a new state, it would automatically also cease to belong to ... more - Gibraltar v Catalonia : Spain's double standards - Mon 16th Sep 2013
PM Mariano Rajoy on Saturday offered to hold talks with Catalonia, but gave no indication he would allow the wealthy northwestern region to vote on independence ... more - Spain angered by Latvian PM's Catalonia comments - Sat 14th Sep 2013
Spain's foreign minister has called in the Latvian ambassador for consultations after the PM of the Baltic state made statements about Catalan independence, Spain's foreign ministry said in a statement on Friday ... more - Terror threat to Catalonia over Burqa-Ban - Fri 13th Sep 2013
Muslim extremists with links to Al Qaeda have made threats to Catalonia over the so-called "Burqa-Ban" ... more - Catalans form human chain for Independence - Wed 11th Sep 2013
Hundreds of thousands of Catalans held hands in a 400-km human chain across their region on Wednesday to press the Spanish government to let them vote on breaking away and forming their own country ... more - Catalan independence call gets louder - Tue 10th Sep 2013
Catalan separatists will mark their national day on Wednesday with demonstrations and renewed calls for a break from Spain - but leaders of both camps are indicating they would prefer negotiation to confrontation ... more - Catalonia Won't Defy Madrid on Independence Referendum - Thu 5th Sep 2013
Catalan President Artur Mas said he won't defy Spain's national leader Mariano Rajoy by holding a referendum on independence for his region if the government rules it illegal. "If there is no other way to do this ... more - Catalan Daisychain for Independence - Fri 23rd Aug 2013
The Catalan National Assembly (ANC) is proposing to hold a human chain stretching almost 400-km across Catalonia as a call for a referendum on the region's independence ... more - Catalan separatists side with Gibraltar against Spain - Sun 18th Aug 2013
One of the main pro-independence parties in Spain's northerly Catalonia region has fuelled the country's growing row with Britain over Gibraltar after expressing sympathy with "bullied" residents in the British territory ... more - Booming Gibraltar fears new era of sour relations with Spain - Sun 18th Aug 2013
The people of tiny Gibraltar - a wealthy British enclave perched on a rocky outcrop near Spain's southern tip - have a tradition of griping about their big neighbour, which claims the territory as its own ... more - Spanish Government Accused of Smoke Screening the Public - Thu 8th Aug 2013
Spain's beleaguered Government has been accused of smoke screening the public over its spat with Gibraltar ... more - Expat Scots to miss out on independence vote - Wed 3rd Jul 2013
There has been much debate recently about whether longterm expatriates should retain their votes in the UK ... more - Spain May Sanction Deloitte for Failure to Probe Bankia Assets - Wed 3rd Jul 2013
Spain started proceedings to sanction Deloitte SL and partner Francisco Celma Sanchez over their role as auditors of Bankia before it was nationalized last year ... more - Spain to veto Scotland entry to EU ? - Mon 17th Jun 2013
A Catalan nationalist MEP has challenged claims by a European Parliament vice-president that Spain could veto an independent Scotland's membership of the EU ... more - Spain Gov't Overhauls Constitutional Court - Fri 7th Jun 2013
The renewal of the Constitutional Court (TC) bench announced on Friday, following a meeting earlier this week between Deputy PM Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría and the president of the General Council of the Judiciary (CGPJ), ... more - Madrid threatens legality of Catalonia independence - Fri 10th May 2013
Just 2 days after the Constitutional Court nullified a declaration of sovereignty passed by the Catalan regional assembly in January, Deputy PM Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría on Friday said the government would take further ... more - Boston Bombers : Links to Spain ? - Sat 20th Apr 2013
The fact that the alleged Boston attackers are Chechen might spark memories of Chechnya's struggle for independence against Russia. And of the many terrorist attacks Chechen extremists have staged against Russia over the ... more - Germany puts brakes on EU bank union with treaty call - Sat 13th Apr 2013
Germany said European banking union will require changes to EU law, in a call that could slow completion of the plan designed to underpin the euro currency. ... more - "Catalonia is not Scotland" : Rajoy - Tue 9th Apr 2013
PM Mariano Rajoy rejected comparisons between Catalonia and Scotland with regards to the holding a referendum on independence from the U.K., saying he didn't discuss the matter during his meeting with the David Cameron ... more - Cameron to meet EU leaders to push reform plan - Mon 8th Apr 2013
David Cameron hopes to overcome opposition to his plan to claw back power from Brussels when he meets the leaders of Germany, France and Spain this week for talks on Britain's future in the EU ... more - Madrid to offer Catalonia a helping hand - Wed 20th Mar 2013
The National PP Government is willing to extend an olive branch to the Catalan government and help out the cash-strapped region ... more - Catalan politician charged in corruption case - Tue 19th Mar 2013
A prominent politician in Spain's northeastern region of Catalonia was charged with influence peddling on Tuesday in a case that could dampen the regional government's drive for independence ... more - Spain pressing ahead with independent fiscal authority - Fri 8th Mar 2013
Spain's government on Friday said it was moving ahead with the creation of an independent fiscal authority, which will monitor public spending and the country's budget, a move which could help winning leeway from the EU to ... more - Spain mulls merger of Catalunya Banc and Bankia - Tue 5th Mar 2013
Spain is mulling a full or partial merger of nationalised lenders Bankia and Catalunya Banc to minimise the cost for taxpayers of maintaining the 2 banks, 3 sources with knowledge of the matter said ... more - Spain refers Catalan Independence to Constitutional Court - Fri 1st Mar 2013
The Right-Wing PP Central Government of Spain has said it will oppose a declaration of sovereignty by the regional government of Catalonia ... more - Spain to backtrack on merged regulators proposal - Wed 27th Feb 2013
The Central government of Spain has confirmed that they will amend a draft to the bill that created a single regulatory body to oversee the Energy, Antitrust and Telecoms sectors ... more - EU warns Spain on telecoms regulator merger - Mon 25th Feb 2013
The European Commission could start disciplinary proceedings against Spain to ensure its telecoms regulator remains independent if combined with other government agencies as part of Madrid's cost cuts, the EU telecoms chief ... more - Spain brands Catalan Sovereignty "Unconstitutional" - Fri 8th Feb 2013
Following this afternoon's Cabinet meeting the Government of Spain referred to the Catalan declaration of Sovereignty as being "unconstitutional" ... more - Spain seeks to limit influence of regions overseas - Mon 28th Jan 2013
The Central Government has taken steps to limit the influence of the Autonomous Communities overseas ... more - Catalan lawmakers pass resolution on sovereignty - Wed 23rd Jan 2013
The non-binding and largely symbolic resolution - which states that the people of Catalonia have a democratic right to decide on their sovereignty - was passed with 85 votes for, 41 against an ... more - Catalonia “wasting time” on independence - Sat 12th Jan 2013
The Government last week asked Catalan lawmakers to "reflect" over a sovereignty vote petition they will be debating later this month while at the same time telling regional premier Artur Mas and his coalition partners that ... more - PSOE say no to Catalan Independence - Thu 10th Jan 2013
The leader of the PSOE opposition party, Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba, says he can not support Catalonia's bid for independence from the rest of Spain ... more - Madrid escalates bid for 2020 Olympics - Wed 9th Jan 2013
Madrid will be capable of staging a successful 2020 Olympics despite the parlous state of Spain's finances, officials behind the city's bid said on Tuesday ... more - Spanish regions angry at "Indpendence" slur - Mon 7th Jan 2013
Two Spanish regions with strong independence movements reacted angrily on Monday to a speech by the country's defence minister that said the military was prepared and calm in the face of "absurd provocations" ... more - "Youth unemployment hurts me" : Juan Carlos - Sat 5th Jan 2013
Spain's King Juan Carlos I said he was worried about high youth unemployment and urged Spaniards to stick together to combat an economic crisis, in an interview to mark his 75th birthday after a year of scandal for the royal ... more - Andalucia PSOE lay out plans for a Federal Spain - Sun 30th Dec 2012
The PSOE in Andalucia wants sweeping reforms of the Spanish Constitution to create a federal state model - one that nevertheless preserves the unity of Spain. Socialist Party president José Antonio Griñán, who is also the ... more - Over half of Pais Vasco support Independence from Spain - Fri 28th Dec 2012
Almost half of all Pais Vasco residents are in favour on holding a referendum on Independence from Spain ... more - King of Spain makes Christmas speech - Tue 25th Dec 2012
King Juan Carlos on Monday night asked the country's political parties to "heal their open wounds" and return to their "fundamental role in politics with a capital ‘P'" to resolve Spain's economic and social crises. In ... more - Catalan President calls upon Rajoy to allow referendum - Mon 24th Dec 2012
The president of Catalonia, Artur Mas, called upon the Spanish government to avoid a confrontation with the region and permit the holding of a referendum on Independence in 2014 ... more - Catalan Bank-Deposit Tax Is "Unconstitutional" - Fri 21st Dec 2012
Spain's central government will contest Catalonia's decree creating a tax on bank deposits as unconstitutional, increasing tension with the region that plans a referendum on secession ... more - Spain education plan stokes Catalan tensions - Sat 15th Dec 2012
The PM of Spain yesterday vowed to press on with an education reform that has fueled separatist sentiment in Catalonia, where politicians were closing on a pact that could lead to a vote on independence ... more - Catalan parties agree to referendum on independence - Fri 14th Dec 2012
The center-right Catalan nationalist bloc CiU and the Catalan Republican Left (ERC) have reached an agreement to call for a referendum on independence for Catalonia within 2 years ... more - Catalan election weakens bid for independence - Mon 26th Nov 2012
Separatists in Spain's Catalonia won regional elections on Sunday but failed to get a resounding mandate for a referendum on independence, which had threatened to pile political uncertainty on top of Spain's economic ... more - Catalonia election tests Spanish unity - Sun 25th Nov 2012
Catalan voters go to the polls today and are likely to elect a pro-independence leader who will test Spanish unity at a time of deep economic crisis ... more - Catalan President Implicated In Cash for Favours Scandal - Fri 23rd Nov 2012
Catalan President Artur Mas has been implicated in an offshore tax and cash for favours scandal according to an exposé by online Spanish newspaper El Mundo ... more - Catalan nationalists unlikely to win majority - Sun 18th Nov 2012
The Catalan nationalist party CiU will win regional parliamentary elections in Spain on November 25, but will not gain an absolute majority, newspaper polls showed on Sunday, weakening any bid for independence ... more - Spain is key to Indpendent Scotland EU hope - Sun 4th Nov 2012
A former head of the British Diplomatic Service yesterday warned that an independent Scotland's entry into the EU would depend on the "mood" of Spain ... more - Catalans want referendum on independence - Sun 28th Oct 2012
An overwhelming majority in the powerful northeastern region of Catalonia want a referendum on independence, an opinion poll showed on Sunday, highlighting increasing dissatisfaction with Spain's central government as it ... more - Catalan Pharmacies on Strike Today - Thu 25th Oct 2012
Catalan pharmacies plan to strike today in protest over delays in the payment of €190 million in prescriptions they dispensed during July and August. ... more - Spain warns Scotland EU membership not guaranteed - Thu 25th Oct 2012
The Scottish parliament has rejected claims that the country will be required to formally apply to join the EU in the event that a referendum votes to split from Britain ... more - Rajoy's PP hold onto Galicia in regional vote - Mon 22th Oct 2012
Spain's PM was given a boost for his austerity drive with an election victory in his home region of Galicia on Sunday, but wins for nationalist parties in the Basque Country could prove a headache for his centre-right ... more - Spain fears an independent Scotland - Fri 19th Oct 2012
A member of the PP has said the Spanish government would oppose automatic entry to the EU for an independent Scotland ... more - Demonstration in favour of Catalan loyalty to Spain - Sun 14th Oct 2012
Thousands of people converged in Barcelona's main Catalunya square on Friday and Saturday to pledge their allegiance to Spain.Holding up Spanish and Catalan flags, many of the demonstrators said that there are more Catalans ... more - Spanish Day Marred By Catalan Violence - Fri 12th Oct 2012
The national day of Spain was today marred with violence from Catalonian pro-independence supporters upon a friendly march of pro-unity supporters ... more - Catalonia Calls Early Elections - Tue 25th Sep 2012
Following mass demonstrations of Support for an independent Catalonia, Catalan President Artur Mas has officially announced a regional election ... more - Catalan Independence referendum possibile "In 4 years" - Sun 23rd Sep 2012
In a further show of beligerence to the Spanish government, a top Catalan official on Friday warned that the region's parliament could set measures in motion that would lead to a unilateral separatist drive for Catalonia. ... more - Catalonia "Must debate Euro membership" - Thu 13th Sep 2012
Catalan President Artur Mas said Spain should debate staying in the euro as leaders consider seeking a European bailout, becoming the most senior Spanish official to question the nation's single-currency membership ... more - Rajoy breaks promise NOT to raise income tax - Wed 12th Sep 2012
The PM yesterday announced a new fiscal measure that effectively will mean an increase in personal income tax (IRPF) for some taxpayers despite having stated just 2 weeks ago than he had no plans to raise the IRPF. ... more - Spain's crisis fuels Catalan independence fervour - Tue 11th Sep 2012
Catalan National Day is bigger and bolder this year, reflecting the severity of the worst economic crisis of the post-Franco era that has fuelled separatism and highlighted fractures between Spain's wealthy northeast and the ... more - EU's Bailout of Spain comes with conditions attached - Wed 11th Jul 2012
Following yesterday's agreement between Eurozone member states to extend a further €30 billion of assistance to Spain, a string of conditions have been attached to the 'loan' ... more - Fraud case opened on Bankia's Rato - Wed 4th Jul 2012
A Spanish court opened a fraud case on Wednesday against former executives of state-rescued lender Bankia, including one-time IMF chief Rodrigo Rato, as public rage engulfs a bank which is in line for the biggest share of an ... more - Dismissed BoS Governor speaks to Congress - Sat 9th Jun 2012
Miguel Angel Fernandez Ordonez, the Governor of the Bank of Spain due to step down this weekend after almost 6 years in office, has exersized his right to address congress ... more - Spain Banks Should Clear Balance Sheets : IMF - Fri 4th May 2012
Spanish banks should clear as much as they can off their balance sheets as the government decides how to best address vulnerabilities in the country's financial industry, an International Monetary Fund spokesman said ... more - Ibex Insurance staff in Charity Marathon - Tue 17th Apr 2012
Staff from Ibex Insurance and supporters of the Gibraltar charity AKIN (Association for Kids In Need) have joined forces in an ambitious and adventurous project to raise money for the UK registered charity Street Child of ... more - Spain 'has no problem with an Independent Scotland' - Mon 27th Feb 2012
Recent speculation concerning Spain's position over the subject of an Independent Scotland looks likely to cause further problems for the UK ... more - Spain concerned over Scotland's bid for independence - Wed 25th Jan 2012
The UK is trying to play down EU concerns that the issue surrounding possible independence for Scotland could set a dangerous precedence for similar action throughout other member states ... more - Spain's cautious Rajoy thrust into crisis role - Wed 16th Nov 2011
Mariano Rajoy, poised to become Spain's new prime minister after Sunday's parliamentary election, is a cautious moderate and unlikely crisis manager for a country engulfed by euro zone debt troubles ... more - PP consider overhaul of regional and local governments - Wed 2th Nov 2011
The Partido Popular (PP) - Spain's main opposition party in the coming general elections, and widely tipped to take an overall majority - has spoken of their intention to radically overhaul the administrative system between ... more - ETA to call permanent ceasefire (again) - Thu 20th Oct 2011
The ETA Terrorist group is expected to make an official announcement later this evening to confirm that it will end its armed campaign in Spain ... more - PP plan to merge industry regulators - Mon 17th Oct 2011
El Mundo has reported this morning how the Partido Populae are planning to to merge some of the country's regulators if they should be vicorious in the coming general election, as is widely expected ... more - ECB reactivates bond-buy plan - Tue 16th Aug 2011
The ECB spent a record 22 billion euros on government debt last week, reactivating its controversial bond-buying plan to try to halt the spread of the euro zone debt crisis to Spain and Italy. ... more - Norway Killer leaves Manifesto on Spain - Mon 25th Jul 2011
The perpetrator of the weekend's massacre in Norway, Anders Breivik, released a manifesto detailing his beliefs just moments before going on a rampage which cost 93 people, most of them children, their lives ... more - Almost half of all Catalans support Independence - Thu 30th Jun 2011
If a referendum in Catalunya was to be held today, 43% would vote in favor of independence, the Catalan government reported on Wednesday ... more - Blast rocks Gibraltar port - Tue 31st May 2011
A number of passengers were injured following an explosion close to a ship currently docked in Gibraltar ... more - Spain bars ETA-linked candidates from elections - Mon 2th May 2011
Spain's Supreme Court ruled on Sunday the newly formed "Bildu" alliance could not run in forthcoming municipal elections because of some candidates' ties to the political wing of armed separatist group ETA ... more - ETA calls an end to extortion - Thu 28th Apr 2011
Business associations in Spain's northern Basque and Navarra regions say they have received letters from the armed independence group ETA saying their members will no longer be subjected to extortion demands ... more - Court to decide on future of Bildu - Wed 27th Apr 2011
The public prosecutor and lawyers representing Spain's ministry of justice will request that the Supreme Court bans all candidates from the new Basque coalition party, Bildu, from standing in the local elections ... more - Symbolic victory in Barcelona elections - Mon 11th Apr 2011
Residents of Barcelona have voted in favour of the idea of independence from Spain for the north-eastern region of Catalonia ... more - Weekend anti-terrorism demonstration in Madrid - Mon 11th Apr 2011
Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets in the capital over the weekend in protest against the Basque separatist group ETA, calling upon the government to ban anyone connected them from running in coming regional and ... more - Sortu decision expected by March 11th - Tue 22th Feb 2011
Spain's public prosecution service is expected to request that the Supreme Court ban Sortu, the new Basque nationalist left-wing party that was launched earlier this month, which many skeptics have branded as a repackaged ... more - Demonstrations mark launch of new Basque political party - Mon 7th Feb 2011
Saturday saw demonstrations in the Basque town of Alsasua, where several hundred Basque separatists held small street rallies, hung posters and painted political graffiti on walls throughout the troubled region. A second and ... more - Rubalcaba downplays possible ETA renouncement of violence - Tue 28th Dec 2010
Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba, Spain's Minster of the Interior, is playing down comments made by a jailed Basque separatist leader that ETA is prepared to renounce violence and seek independence through peaceful means.He has said ... more - New Catalan Premier In Deal With Socialists - Fri 24th Dec 2010
Artur Mas yesterday took office as the President of the Catalan Region by vuirtue of his own coalition party's votes and the abstention of the Catalan Socialist party (PSC), who were ousted from government in recent regional ... more - ETA may announce ceasefire over Christmas - Mon 20th Dec 2010
ETA are expected to announce a permanent ceasefire over the Christmas period, according to left-wing Basque nationalist groups with close ties to the terrorist organization ... more - BA & Iberia merger approved - Wed 1st Dec 2010
Over 99% of BA shareholders voted in favor of the merger with Spain's flagship carrier earlier this week in London. Iberia shareholders approved the deal, which will create Europe's third largest airline by revenue, shortly ... more - Catalan loss embarrasses Spanish gov't - Mon 29th Nov 2010
Spain's Catalan nationalists defeated the ruling Socialists in the wealthy northeastern region on Sunday, dealing a blow to Socialist Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero. ... more - Moroccans protest against Spanish opposition party - Sun 28th Nov 2010
Hundreds of thousands of Moroccans marched Sunday to protest against criticism by Spain's opposition Popular Party of alleged human rights abuses in the disputed Western Sahara ... more - Barcelona's Sagrada Familia finally becomes a church - Sat 6th Nov 2010
For decades tourists have visited the twisting spires of Barcelona's iconic Sagrada Familia church, but 128 years after construction began Catholic faithful will worship there for the first time on Sunday. Pope Benedict ... more - Spain's ETA political wing renounces violence - Thu 28th Oct 2010
The outlawed political wing of Basque separatist group ETA said Thursday it would reject violence in its drive to be legalized but the government said it must go further to be able to participate in elections ... more - Free Amazon Deliveries to Spain - Tue 12th Oct 2010
Global online retailer Amazon has completed the purchase of their much smaller Spanish contemporary - www.buyvip.com - in a bid tovto enter the Spanish market. BuyVIP have stated that they will retain their name and ... more - Spain arrests seven alleged ETA collaborators - Tue 28th Sep 2010
Seven alleged members of an offshoot of Basque separatist group ETA were arrested early Tuesday in the Spanish Basque country, Spanish media reported ... more - Basque guerrillas ETA set out truce conditions - Mon 27th Sep 2010
Basque separatists ETA laid out conditions on Sunday for an end to its violent campaign for independence from Spain, warning that it reserves the right to defend itself during a so-called "ceasefire." ... more - Scotland to 'strengthen links with Spain' - Mon 13th Sep 2010
Scotland's first Minister, Alex Salmond, has flown to Bilbao in an attempt to strengthen links between Scotland and the Basque Country ... more - Spain can't trust ETA truce - Mon 6th Sep 2010
The cease-fire announcement on Sunday could well be an attempt by ETA to legitimise its political arm Batasuna ahead of municipal elections in 2011, but Batasuna must break with ETA or have them disarm before this can ... more - Minimum age to ride moped changes today - Wed 1st Sep 2010
Today the Spanish government changes the minimum age for being able to ride a 50cc motorcycle from 14 to 15 ... more - ECB independence, succession in question - Fri 14th May 2010
The European Central Bank's role in a $1 trillion emergency plan to stabilise the euro has raised doubts about its prized independence from political influence and cast uncertainty over its future leadership ... more - Spain increases terror alert - Mon 22th Mar 2010
Earlier today Spain raised its terror alert level due to "recent events," just six days after a French police officer was killed in an attack that has been blamed on the Basque separatist group ETA ... more - Spanish regions scrap over bullfighting - Fri 5th Mar 2010
A movement to outlaw bullfighting has become entwined in Spain's combustible regional politics, with Madrid calling for the traditional spectacle to be declared cultural heritage just as Catalonia debates a ban ... more - Spanish court says Venezuela helped ETA - Tue 2th Mar 2010
Spain demanded Venezuela explain itself after a judge accused the South American government on Monday of helping Basque ETA rebels and Colombian FARC guerrillas plot possible attacks on Spanish soil ... more - Call for Catalan Independance loses steam - Mon 1st Mar 2010
L ... more - Businesses see fragile euro zone recovery in 2010 - Mon 15th Feb 2010
The euro zone's economy is forecast to stage a modest recovery in 2010 as firm exports and government investment compensate for weak consumer spending, Europe's top employers' group said on Monday ... more - Concorde trial starts 10 years after France crash - Tue 2th Feb 2010
Continental Airlines and five men went on trial on Tuesday for their alleged role in the crash of an Air France Concorde that killed 113 people in 2000 and hastened the end of luxury supersonic travel ... more - MEP Blasts Zapatero over property abuses - Thu 21st Jan 2010
Euro MP Marta Andreasen presented a strong case in both the English and Spanish language on behalf of those people who are facing the loss of their homes in Spain ... more - Kraft, Cadbury discuss possible £11.7 billion deal - Tue 19th Jan 2010
U.S.-based Kraft Foods Inc and Cadbury Plc are holding talks about a potential friendly deal to create the world's largest confectionery group for up to 11.7 billion pounds, sources familiar with the matter said on Monday ... more - Spain fears ETA attack during EU Presidency - Tue 29th Dec 2009
ETA, the Basque separatist group, could carry out a high profile attack or kidnapping during Spain's six-month presidency of the European Union which starts on January 1, Spain's Interior Minister said on Monday ... more - The King's Christmas Message to the Nation - Mon 28th Dec 2009
King Juan Carlos said Spain must "redouble its efforts" to achieve economic growth and create employment quickly and sustainably, adding that the country's political and economic establishment should work together in ... more - Catalans Vote for Independence - Mon 14th Dec 2009
The Autonomous Region of Cataluña yesterday voted for independence from Spain, but the turnout was lower than was hoped for and initially expected by the ERC and ICV Political Parties ... more - Skype to get independence - for better or worse - Thu 12th Nov 2009
Now that eBay has vaulted a major hurdle in its efforts to sell Skype, the Web telephony service must prove it can make it on its own ... more - Pittsburgh showcases green economy at G20 summit - Thu 24th Sep 2009
The collapse of the U.S. steel industry forced Drew Mihalek in 1977 to leave Pittsburgh, a capital of industry that U.S. President Barack Obama will show to world leaders this week as a "bold example" of a new green economy ... more - French police find more suspected ETA hiding places - Tue 25th Aug 2009
French police have discovered three underground hiding places believed to belong to the Basque separatist group ETA in southern France in a widening crackdown on the militants, a judicial source said Monday ... more