BoT 627

 

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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April 9 2026            Nº 627          

  

Editorial: 

Down past the Castellana, on the bit called Paseo de Recoletos, opposite the Biblioteca Nacional de España, is a marvelous old watering hole called the Café Gijón, founded in 1888. It’s probably Madrid’s most famous joint, along with the Bar Chicote (perennially popular since 1931 for its cocktails), Viva Madrid (where the hep out-of-towners would meet), the good old Cervecería Alemana (there used to be a sign there: ‘We don’t serve hippies. They don’t like us, and we don’t like them’), and there’s the Café Central (for the best live jazz since 1982).

I used to enjoy the Café Gijón. It was olde-worlde and had mirrors everywhere, a house bootblack, free newspapers in a wooden frame, elderly waiters in white jackets, and an inevitable clutch of poets or philosophers arguing happily between each other while seated around one of the tables (it didn’t run to a bar). Spain used to do these things so well.

I had a French girlfriend back in 1980 when I was living in Madrid. Walking into the Gijón one day, I saw her sitting by herself at a table next to a window and enjoying a coffee. I ambled over and sat down – Bonjour, qu'est-ce que tu fais ici? I asked (those ten years of French at school stood me well with Huguette).

‘Who the hell are you’, she answered back in Spanish – and as it happened she had a point, since it turned out to be somebody entirely different.

Does that ever happen to you?

There’s a scene in La Colmena (a book about the penniless intellectuals in post-war Franco’s times) where a poet drops something on the floor. When he looks up from below – he finds that his marble-topped table is in fact a reversed tombstone mounted on the ornate metal legs of the slab with the inscription of some departed Spaniard inscribed thereon.

All the tables, he discovers looking around, are the same.

Do you remember those old off-white tables, before the Mahou plastic ones came along?

The years pass. Now the Museo Chicote, with its Guinness Book collection of bottles, has a disc-jockey. The Viva Madrid (1856) still sounds good – although it has turned into a cocktail bar, the Cervecería Alemana (1904) the best for ice-cold beer (rich hippies welcome) although now only with table service, and the Café Central (where you could see jazz greats like Pedro Iturralde and Jorge Pardo), well, the owner just put the rent up, so the jazz bar closes next week to move to El Ateneo de Madrid, just a few minutes away.

As for the Café Gijón, the very best of them all (where I would meet my father when he was in town), the place was boarded up last year but has now reopened as a more professional operation.

Let’s see what they say: OKDiario gushes with ‘The historic Café Gijón, located on the Paseo de Recoletos, is embarking on a new chapter after its acquisition by the Majorcan Cappuccino Group, a deal that has generated considerable excitement in the city. After months of closure and renovations, the establishment is reopening with a promise to respect its legacy, but also with a necessary update to adapt to modern times…’

Here’s El Mundo: ‘Madrid's Café Gijón reopens, 'asking' for tips in the US style and targeting international luxury tourists’. It says that ‘…The lively conversations that used to fill the afternoons have given way to an offering geared towards high-spending tourists, in which traditional dishes have been replaced by an international menu’.

The bill, when you ask for it, now comes with ‘a suggested gratuity’ of 10 or 15% on top.

See, here in Spain – until yesterday at least – we don’t tip. The staff’s emolument is included in the bill. Half the time, if you do leave the change (a few coins, not more), the boss gets to keep it anyway. 

…...

Housing: 

Negocios says that the Idealista house-listings service tends to feature the worser deals as they stay behind after the better properties have been sold. ‘It has become the cemetery of property offers’ says the article: ‘an inventory of the unsalable’. 

From The Guardian here: ‘Not if, but when: how Spain’s coastal towns are preparing for tsunamis. In the holiday hotspots of the Costa del Sol, the risks are rarely mentioned. But in neighbouring Cádiz, the country’s first tsunami-ready town is leading by example’.

…...

Tourism:

From HostelTur here: ‘Tourist spending grows three times faster than visitor arrivals in the first months of 2026. Spain received 10.7 million visitors between January and February, a 2% increase, but they spent over €15.400 million, 6.9% up over the same period last year’. 

The Easter parades in Málaga, Seville and Córdoba had screens installed by the city halls behind the paid-for seating to stop the great unwashed from enjoying the view.

…...

Seniors: 

Inheritance, with 65 y Más here: ‘In Spain, being excluded from a will doesn't always mean losing all inheritance rights. Spanish law protects certain heirs, especially children, spouses, and parents, through what is known as the "legitimate share." This guarantees that a portion of the inheritance is legally theirs, even if the testator doesn't mention them’. This article is written to follow Spanish law (not necessarily applicable to foreign residents and tourists. Google says: ‘Foreign residents in Spain can choose their national law to govern their estate, avoiding forced heirship rules. However, without a will electing this, Spanish law applies, requiring two-thirds of assets to go to descendants. Inheritance tax must be paid on Spanish assets, with rates and allowances varying significantly by region’). 

…...

Finance: 

From The Corner here: ‘Tax revenue up by more than 10% in 2025, public deficit down to 2.2%’. From 20Minutos here: ‘The Spanish Tax Agency this week kicks off a new income tax campaign, in which more than twenty million taxpayers are called upon to settle their accounts with the tax authorities for their income received in 2025. The campaign will run until June 30th’.   

From Público here: ‘Spain has surpassed 22 million registered workers for the first time – in seasonally adjusted terms – (22,010,532 employed), with an increase of 80,274 in the last month. This significant news was celebrated by the Pedro Sánchez himself, who wore a Spanish national team jersey with the number 22 on the back (with video)’. 

‘The war in Iran has highlighted the value of renewable energy as an independent source of power in the face of the oil crisis. In this context, Third Vice President Sara Aagesen has returned to the forefront of real-world politics as one of the key figures responsible for trying to contain the inflationary wave unleashed by the US attack on the Islamic Republic’. She’s interviewed by El País under the headline: ‘Aagesen says the war in Iran will accelerate the energy transition: “Renewables give us autonomy”’. 

From Diario de Avisos here: ‘Government Confirmed: Families will receive a universal allowance of €200 per month for each dependent child. The universal childcare allowance will directly benefit parents with children under 18’. 

I was in my bank yesterday, which now has a sign that reads ‘More is Less – we close the cashier’s window after 11.30am to Serve You Better’. Not only this (as they charge me for having a savings account) – from 65 y Más we read ‘Spain is the European country with the most bank branch closures. Since 2008, it has lost 28,473 bank branches, representing 30% of all closures in Europe’. 

Madrid, like Barcelona and Valencia, has adopted la gentrificacíon, urban renovation where the rents go up, the old joints are closed down or turned into vanity or impulse stores in a system known to Spanish economists as Premium Mediocre – that’s to say, cheaply expensive. It sounds swell, looks good and costs a little more, whether it’s a Starbucks outlet, bubble coffee, choosing Uber over a taxi, a bottle of designer water, food that photographs better than it tastes, dragon fruit, stores with boiled pick and mix sweets sold by weight or Pistachio chocolate from Dubai… and of course voting Partido Popular (a couple of years back, it would have been supporting Ciudadanos, eating mangoes and putting watercress in sandwiches, but times change).  Bohemia is out, Bourgeoise is in. If this all means that the rents have gone up, well that’s the point. 

From El País here: ‘The tax cut puts Spain among the countries with the cheapest gasoline in the EU. Fuel prices have fallen after government intervention, although they are still more expensive than before the start of the Iran conflict at most service stations’. 

…...

Politics: 

The Andalucía elections (May 17th) will probably find Juanma Moreno from the PP returning as president (perhaps hampered by the ball and chain of Vox). Andalucía always used to be PSOE, from Felipe González through Chaves to Griñán and la Susanica – none of them, looking back, perhaps very inspiring. Could the new candidate María Jesús Montero do any better? (El Mundo thinks not). 

One change is on for Andalucía politics – a bit late but still: the PSOE’s natural allies, all those little far-left parties, have managed to sink their differences and Sumar, Podemos, IU and four other parties will be running with Por Andalucía under the leadership of Antonio Maíllo.  

Vox is having issues with its militants (after several senior ones have been fired or have walked) and we see at El Mundo that ‘Nearly two out of three Vox voters are calling for an urgent congress. The majority of supporters back the request from critics, which the party leadership rejects’. 

El Periódico headlines with: ‘Javier Ortega Smith reveals Vox's secrets (and a few luscious scandals): ‘Santiago Abascal has sold out to economic interests; his own and others’. ‘José María Figaredo has no real power in the party; he's a pawn’, and ‘In Vox, money arrives and becomes a salary for the president's wife’. 

…...

War: 

On Tuesday night, we appear to have dodged a bullet (I was all set to change my editorial). From The Olive Press here: ‘Pedro Sanchez welcomes Iran war ceasefire but fires broadside at Donald Trump. The premier said that Spain will not applaud ‘those who set the world on fire because they show up later with a bucket’’. 

‘On the first day, Sánchez took a stand against the war and the Partido Popular responded by arguing that the Spanish government was isolated in Europe. Perhaps the party lacks anyone with expertise in international relations or reacts to events on a daily basis, but it soon became clear that this wasn't true. Macron, Starmer, Merz, and Meloni all ended up offering a message similar to Sánchez's. Feijóo had opted for a fictional narrative that required standing on the side of freedom and against tyrants. European governments abandoned their demagoguery and admitted that the war is illegal and harms Europe's interests, however detestable the Iranian regime may be…’ Opinion from Iñigo Sáenz de Ugarte at elDiario.es 

…...

Europe: 

Not the best timing perhaps, but the Global Sumud Flotilla is to leave Barcelona port on April 12th with some eighty boats for Gaza. The story at Catalunya Press here. 

…...

Corruption: 

From LaSexta here. ‘The Valencian government is investigating the exorbitant annual fuel costs claimed for (disgraced ex-president and apparent candidate) Francisco Camps' car: at a whopping 15,000€ - or 1,200€ per month, which would be equivalent to traveling from Valencia to Madrid every day for a year’. 

…...

Courts: 

From El País here: ‘The big question that defines the Kitchen trial and impacts the PP: Who ordered the spying on Luis Bárcenas? The National Court is preparing to host the long-awaited hearing against the top officials of the Interior Ministry and the police under Rajoy government's secret operation to destroy evidence of its own corruption with the help of police officers, in an attempt to sabotage the investigation into the Gürtel case, which foundered the party’ (causing it to fall in a motion of censure in 2018). The trial started on Monday and is expected to last for three months. From elDiario.es here: ‘…The major trial is beginning for one of the most scandalous secret operations of our political era. Because it's not just a case of corruption, which is serious enough as it is, but we're talking about a police plot orchestrated by the last government using classified funds to destroy evidence of that corruption. We call it the Caso Kitchen – an operation to take away from Luís Bárcenas (the ex-party treasurer) the documents that implicated the president’. Unremarkably, some names, including María Dolores de Cospedal and the mysterious M. Rajoy, have somehow failed to have been investigated. 

Another trial began on Tuesday – this time the PSOE is in the dock, with the disgraced ex-minister José Luis Ábalos. Unlike the Caso Kitchen, which has taken thirteen years to get to the courts, the Caso Ábalos has moved rather faster. The trial is divided into four sections – one of which includes another senior ex-PSOE politician – Santos Cerdán. 

…...

Media: 

Often, if an item sounds a bit squiffy, it’s time to visit the fact-checking Maldita. Here we read that the poor Noelia who sought euthanasia following her various ordeals, was raped by (of course!) a group of immigrants. The fake story comes ‘amplified in Twitter by MAGA-groups, plus anti-immigration or pro-Russian accounts published widely since the day before her death’. 

The PPox, bless its cotton socks, is enraged that more and more viewers are switching to the national TV channels (TVE1, TVE2 and the public radio) for their news, which is, of course, balanced. Not ‘fair and balanced’ like Fox News, or in Spain the regional TVs like TVG, Canal Sur and TeleMadrid which are fast losing viewers according to El Plural here. What to do? Well, the PP-dominated Senate is on the attack against our best newscasters (although they haven’t gone after me yet). VerTele says: ‘RTVE President José Pablo López cites TVE1’s positive and growing audience figures to defend the Corporation’s role in the face of the PP’s offensive’. 

…...

Various: 

From Eye on Spain here: ‘For many of us, the local "bar de barrio" is the heartbeat of Spanish life. It’s where we have our first café con leche of the morning, where we catch up on the local gossip, and where the waiter knows exactly what your order is before you open your mouth. However, a report from The Telegraph highlights a worrying trend: Spain is losing its traditional bars at a rate of roughly one per day. As the property market evolves and modern tastes shift, the classic "no-frills" tavern—with its stainless-steel counters, paper napkins on the floor, and legendary tapas—is under threat…’ 

Donnie beats Pedro in this YouTube clip: ‘Spanish PM Humiliated as Trump’s Revenge Attack Goes Viral’. Some amusing and contentious comments… 

From Eye on Spain here: ‘The Library of San Lorenzo - Spectacular! In the 16th century, King Phillip II of Spain wanted to build a library that would hold not only books and manuscripts of philosophy and theology but also instruments of scientific learning such as ornate globes and astrolabes, both celestial and terrestrial, and maps of the known world…’ 

It may sound like a joke, but in 1975, the Spanish government led by Arias Navarro considered going to war with Portugal. From a blog called Las labores y los días, we learn that the Revolución de los Claveles in Portugal (I was in Beja that week in mid-April 1974) was looking to turn into a Communist revolution by the following year with the apparent support of the USSR. Henry Kissinger apparently saved the day, pushing for the social-democratic leader Mario Soares to stand for leadership of the troubled country. 

…...

See Spain: 

From Eye on Spain here: ‘The Best Cycling Roads in Spain. Sometimes remarkable coastal roads become tourist attractions, their level of allure directly proportional to how many bends and curves they have. A drive along one of these scenic routes guarantees impressive landscapes and dramatic views – and maybe a bit of vertigo, too. Discover some of Spain's best drivers' roads...’ 

…...

Letters:

Can you speak up a bit? Minority languages. 

As a linguist by education and training, I think it's marvellous that regional languages like euskera and catalán have survived, despite Franco's best efforts to extinguish them during his "reign". Similarly, does it not enrich the culture of a country like the UK to have other languages prospering? I'm talking about Scots Gaelic, Manx, Welsh, Irish Gaelic. Sadly, Cornish appears to have died out. Other Gaelic languages survive as Breton in Brittany, France, and galego in Galicia, Spain.

I live in rural Andalucía, and it took me several years to get used to the accent.

One of my degree languages is German. I speak it every day with my wife, who is German. When we visit Baden-Wuertemberg in south Germany, I have to cope with Badisch and Schwaebisch. Impossible. The Bavarian dialect is a mystery also and as for Swiss German? Forget it! I've not mentioned Plattdeutsch or Lippisch? What about the German spoken in the former East Germany?

But I stick to my viewpoint that minor languages and accents are all part of the rich tapestry of linguistic life all over the world. Long may they continue! 

Pablo 

Well ... as a former 'English as a Foreign Language' teacher, my own personal views over many years’ experience are that the world's main problem in communication and understanding our fellow human beings when they speak - or listen - is that there are just far too many languages and regional dialects and accents. It stands to reason that there would be much better communication and understanding if the present excessive number of languages, dialects and accents could be substantially reduced. This is particularly important in this current era of mass travel around the globe. I take issue with Pablo's endorsement of a 'rich tapestry of linguistic life ...' - it's hardly of much use if virtually no-one can understand it! I rest my case! 

Arran 

…...

Finally: 

My house is full of geckos, so – how do they hold on to the walls, the window and even the ceiling? Here’s the eccentric Ze Frank on this very subject at YouTube.