BoT 618

 

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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February 5 2026            Nº 618          

Editorial: 

I was sorting through some old books of mine found in a few boxes in the attic and came across a handful I just knew the local English Library would kill to get their hands on. Treasures like ‘Fodor’s Amsterdam 1957’, Maigret’s Second to Last Case’, and a virgin copy of ‘Teach Yourself Swahili’.

At the bottom, hidden under the ‘Collected Works of Alistair MacLean’s Greatest Poems’, I found a peculiar scientific magazine about pets, or rather: ‘Anthrozoös – A Multidisciplinary Journal of the Interactions of People, Animals and Nature’.

Where on earth did that come from?

The library was closed for the day, giving me a chance to dive into the mag, thirty years old this month. All a bit beyond me, although I found an article about cockfighting – a pastime apparently still legal in Jeréz de la Frontera.

Another book, and I’ll keep this one, has seventy-five front pages of Almería newspapers courtesy of the Almería Press Association.

One of the newspapers featured was mine: ‘The Entertainer’ (if you remember it).

I found another treasure: ‘Mi Mamá me Mima’ – a book about how Spanish women were treated during the Franco years (Spoiler: not good), with useful tips about cleaning the kitchen and so on.

In reality though, once I’ve dusted off all the classics, the dictionaries and the Latin primers, and put them lovingly either in the dustbin or aside for the Chief Librarian to worry about, I turn with more interest to the large remainder.

See, I’m more of a thriller reader.

Spy stories are good, plus bug-eyed monster books and the better detective yarns. By now I’ve read over seven thousand of them I reckon (apart from War and Peace, which took over a month, I can usually get through two or three books a week).

When we first moved to Spain, before the Age of Television, my dad shipped half a ton of novels to keep us (and a number of English-speaking neighbours) amused. It was hard finding shops that catered for the English reader back then. There was one shop in Granada which had a shelf of very old paperbacks – probably printed in the fifties – and a couple of second-hand places in far off Torremolinos on one side, and Benidorm on the other. Not much to be going on with unless you brought your own with you (or fancied a merry weekend in T-Town).

I was an unwilling student in England in those tender days of the second half of the sixties and was a keen reader (there wasn’t much else to do at my school). So, with a suitcase full of books, records and teabags, I would be welcomed three times a year by my parents (or one of their friends if there was a party going on) at the Almería airport.

My bookcase, or rather, my several bookcases, are full of treasures and as I get older and more forgetful, I discover, ruefully, that I can read them all over again.

As for an electric book, a Kindle (with a thousand books stored therein), I think it would look a bit silly and self-conscious leaning against the wall all by itself on an otherwise naked bookshelf.

I still prefer books to the soulless TV, which now – for a small consideration – brings you shows in your own language (one might never know that the neighbours are Spanish).

These days, I can’t afford new books in English (where available: the nearest store in is Almería) and don’t approve of Amazon, so the second-hand or charity shops (we have at least eight within a ten-minute drive) keep me happy enough, four for a euro.

And then, there’s the library. They say they will accept books in good condition but are probably thinking of someone bringing in just two or three. They have a fine collection, it must be said, and I’m a keen member (also – it’s nice to talk with the volunteer librarians about books). I brought them four boxes-worth last week.

I was wondering though: the English Library still doesn’t have a computer, using instead a card-filing system; but one day, in the far future, I suppose one could just avoid a visit and download interesting reading matter via the Internet onto the trusty Kindle – leaving me and many like me with no one to talk to.

…...

Housing: 

From Spanish Property Insight here: ‘Spain has built too few homes for too long, and the bill is now painfully clear. A new report estimates a national housing shortfall of around 800,000 homes, driven by years of population growth outpacing construction. Crucially, this is not a nationwide problem spread evenly across the map. More than half of the deficit is concentrated around Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia, where demand has surged but supply has failed to keep up…’ 

From Eye on Spain here: ‘While the headlines often scream about Italy’s "One Euro Homes"—romantic but renovation-heavy money pits—a quieter, more sustainable revolution is happening in Spain. As we settle into 2026, the "Empty Spain" phenomenon has evolved into a structured, government-backed opportunity for expats, digital nomads, and entrepreneurs looking for a high quality of life at a fraction of the cost…’ 

From 20Minutos here: ‘Beratón, a small town in the province of Soria with just 38 registered inhabitants—according to the latest INE (National Institute of Statistics) data—made headlines last year after the town council decided to offer a job and house to try to revitalize the municipality. A young couple accepted the position, which consisted of working in the town's only bar, but months later, Beratón has found itself back in the same situation after the couple left, and they are once again looking for a family to take over the establishment…’ The thing was, they couldn’t adapt, says the mayor sadly.

…...

Tourism: 

Sur in English has ‘Spain’s tourism industry shattered records in 2025, welcoming 96.8 million international visitors and generating nearly €135,000 million in revenue. Despite narrowly missing the 100-million milestone, the figures represent a 3.2% increase in visitors and a significant 6.8% jump in total expenditure compared to 2024…’ 

…...

Politics: 

From 20Minutos here: ‘The government has finally had to back down and separate the measures of the omnibus bill that was rejected last week in Congress into two decrees. On the one hand, it approved a decree in Tuesday's Council of Ministers regarding the revaluation of pensions, a measure that enjoys consensus across the political spectrum, and on the other hand, it issued another decree that includes social measures such as a ban on evicting vulnerable families…’ 

‘Undocumented foreign workers welcome Spanish amnesty.  Half a million migrants will be ‘regularised’ under plans to boost economic growth that have angered right-wing parties’. The Guardian looks at the Government’s relief for non-resident foreigners. The majority are South American migrants (particularly Columbians), making up about 80% says Google. While the PP and Vox are against the deal (although José María Aznar made a similar amnesty for half a million between 1996 and 2004). An opinion piece at elDiario.es says that Feijóo is (as usual) against the measure, and it recalls that between 1836 and 1960, some 1.5 to 2 million Galicians (Feijóo is a Galician and well knows the story) emigrated mainly to South America. For work. Indeed, the word for ‘a Spaniard’ in Latin America is ‘un Gallego’; but perhaps Feijóo is more interested in edging the far-right off his bench than concerning himself with history. As far as The Vote goes, immigrants can’t vote until and unless they become Spanish citizens – however, many Spaniards (or Galicians) living in Latin America can vote in Spanish elections (South America is known as ‘the fifth province of Galicia’) even though they don’t contribute to Spain’s welfare or pay tax.

RTVE reports that Elon Musk criticised the immigration plan on Twitter, with Pedro Sánchez replying: ‘Mars can wait its turn, Humanity can’t’. 

The Majorca Daily Bulletin says that Illegal Britons in Spain (‘hiding under the radar’) could also benefit from the amnesty. 

From Catalunya Press here: ‘Pedro Sánchez and Zapatero become Trump's new targets: "The right wing is on the move". The US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has reportedly identified Pedro Sánchez and Zapatero as political obstacles: Is a political earthquake brewing in Spain?’ The conservative parties in Spain certainly hope so. 

‘Vox seems to have no stopping it, while the PSOE collapses. Santiago Abascal's party, which has now seen ten consecutive months of steady growth in the polls, surpasses itself again in February, garnering 17.8% of the vote, according to the latest Sigma Dos survey. On the other hand, the party led by Pedro Sánchez continues its downward trend for the third consecutive month, currently holding only 26.1% of the vote, its worst result of the legislature…’ The PP, says the pollster in El Mundo, leads with 32.4% 

…...

Regions: 

Extremadura. From El Mundo here: ‘The PP leader María Guardiola and Vox move further away from an agreement as the spectre of a repeat election looms ever closer. The main obstacle now lies in the distribution of ministerial positions "and other demands that are completely out of proportion," according to the PP’. 

The Aragón elections will be held on Sunday 8th, with the likely win for the PP without a full majority. 

Andalucía appears to be flooding (with video) after the intense rain from Storm Leonardo. Almería being the only province that remains more or less dry. 

…...

Europe: 

‘Five Europeans banned from the US for fighting disinformation: “Elon Musk has pressed the nuclear button. He doesn’t like us.” The White House considers them “radical activists,” but they only work to ensure that social media platforms comply with the law and curb misinformation and hate speech. El País speaks with them now that they have become a target of Trump’. *The five Europeans whom the US wants to deny entry to the country: Thierry Breton, former European Commissioner for Internal Market and Digital Services; Clare Melford, director of the Global Disinformation Index (GDI); Imran Ahmed, director of the Centre for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) and the co-directors of HateAid, Anna-Lena von Hodenberg and Josephine Ballon. 

‘The Vox leader Santiago Abascal asserts that Greenland's sovereignty "doesn't concern any Spaniard". In contrast to the positions of other far-right groups, such as the French, which refused to "accept vassalage" to Donald Trump, the Vox leader attributes the conflict between the EU and the US president to "a communication breakdown in Spain"’. 

…...

Health: 

From Murcia Empresas here: ‘The end of the private "safe haven": Health insurers implement price hikes of up to 20% and reject renewals due to "claims history". Many companies are not renewing policies for patients with chronic illnesses or who are elderly, and are raising the bar to attract only new, healthy, and profitable clients’. We read: ‘Many of the more than twelve million Spaniards who have a health insurance policy have received renewal notices with increases that, in many cases, multiply the general inflation rate…’ 

From El Periódico here: ‘Scientific organizations denounce the organization of an anti-vaccine congress in Spain amid a resurgence of measles. Experts describe the event – to be held in Ciudad Real on February 28th – as "shameful," "deplorable," and even "dangerous," and are calling on authorities to suspend the congress and investigate its organizers. The event's lineup includes names such as Josep Pàmies and Andreas Kalcker, who have been accused of promoting "bleach therapy," as well as several doctors facing disciplinary action’. 

…...

Media: 

From The Olive Press here: ‘Pedro Sánchez says his government will ban social media access for children aged under sixteen in Spain and will order platforms to introduce age-verification systems. Sánchez was speaking on Tuesday at the World Government Summit in Dubai where he announced several measures to guarantee a ‘safe’ digital environment. He noted that: “Social media has become a failed state, where laws are ignored, and crimes are tolerated”’. These are seen to include bullying, porn and political indoctrination. The article notes that ‘Sánchez said the Government would also introduce a new Bill next week to hold social media executives accountable for illegal and hate-speech content’. Elon Musk from X (Twitter) reacted with: “Dirty Sánchez is a tyrant and a traitor to the people of Spain.” About an hour and a half later, he escalated his criticism with: “Sánchez is the true fascist totalitarian”. Santiago Abascal from Vox agrees with Musk’s insults says Catalunya Press. 

From The New Statesman here: ‘Pedro Sánchez: Europe’s left-wing icon. Spain’s prime minister on how progressive politics can win on its own terms’. An interesting article. 

The Financial Times also enthuses over ‘Spain’s proletarian agenda compared to the destructive conservative policies of the European right’ according to Post Digital here. 

Cuatro is a TV channel with its own style. From El Huff Post here: ‘The ideological perversion of Cuatro (Mediaset): From its debut to the empire of Iker Jiménez and Nacho Abad. The duo of Nacho Abad and Iker Jiménez (both far-right conspiracy theorists) occupies more than 20 hours of airtime on Cuatro: ideological fuel for an audience already predisposed to finding blame’. 

‘Fidel Sáenz de la Torre, son of one of the victims of the Adamuz train accident, published a letter on social media addressed to Pedro Sánchez, in which he harshly criticized the central government's handling of the state of the railway network in the weeks following the disaster that claimed the lives of 46 people. At the same time, he praised and thanked Juan Manuel Moreno Bonilla, the Andalusian president, and other leaders of the Partido Popular in Andalucía for their support. Some media outlets portrayed him as an ordinary citizen seeking to share his story, although it turns out he is a businessman who has benefited from contracts with the Andalusian Health Service (SAS) worth more than €800,000...’ 

…...

Ecology: 

From RTVE here: ‘Thousands of people demonstrated this Sunday in cities across Spain to demand an end to hunting and to defend the rights of dogs used in this activity’. It’s no secret that the podencos and other hunting dogs are harshly treated by the ‘cazadores’. 

From The Olive Press here: ‘Spain is ‘full like a sponge’ and under extreme flood risk as up to 500mm (500L/m2) of rain is forecast: Is your area in the ‘purple’ danger zone?’  By lunchtime Wednesday, Grazalema (Cádiz) had reported 300L/m2 and serious flooding according to the TV news. 

The tectonic plates moving together spells earthquakes. ‘Cádiz and Málaga are buckling, Granada and Almería fracturing: Africa unevenly pushes against southern Spain. Tectonic pressure is distributed unevenly across the southern Iberian Peninsula: with continuous deformation in the southwest and greater seismic risk in the southeast’ Diario de Almería reports here. For nervous readers, the article notes that ‘The movements are measured in millimetres per year’. 

…...

Various: 

The Guardian on trains here: ‘Spain is rightly proud of its high-speed trains. But pride alone doesn’t ensure safety. The Sánchez government is under fire after two crashes. But politicians of all stripes have prioritised opening new lines over maintaining existing ones’. 

The names of fifteen Spaniards have appeared – so far – within the notorious Epstein Files. This of course doesn’t make them automatically guilty of any impropriety. El Nacional Cat has the list here. 

From El País here: ‘Where are your neighbours from? A street-by-street map of foreigners. One in five residents of Spain was born in another country. We visualize their origins on an extremely detailed map, from Europeans on the coast to Latin Americans in the big cities’. (Thanks to Jake). 

An historical essay from The Guardian on Spanish jamón here. 

…...

See Spain: 

‘El Castillo de la Mota, located in Medina del Campo (Valladolid) is the most beautiful castle in Spain and also the best preserved: six centuries of history, hundreds of metres open to visitors, and two intertwined cultures’, says Viajar here. 

…...

Finally: 

Háblame de ti is a Spanish soul-blues ballad led by a weathered female vocal called Layah Noir—raw, honest, and demanding. A song about stripping away the masks and asking for the truth, even if it hurts, where silence is no longer an option (actually, not so honest – it’s created by AI). Here on YouTube.