BoT 612

 

Business over Tapas

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

Prepared by Lenox Napier.  Consultant: José Antonio Sierra

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December 18 2025            Nº 612           Christmas Edition

 

 

Editorial: 

I’m writing this while sipping on a Marzipan brandy, a slightly peculiar cordial that comes in a tall and skinny bottle from the local Aldi supermarket.

It makes me think of the old days, when one’s Christmas preference was a bottle of El Gaitero, a sweet cider which is sold in a champagne bottle – because the *pop* as the plastic cork is released is an important part of the seasonal celebration.

Also, it was cheap – indeed, it still is.

Good too, even when you’re drinking alone.

Long before they built an Aldi on the other side of the hill from where I’m living, my parents would have to take the cuatro latas (as the Renault 4s were known) along the coast to our market town – Vera – which in the early seventies had opened the area’s first supermarket: Emilio’s – which I was glad to see is still going over fifty years later. You could wander around and push interesting stuff into your basket: ‘impulse shopping’ had arrived (‘What on earth is this?’ my mother might ask as she eyed something new).

Locally, we had a few groceries. The best known was in the village square: Juana’s place. She ran the shop – you would point at the shelves and say in your best Spanish ‘uno por favor’, continuing until you (and Juana) were content. Later, and Juana would catch on fast to her new market, she nailed a sign outside the store which read ‘Foodings’.

There was a fellow known as Tea-cosy Roger who lived in the back of the village, and one could drop by to ask him to pick up this or that in Almería (an hour and a half away) where he would go on the bus once a week. He always wore a colourful woolly cap obviously knitted by his adoring mum. His front room had a single tin of mock-turtle soup on a shelf to underline his commercial spirit.

Later, a local eccentric called Ian would offer an even more interesting service – driving up now and then to a suburb of Benidorm in his BMW and trailer to pick up British sausages and other goodies, to be mobbed on his triumphant return.

Supplies also arrived by air, as friends flying out from the UK remembered to bring bacon and teabags mixed into their luggage.

A shop in the local port of Garrucha would regularly be talked into ordering strange products by a salesman that only a foreigner could possibly like. Diego would mournfully say as I enthusiastically picked up his final carton of johannisbeersaft, ‘Well, thank God that’s gone, I’m never buying that again’. Next week, he’d have a special on Irish butter biscuits.

For proper meat, my parents would drive down to the nearest decent butcher, a German in Torremolinos. This would take several days for one reason and another.

And thus, we survived. The local milk came in a tall returnable bottle fitted with a metal bottle top (like a beer). It was slightly blue in colour thanks to the added formaldehyde. On the bright side, it never ‘went off’. Butter came in a tin from Belgium. Pork, goat, chicken and eggs were easy to find in the local markets. When the fridges began to appear in the shops, we found Spain’s excellent yoghurts and ice-creams – although the milk would take a little longer to arrive, waiting for the twin inventions of UHT and Swedish tetra-brik packaging.

Simple times. One paid in pesetas and got one’s change either in small coins or sweets.

But these days, as our area shyly joins the 21st Century, we can now lay claim to several small supermarkets and four large ones, including the recently opened Aldi.

They are all playing Christmas music in their stores right now, which sort of explains how I ended up in the mood for a bottle of Marzipan brandy.  

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Housing: 

Another problem for builders: ‘Spain’s chronic housing shortage has no shortage of usual suspects—planning delays, labour shortages, slow urban development—but the latest bottleneck comes from an unexpected place: the electricity grid. According to the electricity industry association Aelec, a full 43% of all requests to connect new residential developments to the grid in 2024 were rejected due to lack of capacity...’ The item comes from Spanish Property Insight here. 

‘Rural Pueblos in Spain of under 5,000 inhabitants are gaining residents again, marking seven consecutive years of growth. Spanish villages have seen their populations increase for the seventh year running, and this change is no longer a mere anecdote. In 2024, rural areas gained 22,020 inhabitants. Are we witnessing a lasting shift?’ An item from MeteoRed here. 

From Sur in English here: ‘Homelessness grows by 57%, with more than 8,000 people living on Andalucía's streets. The association for human rights APDHA calls for 'less charity and more justice' and greater support by regional administrations’. 

TIE cards: More than 7.4 million foreigners have residence permits in Spain. Britons are the top group says The Majorca Daily Bulletin here. 

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Tourism: 

Everything you need to know about the nationwide travel pass for €60. The President announced on Monday a travel pass that will allow you to "travel throughout the country" for €60 per month, and €30 for those under 26 to start in Mid January. This pass will allow Spanish citizens to travel on all commuter trains, medium-distance trains and buses of the state network. Regional train services here. The AVE is not included. More information from El Huff Post here. 

From The Olive Press here: ‘Spain hits Airbnb with a massive fine as the portal continues to flout housing laws. The US-based short-term rental site Airbnb has been slapped with a €64 million fine by the Spanish government over more than 65,000 adverts encouraging customers to rent out unlicenced tourist apartments…’ 

‘Andalucía launches a pioneering campaign to curb anti-tourism sentiment. The regional government is investing €1.5 million in promoting "responsible tourism with genuine and sincere coexistence" in the region, while highlighting the positive aspects of the industry’. With video. More on this at El Confidencial here. 

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Seniors: 

Some useful sites for Seniors: Plus es Más, 65 y Más, Dependencia and News 3 Edad (the last one with some items in English), plus the informative Age in Spain (in English).   

Alone at Christmas: the silent struggle of thousands of elderly people who wish "these holidays would pass quickly". The article at News 3 Edad considers ‘…the elderly people who will spend this Christmas battling unwanted loneliness, considered the "great silent epidemic of the 21st century," according to the volunteers who support them. Although loneliness isn't tied to the calendar, experts point out that there are "specific dates," such as Christmas, associated with family gatherings and an appearance of happiness, when this feeling is magnified. This affects 20% of the Spanish population, according to data from the State Observatory of Unwanted Loneliness. This has a particular impact on the nearly two million people over 65 who live alone in Spain, according to the National Institute of Statistics, many of whom lack a daily support network…’ 

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Finance: 

From The Ministerio de Hacienda regarding Bizum payments. Do Bizum payments between individuals need to be declared by your bank to Hacienda?

No. Only payments received by businesses and professionals established in Spain need to be declared. Payments between individuals are therefore excluded.

Does this reporting obligation of banks affect individuals in any way?

No. Banks will report monthly aggregated information for each business or professional to the Tax Agency; information will not be submitted on a transaction-by-transaction basis. 

RTVE has ‘According to Oxfam, executives at major Spanish companies earn 111 times more than the average salary’. The three most extreme examples of the forty companies analysed are Prosegur (395 times), Inditex (364) and CIE Automotive (319). 

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Politics: 

From elDiario.es here: ‘Despite some serious problems besetting the PSOE, including ex-minister José Luis Ábalos's imprisonment and the Francisco Salazar molestation case, the CIS maintains the PSOE's nine-point lead over the PP. The latest barometer from the institute gives the Socialists 31.4% of the vote, the PP 22.4%, Vox 17.6%, Sumar 7.8%, and Podemos 4.1%. Sánchez remains the highest-rated political leader, followed by Yolanda Díaz, Feijóo, and Santiago Abascal, who remains at the bottom…’ 

InfoLibre has: ‘Speaking on Sunday to a PSOE crowd, Pedro Sánchez said that "governing is an honour" and that the PSOE is acting with "forcefulness and transparency" against corruption and sexual harassment, in response to the scandals affecting the socialist ranks’. 

20Minutos says: ‘Sánchez says he has the "energy" to reach the end of his mandate in 2027, will not change the government and will "endure" the "campaigns of harassment and lies"’. It’s not going to be easy… 

Following on from the elections this coming Sunday in Extremadura, the next region to vote will be Aragón on February 8th. The Minister of Education, Pilar Alegría, has resigned her government job to lead the PSOE faction in Aragón. 

Not only facing the right and far-right, the banks, the media, business and foreign interference, the Government now has The Church to deal with. From La Sexta here: ‘Archbishop Argüello calls for the end of the government. The president of the Episcopal Conference says, regarding the Spanish political situation, that he sees a need for "a vote of confidence, a motion of no confidence, or giving the citizens a voice," that is, calling for elections. Pedro Sánchez responded: "I encourage him to run in an election together with the Abogados Cristianos."’. Later, some prelates appealed to the government to 'excuse' the church leader for calling for early elections, believing his words to be in error.

Polarisation: According to Google AI, ‘Political polarization is the growing ideological gap where political groups and individuals move away from moderate views towards extreme ends of the spectrum, creating deep divisions, increased hostility, and difficulty finding common ground…’ 20Minutos says ‘The scar of polarization: five million Spanish people have broken with family or friends due to political motives’. Their recent questionnaire asks if it’s happened to you. And then along comes Campofrío (the ham people) with their Christmas advert: Let’s get together and bury our differences (video)…

(I think they could have maybe dropped Ana Rosa Quintana from the advert).

…...

Europe:

The Guardian has ‘The US is not just Europe’s unwilling ally, but an adversary steeped in far-right ideology. Don’t say you weren’t warned: Trump’s new national security strategy seeks to destroy liberal democracy as we know it’. elDiario.es picks this up in Spanish here. 

From Público here: ‘Pedro Sánchez is the leading social democrat in the most right-leaning European Union in history. Only four governments remain led by socialists; there are five progressive commissioners, and the right wing, together with the far-right, holds a majority in the European Parliament for the first time, without needing the support of the progressive group. In this context, the President almost always finds himself swimming against the tide, and often alone, on issues such as migration, militarism, social rights, and environmentalism…’ 

From Foro Coches Eléctricos here: ‘China and the EU are negotiating to prevent Europeans from accessing affordable electric cars. While it may seem shocking, the European Union is negotiating with China to impose minimum prices on electric cars imported from the Asian giant. This protectionist move for local companies harms consumers and undermines the EU's own emissions reduction targets’.

From The Guardian here: ‘The UK to rejoin EU’s Erasmus student exchange programme. British students will be able to participate in EU-wide scheme from January 2027’. 

…...

Health: 

From El Confidencial here: ‘Mónica García admits in a report that 30% of public hospitals now depend on private providers. The sector believes that the Health Minister's report, far from being a criticism, reinforces their role as essential partners for the functioning of the National Health System’. 

…...

Media: 

The Italian mag L’Espresso chooses Pedro Sánchez as ‘Man of the Year’. It says: ‘Why the Spanish Prime Minister is our Person of the Year: His successes in his country, a model for Europe. The decision stems from an undeniable fact: while many European economies are struggling, Spain's continues to thrive. In 2023, GDP grew by 2.7 percent, in 2024 by 3.5 percent, and in 2025—according to the European Commission's now semi-final estimates—it will close with a 2.9 percent growth rate. These figures are unmatched by any other major economy in the Union, especially when compared to the zero-point growth seen in Italy and Germany…’ LaSexta looks at the honour: 'L'Espresso highlights Pedro Sánchez for his "capable leadership and role model for a different kind of politics," his fight against big technology companies, his defence of civil rights and the energy transition, while in Spain the opposition demands his resignation and the government faces corruption scandals’. 

It was revealed last week that Ayuso’s Boyfriend has been using an alias in his business dealings. Público says: ‘Last week we learned that Alberto González Amador has a corporate email address from the Quirón Group, according to elDiario.es. But as if the farce wasn't enough, it turns out that the email uses a made-up surname: Alberto Burnet González. The joke becomes truly outrageous when you discover that this is the surname used by the character Sonny Crockett (played by Don Johnson) in the iconic 80s sitcom when he was working undercover in Miami (Vice)…’ There are some good jokes in the article.  

Some readers may be familiar with the video posts from Stewart on Spain Speaks. His latest video (here) has been picked up by El Huff Post who says approvingly: ‘A Briton explains why everyone wants to move to Spain and sums it up in one sentence: "Life still feels like life."’. Who am I to disagree? 

Sin Permiso is worried about the current political scene. Understandable, perhaps. Yet, it says, ‘…To prevent a PP-Vox majority, the very real threat of "the wolf is coming" is not enough. The social and democratic regression it would represent is clear: fewer rights for women, attacks against immigrants, climate change denial, cuts to union rights (Feijoo announced in Barcelona that a workforce of at least 250 employees would be required to have works councils), and the far right is already launching attacks against public pensions. And then there is their willing involvement in global Trumpism, their attacks on multilateralism, and their war economy…’ 

I’ll say this: Why sign up with the Olive Press? ‘Because real journalism costs money, but the truth is priceless. We dig deeper: While others reprint press releases, we are on the ground exposing corruption, digging into environmental and medical scandals, and shining a light on the ubiquitous organised crime. We fight for you: From tackling illegal builders to holding local town halls to account, we are the only English-language paper in Spain that truly campaigns for its readers’. 

…...

Various: 

Paul Whitelock writes (as ‘The Culture Vulture’) about the various traditions over the Christmas period at Eye on Spain here. 

New rules from the DGT: ‘Electric scooters in 2026: the big change that will require registration and insurance from January 2nd, with fines of up to 1,000 euros’. 

‘This is the 'Sead 23', the first maritime drone received by the Spanish Navy, almost invisible to radar and created by a Galician firm’. 20Minutos has the story of the Spanish sea-drone which can deliver 600 kilos at 36 knots. 

From elDiario.es here: ‘Hundreds of migrants living in an abandoned warehouse were on the streets of Badalona (Barcelona), Wednesday, following the largest mass-eviction recorded in Spain: Mayor Xavier García Albiol will not offer emergency shelter to those evicted, despite the judge ordering the city council to provide "social assistance". “Pedro Sánchez and his partners say that everyone must be welcomed, well now it is up to Pedro Sánchez to find them housing,” the mayor told reporters. 

‘The National Police have arrested 26 people for painting graffiti on trains in different parts of Spain, causing economic damage amounting to more than 900,000 euros’. 

‘The number of people "without religion" in Spain quadruples in 25 years. Contrary to discourses that speak of a religious "resurgence", the figure has gone from 13.2% in the year 2000 to 40% in 2024, reaching 61% among young people aged 18 to 24’. 

From Press Digital here: ‘Compromís demands that the CIS pollsters includes questions about the monarchy fifty years after its restoration and also about the emeritus king's memoirs. They also call for the release of documents related to the 23-F coup attempt and denounce Juan Carlos I's book as a "personal vendetta" against the current monarchs’. 

Sur in English has: ‘Málaga's fake medieval castle that is only 30 years old: where is it and why was it built? Located in Alhaurín el Grande, this concrete and brick fortress was designed in the 1990s as an emblem of a luxury development that was never completed’. 

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Letters: 

*I’m away next week. The next BoT will be for January 1st. Have a good Christmas!

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Finally: 

I was in Andorra sometime about 1976 and discovered music from a terrific French folk group from the period. Here’s Malicorne with Noël est Arrivé on YouTube.