Mysterious Mariano


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In Portugal we have a saying 'trabalhar como um galego', which means to work in harsh conditions. This probably derives from all those Galicians that moved here in the late 19th early 20th century , and perhaps before.
Then, there is Diogo Alves, a galego, the assassino do aqueduto das aguas livres, a sort of a Portuguese serial killers who would take his victims all the way up the pombaline aqueduct rape them and dsipose of the bodies by throwing them from there. He was caught and hes head is actually kept in formal at the theatro anatomico of the University of Lisbon.
All this to say that stereotypes can work in any way we want.
Spain, the Spanish, and those analysing them would do best to prevent falling into these silly stereotypes, hearsay, urban legends, which serve absolutely no purpose.


Since years the brits & the rest of the eec members have been coming over to spai to get FREE medicare + MEDICATIONS.. we have provided them ( consult the british embassy's web site )all of europe has enjoyed SPAIN'S hospitality & specially the BOOZE in the CANARIES. commentators, all european regions have some ''independentists'' but those are dragged by some stupid politician who's target is to be a POPULIST...The majority of Catalonians do not want to be independant.
FCBarcelonadoes not represent CATALUÑA.
They hace just asked a BAILOUT cash & the central GOVT: has given them. They always ask for money & then screw it like the SOCIALISTS IN SPAIN.
Mr. Rajoy is a very practical man & will steer SPAIN back to the front line again.
In the meantime..enjoy Spain & all of u are welcome.

Super-pedrolx2 in reply to BIONIC EYE

Hermano, This is yet another one of those myths I heard a few spanish people say.

Couldn't be more phased out of reality, sorry to kill your mojo, dude.

Maybe some health clinics opened in Spain because it is much easier to open them in Spain than in the UK for instance (making Soain sort of the Miami and the UK the New York) but it doesn't mean quality is better and much less than in Spain you have a free service. Ive used your 'free service' (not on purpose was an accident at a beach) and it wasn't free at all. Even I was shocked. You are becoming a bit like certain Greeks, blaming immigration and foreigners for what is happening. Please do be careful

Comely656 in reply to BIONIC EYE

I seem to remember that Spain only became a net contributor to the EU last year since joining in 1986. Thanks for allowing to access all of those beautiful beaches and landmarks on modern motorways built using EU money.

Super-pedrolx2 in reply to Key Formentor

Key Formentor,
'Medical Tourism' as you call it is common in countries with Sun and good weather. I am not saying the Spanish public health system isn't good, but they're not exactly catering for ye average Brit/American/German/whatevs patient, but for those who can afford treatment at higher prices and a convalescence period spent in a 5-star resort. I believe most of these clinics are probably private and if not mistaken the British NHS would probably cover part of the costs. A Brit friend of mine worked as a repatriation doctor (I actually have a cameo in one of his books) Usually in these clinics we're talking about plastic surgery/dental/whatevs. When it comes to accidents etc many get to be repatriated to be treated at home.
Many of these clinics actually offer more than they can give, and aren't as cutting edge as one would think.
I thikn the Spanish Public Health system is probably among the best in the World, but don't think that means people go there to take advantage of it, especially from a country like Britain. I know both systems from experience. The British NHS is actually quite good, despite what people say, and is actually free, whereas in Spain it isn't 100% free. (nor in Portugal for that matter, where it is defined as 'tendentially' free)
This is the typical urban legend that is rather typical (not just) in Iberian nations, where hearsay becomes true, just because people say it a billion times. I fight against it in portugal. The point of my collaboration here is precisely to point out that stereotypes won't serve any purpose.

Hi PedroLisboa2:

Im sorry I didn't answer your post. I'm not used to read my translated "English" name :)

Lately I had to WORK HARD, trying to contribute for Portuguese Exports. I think I accomplished my goal. )

I wrote in capitals "WORK HARD" just because it will be a surprise for some of the "The Economist" commentators which think "working hard" is something people from Portugal can´t do.

Except of course for the Norwegians which are now looking in Portugal for 5000 Engineers. At least they know Portuguese engineers are among the best ones, and they know of course they work hard(er). Besides these Norwegians don't have to pay a cent for their qualifications, completely payed already by the Portuguese tax payers.

Now Im going to continue my exporting Know-How business. :))

PS: Proud of your comments , as always :)

Comely656 in reply to Key Formentor

The money was given to Spain over a 25 year period to improve it's infrastructure and improve it's trade in the single market. They were not loans. The Spanish government was quite prudent through the boom years but lets not give them too much credit in thinking they paid the money back that came their way as a result of European Union membership.

Super-pedrolx2 in reply to FranciscoLebre

Mr Hare,

Of course! How woudl this people know what hard work means? Most of them didn't go through half of what the people of this country (and the neighbouring country - Spain) went through in the past 70-80 years, or even 30-40.

Most of them are spoiled brats who'd accuse our nation of not having a 'liberalised electricity market' (LOL) and then defend their respective governments should veto merger bids and etc.

Hypocrisy reigns supreme. Something's rotten in the Kingdom.

Good luck with your export business.


It is almost impossible to be aware of the magnitude of the current situation in Spain. Someone could think that the streets are full of people complaining and asking for their rights. Despite the great demonstrations carried out in big cities, the every day life is quite calm, saved the people who in private circles wonder about the future which seems to be shaped by a long, long path of poverty. Fear of future is what rises in the horizon. That's why the idea of creating new states in Spain is fevershly growing.
Perhaps Spain means an agony in case to be rescued, provided the sacrifices implied in returning money.
I presume, solely by intuition, that there will be a surprise about Mariano Rajoy. No one knows what strategy keeps on mind. He's the sort of person who awaits the precise moment to act. For many years he's been in the shadow, self confident,expecting his time. Now, the most difficult time since Democratic Transition in the 80's, has made its presence known. It seems he's measuring every step.
Mysterious Mariano Rajoy can have something stored in mind to surprise Europe and his own country.


Dear QUERISATIAFELISA, Could you explain me why the catalan people wants leave Spain? That is an irony too?, Or maybe the catalans also don´t understand the Spanish irony?

Donatien Martinez Labegerie

Spain is ruled by an oligarchy which emerged from the 1936 coup d'état militarily supported by Hitler and Mussolini, then covered by Churchill against the Spain's democrats, and funded and consolidated by support of the US.

Later again, British conservatives and European conservatives, you "The Economist", have supported Franco's heir. This you approved the the subsequent necessarily corrupt system.

Which is the name of the section here, in this newspaper? : Charlemagne. Who is Charlemagne Price : the heir of Franco, John Charles Bourbon.

Think about this.

Spain is a democracy since 1978 and have enjoyed free elections since. The 1978 Constitution was written by all the political parties from the Communists, Socialists, Social Democrats, Liberals, Conservatives etc... to the Falange.
The 1978 Constitution was approved in a referendum with 88% of the voters approval.
Today Spain is a democracy and has been for the last 35 years.
It is important to understand Spain is a consolidated democracy. To believe anything else is an insult to the Spanish people and the nation.

I do not agree. Spain is not a consolidated democracy at all.

Franco took the power with a military coup d'état and in the sixties appointed Juan Carlos Borbón as boss of state for life when he died. How can it be a democracy?

It never happened a breakup.

The system of Spain is a francoist reformed system, and that cannot be a consolidated democracy.

But the point of all this here is that the current mess in Spain comes from that system.


All this woolly talk about “Europe” by the likes of Key Fomentor is revealing.

“Europe” is nothing more than a geographic location of which Britain like Spain is part and within which both like to trade, but for the likes of Key Fomentor “Europe” appears to be a religion, embodied by the political currency that has served his country badly. Yet he accuses Britain for the failure of this quasi-religious, ideological currency-creation, the pitfalls of which Britain had warned against, (in which it therefore did not take part), and about a fictitious “union” that pretends to represent “Europe” in all its huge diversity of tradition and without the possibility of a real parliament to reflect this, you are already subject to a form of dictatorship, yet again.

This is the pass into which your abstracted idea of “Europe” has brought you, and there is worse to come: the next humiliation that your once-sovereign people to have to endure will be an unelected eurosuperbot bureaucrat appointed as Prime Minister, as your beloved masters have installed in Italy and Greece – dictatorship-heavier - and you probably wanted more of your “Europe”, so here it is:)

A big problem for Spain and elsewhere in the EZ is that no one is making the "eurorealist" case effectively, either in politics or the media. There is a universal pro-Brussels consensus in Spain. The Spanish have formed a self-image as a modern European country that attributes their recovery from a fascist semi-pariah state to “EU” membership, much as the Poles etc. have from communism.
Spain for example had an attempt at a military coup in Madrid as late as 1981 (El Tejerazo). So to the Spanish political consensus Brussels has been mistaken for the totem pole of development, modernity,(democracy even) and being able to hold your head up as a Spaniard in the modern world. This is of course nothing but dogma - political ideology issuing from Brussels that is uninterested in facts and reality.

I do not, however, have any hope that the Spanish will take control of their destiny. There are only difficult and painful options from here on. The Spanish political system has been lobotomised by groupthink and lacks leaders with the integrity and courage to make proactive difficult choices, such as the most obvious – to regain its own currency and fiscal sovereignty.

Spain will have to be rebuilt from the ashes of the coming conflagration, because the idea that they will voluntarily exit the burning “EUro” building is verboten. To blame the Brits or the “Anglo-Saxons” is irrelevant, Brussels-eurobot propaganda and scapegoating: the latter is 100% responsible for creating the ditch in which you and the EZ lie.

Tafol in reply to Birtnick

Yes, this is the real issue facing Spain and others. There is no fiscal or political unity in Europe so a common currency only is bound to fail. Roger Bootle mentions in his great speech that he sees the EZ likely to break up, either by the PIGS leaving it or Germany going. Personally, I think Spain will eventually leave the Euro but as you say nobody is really talking about this because of the highly successful and well-orchestrated brainwashing "there is no alternative" campaign coming out of Brussels, Madrid and Berlin and supported by press and politicos here.

Spain needs to devalue its goods and services by about 40% to create growth and I would say that's impossible given the country's high debt and current inflation. At present the government is able to withstand the pressure on the street. It's true there have been some demonstrations, the Catalans are stirring things up and the Trade Unions are threatening strike action, but so far things have been surprisingly quiet considering the economic and employmemt situation.

I believe things will get worse once all of these people really start running out of cash. It's possible to obtain 80% of one's salary in unemployment benefit for a period of up to 2 years here. Add to that big severance pay packages for longer term workers which can be as high as 3 years tax-free salary - recently cut by labour reforms. What's happened here to many is that redundancy pay + unemployement benefit + savings + strong family support + some undeclared work in the black economy have enabled the majority of Spanish citizens to ride through the storm, until now.

Social pressure is bound to grow with time because money will run out and the pressure to devalue will increase. In fact Spain frequently devalued the Peseta against the Deutschmark in the past to stimulate growth, so nothing really new here. Let's just hope all of this is as painless as possible.

Birtnick in reply to Tafol

Yes. Brussels is the greatest obstacle to Spanish recovery. Sovereign currencies for Iberia, Italy and Greece is the blindingly obvious solution.
However the Brussels dicatatorship is prepared to try to sacrifice the economies of the entire continent to keep the "integrity" of its synthetic currency.
Brussels wants to spread the pain throughout the continent and inflame European relations to their worst point since 1945.

Donatien Martinez Labegerie

"(...) Spain’s most notorious Galician, the Generalísimo Franco..."

I think this article is disgusting. Would The Economist say that Hitler is the most notorious Austrian?

Carmen San Carlos

Indeed, Mariano Rajoy is a Galician, believed to be the discrete, and quiet thinkers of Spain. Theirs is a quiet, step by step strategy towards their goal.

The result is Spain has never had so much news coverage by the international press. Nobody really understands what he is up to. Let me try and explain.

Mariano Rajoy’ s only objective is to put Spain back on its feet and on the map as one of the most reliable and efficient countries in Europe.

How does he intend to do this? First step is modernizing structure and modernize mentalities. He intends to bring Spain government to a minimum expression, shrinking those 17 autonomies down to efficient low cost organisms. i.e. cut burocracy to a bare minimum. He intends to end the “free for all, government pays” mentality that has prevailed over the last 50+ years… Rajoys’ intention is to assure that State money is spent efficiently.

With a few adjustments, free health, free education, and social services remain intact. Rajoy’s objective is to see our taxes are used sensibly for the good of everyone and especially for those who need help and support from the State.

The stories streets of Madrid full of manifestations are a great news piece. The truth is they are a minority- the silent majority stays home- and always the same people who day in and day out are trying to mine Rajoy’s resistance. As a Galician he is listening but nobody has convinced him yet.

Unemployment, well, the numbers are high. The truth is most people are working and not declaring their wages. The reason for this is they aren´t paid enough to share with the state or they are incapable of dealing with the burocracy that goes with taxes. The crisis has brought about too many living below the line of poverty. The family and the tradition “low cost living” in Spain is the reason why Spaniards are holding out. The real number of poverty in Spain is more in the area of 2 million and not the 5 million the world media talks about.

The reforms and changes in Spain are coming along. You can feel them. Spain is exporting more than ever, work habits are changing for the better, and entrepreneurs are mushrooming with new ideas. A mentality change is clearly on its way.

Spain is coming along nicely. It´ll be a while. When Rajoy runs for elections in three years time, he will have lowerd taxes and Spaniards will enjoy the right to choose what is good for each individual.

Jesus92 in reply to Carmen San Carlos

Sorry but I don't agree with you. Rajoy don't have budget enough for doing plans, less for changing the way people think. On the other hand, people is going on the left wing parties because they are seeing how they trusted in Rajoy and he is cutting down on essentials state's services as Education, Health Insurance or initiatives against unemployment.

I want to say too that most of Spaniards are all for welfare state. Personally I am really proud that whether I am on abroad I can feel me confortable and safe because I know that whether I have some unexpected health problem the government will support me. This is a advantage that every countries can't say.

Finally, I will make clear I am not the sort of person that want to live at state expense. In fact I prefer to contribute with the society because that is the way for feeling me well with myself.

I believe you don't have a complete vision of the spanish society. It is my opinion, from all my respect toward you.

P.S: Excuse me for my rudimentary expresion, It is a topic that Im trying to improve.

PJ Kay in reply to Carmen San Carlos

National Spanish news and Mail Online today: Red Cross urges Spanish to donate money for food parcels to give to their own countrymen, as 2.3 million are deemed 'extremely vulnerable'.

Do you still say Rajoy is on the right track?

Carmen San Carlos in reply to PJ Kay

The official data is 300,000 people in Spain are very poor. That 2,3 million are extremely vulnerable or living below the poverty line sounds correct.
Couple of questions. You live in Spain, how does it look to you? As bad as the media or the Red Cross is making it out to be? My experience in Madrid is totally the opposite.
The crisis is worldwide. Rajoy inherited the situation, he did not create it. He is now on track putting Spain back in order.
Spain is fine and is coming along very nicely.


Sorry, amigos, but we Anglo-Saxons can read. We know of the mass demonstrations across your country and the food lines. Hundreds of thousands marching in Catalonia for independence is hardly a political ploy for more money. We know that your debts are unpayable, and you should know that there will be consequences. Soon. You are suffering economically along with the rest of the Western world and crisis is upon us all.

When I read the comments from some of you here, I detect a lot of touchiness over your perception that outsiders are judging you. That may be true, but that is penalty for living in a virtually connected world. So let us jeer at one another. But with good humor all around.

I also detect that you wish to put on a brave face. I congratulate you for that feat, but the interest you must continue to pay in ever-growing increments is not impressed.

You seem to make much of your black market and the strength of your families as a haven in the economic storm. Well done. But that won't save you from having to pay more than you can afford to the money lenders, who will extract more than you thought you could pay.

Of course you can scoff when your public services are closed, you can go off and have a party and watch a soccer match as long as your unemployment benefits permit and the stadium lights remain on. You can attend classes and pour ridicule on the rest of the world. But that doesn't change anything.

Because for all your bravado, you are hung out to dry by your politicians, and you are made the victim of your own greedy acceptance of the magical euro that your socialistic fantasies have made to sprout like manna in the desert.

I have heard of this thing called pundonor. That and a euro will get you a cup of coffee. But better hurry. I don't think you'll be having a lot of luck getting either one much longer.

Key Formentor in reply to leaveittoviva

You won't pay spanish debt, we shall pay every cent of it. The real thing is that the british market protect the pound while attacks the euro in the city, and everybody knows it. The first europe's enemy is your goverment and its poor weight, considering Merkel's power.


The author of the article obviously doesn't have a good level of the Spanish, when he couldnt see the irony in Rajoy's words about the bailout news. He wasn't prevaricating, as it's said, but posing an irony about the credibility of the news, that assure that Spain was going to ask for a bailout this last week-end).
And about Artur Mas and his independence ideas... many Spaniards are really fed up of his victimism, hiding their poor managment and overspending in a false unfairness of taxes. There are others regions in Spain that pay the same as Cataluña, and dont have such a deficit. Is Mas the one who is prevaricating, and biased reporters, as the author of the article, the ones who spread this rubbish abroad. Probably because there are some profit in it....

querisatiafelisa in reply to VjCkBg5uGj

Not, indeed, and Spanish governors are working seriously... I wished that others would have done it before, and so, things wouldn't be so rot now!! We can agree more or less about their measurements, but what it's true is that they are working hard to put down the debts. About the irony, it was just in the answer: the journalist was asking Rajoy about the bailout in the week-end, as a piece of news of Reuters, when Rajoy was saying that there wasn't any of it. Obviously, the journalist was calling him a liar, or a prevaricator... his answer was, obviously, ironic, because he was upset to not being trusted...

QKBUsRpbRj in reply to querisatiafelisa

you are living in fantasyland. Spain is doomed, politicians have lost touch with reality, as they have no idea what to do, and Catalonia has a legitimate reason to claim independence from Spain, as culturaly, linguistically and historically has been different from Spain. The unequal share of the central goverment taxes is just one more reason for the independence claims.
Biased reporters? I think you need a reality check. You are not representing the voice of your country.



Nice post and good points. I love Galicia. Together with Asturias, Cantabria and the Basque Country, it's my favourite region of Spain.

Another Galician trait is apparently to answer a question with another question, hence asking a citizen from there:

"Is it true that Gallegos often answer a question with another question?"

Reply: "Why do you ask me that?"

Accrux in reply to Tafol


Thank you. We have this in common, I too love Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria and the Basque Country. I would add Navarre, northern Aragon, northern Catalonia, La Rioja and the northern part of Castilla y León.

Mr Rajoy does just that sometimes...

Another example:

There is a house at a small village with a placard or poster reading "ON SALE". An old man is there, and a passer-by asks him: "is this house on sale?"

Answer: "well, that depends..."

Passer-by: "but are you the owner?"

Answer: "and what if am?




Key Formentor:

Honestly this isn't a witchhunt against Spain but if you're an international journalist you can't ignore some of the devastating socio/economic facts coming out of Spain and if you live in the country like I do, you want everyone to know about them and not have them swept under the carpet as politicians often prefer, because you want these problems addressed and solved.

Rajoy has picked up a terrible inheritance from 8 years of PSOE incompetence combining with the global crisis. He needs to sort out the regions and the public sector but all he's done so far is increase taxes. Increasing taxes when people's incomes are falling is usually counterproductive. What he needs to do is concentrate on Spain's huge and inefficient public sector, reduce the number of autonomous regions by half, get rid of 'diputaciones', merge councils of neighbouring villages and a host of other measures so that money is freed up to invest in R&D, education and provide credit to set up new companies etc.

Regarding Catalonia, the main problem here is that this region is being hit particularly hard by the crisis with a large number of multinationals laying off workers in Barcelona's industrial areas. In addition, the CIU has picked up a terrible legacy from the previous tripartit fiasco which overspent, often on completely silly and unproductive projects. The separists there are enjoying their moment as they seek to blame Madrid for their plight and secure more political power in the region. Rajoy has done pretty well there by telling Artur Mas that he won't be blackmailed into handing over more money. But the problems are mounting.

Key Formentor in reply to Tafol

Actually, the most behaviour like a galician is from Britain itself, that nobody knows if british goverment wants to be in Europe or not. You all are the non clear citizens. You have your pounds, your island and your very fashion way of life, and you feel very proud to give lessons to the others. Actually, there is something worst than the spanish crisis, and it's Britain behaviour protecting the pound and making money with the euro fighting against the market tendences to attack our credibility. If you don't want to be in Europe, please, have the courage to say openly.


I keep finding in this thread comments written by Galicians or by people who like Galicia and who complain. Why? The references to the Galician retranca are quite common in Spain among Spaniards, not referred only to Franco or Rajoy. Spaniards keep referring to other countries and peoples in a rather derogatory way and nothing happens. I never heard a Swede complaining about "hacerse el sueco" or a French person complaining about "despedirse a la francesa". Chinese (there are many living in Spain) must be fed up with "le engañaron como a un chino", black people with "trabajar como un negro", Arabs and Berbers with "no hay moros en la costa" or "oro del que cagó el moro", and if Britons understood the meaning of "los hijos de la Gran Bretaña" and Jews the double meaning of "marrano", "judiada", etc, they could be offended, couldn't they? Within Spain, Andalusians are supposed to be "unos vagos", Catalans are supposed to be "agarraos", Aragonese "cabezotas y tozudos", and Madrileños (the real ones) "unos chulos", so what? "Yanquis", "gabachos", "guiris", "sudacas"... it's a long list.

I think that many people (not everyone, of course) in Spain apply "la ley del embudo", a double standard, they feel free to criticise, laugh at or even insult other countries, peoples and races, even within Spain, but are touchy and show a high degree of hypersensibility when foreigners criticise them.

P.S. I love Galicia (including gaitas and muñeiras) and though I admit that I don't like very much their accent when it's very, very strong and their "retranca", when they have it, generally speaking I like them and, needless to say, I respect them.

Rosalía de Castro's "Castellanos de Castilla" : Castellanos de Castilla, tratade ben ós galegos;
cando van, van como rosas;
cando vén, vén como negros.


feiti in reply to Accrux

Nice post ... of course until you fell in the same "stereotypes trap" that you seem to denounce.
The perception of an accent is a purely cultural thing. In my opinion, those who make derogatory comments of other accents are generally rather ignorant people. What I find really "funny" as well is that in Spain everyone has an accent which is perfectly recognisable and identifiable to people from other regions, even Castilians, but of course they would strongly deny it ...
Most of the people who speak about retranca as a characteristic Galician trait do not understand what it is either (same in your case)

Accrux in reply to feiti

A remarkable phenomenon is taking place in this thread: a growing number of people with no history (comments), like you —this is your FIRST comment— are registering just in order to participate and more often than not take sides and criticise or even insult other people. What is this, an organization of some kind or has this article become so popular in Spain?
You seem to have a problem either with your comprehension of the English language or with your objectivity, because I never made a "derogatory comment" about the Galician accent, I just wrote that when it's very, very (I repeat: "very, very") strong I don't like it. This is just a matter of personal taste, some people like Mozart and Schubert and others prefer Rock, some like whisky and others do not, that's all. There are many things about Galicia and Galicians I like: bagpipes, muñeiras, cities and towns (Santiago de Compostela and Marín, very especially), Rosalía de Castro, Julio Camba, landscapes, seafood and many other things, but I don't like their retranca—if and when they show it—and their accent when they speak Spanish (when it's... very, very strong, must I say it again?), that's all. Nobody is perfect...
National or regional hypersensitivity seems to be a problem here these days, you are an example and you have made a storm in a teacup.
As for retranca, I provided (didn't you see it?) definitions of this word given by the Real Academia Española and the Real Academia Galega, I have visited Galicia several times, I have Galician friends, I read... You are wrong , I understand the different meanings of this word in different contexts, but as usual I do not claim to represent anyone but myself.
Ah, thank you for registering on The Economist and creating an account just in order to criticise me. I am flattered... ;-)

Key Formentor

British media are always talking bad things about Spain, and I think that it's the most valuable way to have a rest in England: "Oh, we're bored, let's talk about the poor spaniards to make great ourselves, in order to become perfect gentlemen". I can't understand why british people hate the euro and the whole Europe when you didn't knew yet the effects of been living with the euro everyday. Your lovey "pound" is not enough for you? Don't you have any problem in your country to spent day after day trying to dump Spain? Have you forget your 80's minery crisis and Margaret Tatcher's way to solve it, with strong police attacks? Yes, we have a lot of unemployed people, but you have to think that we have received as near of SIX million foreigners here than NOBODY call them to work here. What do you think if six million foreing people want to enter in your country to work with no papers nor contracts? We, the spaniards, have left opened the doors to everyone because we have too much good heart, and now we are paying the duck, "pagar el pato" for your collection of spanish phrases. Every country has good and bad things, but a gentleman doesn't talk always against its neighbourg. And about Catalonia, do you forget also Eire problem in your country and the IRA violence? How dou you have courage to try to sell us lessons about a part of our country? Have a nice day :D

Key Formentor,

The Economist is a newspaper that´s about global finance/business etc.. all over the world. And Spain is interesting to many, it´s important too!

As for the fixation that you percieve with the Euro/UK and people hating it.. I lived in Spain during the period of the introduction of the Euro and I don´t remember a single politician or newspaper or anyone Spanish for that matter who spoke of some of the possible dangers of joining the Euro. The UK on the other hand had the whole spectrum of debate from the nationalistinc flag waving crowd that you demonise, but also lots of people who can more or less talk "good" macro economics, who could see where the problems would eventually arise.

I wonder if you´re a Spanish politician? It´s this group who have let Spain down most. They largely don´t speak languages, they have a parochial and outdated understanding of how the world works and Spain´s place within it. And it was President Zapatero, the idiot in chief, with all his comments about Spain being in the Champions and surpassing France´s GDP who sent out the loudest signal to Romanians, Bulgarians, Moroccans and all the South Americans etc by the millions to emigrate to Spain. Even more tragically most of these people came with skills to build houses and work in the construction industry - they are not software engineers or industrial designers. I feel truly sorry for these people as they are not very much at the bottom. Again shame on Sr. Zapatero and the rest of the PSOE leadership - something for which they have never publically said sorry!

When I read comments like yours, or I look at the fantasy mentality of people advertising on etc.., I think Spain still has a long way to fall.. Although it´s not in a death spiral as suggested by The Economists headline. It will eventually bouce back, it´s too great a country not to (with or without the Catalans)

"When I read comments like yours, or I look at the fantasy mentality of people advertising on etc.., I think Spain still has a long way to fall..." Spain will fall when Spain wants, not when The Economist and Reuters want. Make up your country first, because it's a bad idea try to solve the other's problems when your kitchen is not clear ;)

Actually no, Spain is not asking and probably will not ask for a "guaranty" of their debts from others. A general bailout is most unlikely (even if money existed).

The most concrete probability is that €50 to €60 billion of non-Spanish money will be lent from EZ countries to help recapitalise a few banks. Otherwise, Spanish overall debt is still below that of other major economies, while the speculation on the secondary bond market has eased. This morning the Spanish 10-year spread was 400bp and Italy's 350bp.


What a shame to use Franco as an example for anything. He was a dictator and a murderer for God's sake.

QKBUsRpbRj in reply to OLWELLS

Franco is still much alive in the mentality of the current Spanish politicians from PP. Most of them have close family ties with colaborators of Franco. Those are the ones oposed to investigate the murders from his dictatorship, always blocking any attempt to restore the historic memory of the recent past.

QKBUsRpbRj in reply to OLWELLS




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