Spanish Press Review
Spain Papers Review - Friday May 9 2008
By h.b. - May 9, 2008 - 9:49 AM
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El País leads with the story that the Minister for Tax and the Economy, Pedro Solbes, has put the breaks on the plan from the Housing Ministry to give financial help to the sector. Solbes considers there should be no intervention to ease the effects of the fall in the construction industry.
Público leads with the story with a graph of the change in housing prices, now falling. The paper says that Solbes has warned that he will not stop the ‘necessary adjustment’ in the construction industry. He has complained about the ‘real estate excesses’ of recent years and rejected any help plans for the businesses.
Barcelona paper La Vanguardia says that Solbes has said the real estate crisis is necessary.
El Mundo headlines today that the Minister for the Interior, Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba, has now announced a tougher line from the Government against the ‘avalanche’ of immigrants.
The paper says he will extend the current 40 days limit that an immigrant can be held ahead of repatriation and adds that if repatriations do not take place we will be strengthening the mafias.
El País says the limit is to be increased to 60 days.
El Mundo notes that the numbers of immigrants with legal residence in Spain at the end of March is up almost a million over the year at 4.2 million – 30% more than in 2007.
The main picture on the front page in El Mundo, shows the national police acting in Coslada yesterday, as they swooped to act against corrupt local police in the Madrid town.
El Mundo headlines – Sheriff Ginés gang falls – the largest police mafia in Spain. El Mundo says local police chief, Ginés Jiménez, and 25 agents were arrested, all charged with extortion.
El País reports that the corrupt local police extorted immigrants and the owners of local bars – ‘Pay up or we close you down’.
ABC headlines the news and reminds us that Coslada Town Hall is Socialist controlled. It says that 29 people were arrested in total
El Mundo continues with its attacks on the Basque health service, and today reveals that each doctor in the region sees double the number of patients than that recommended.
El País gives prominence to the case of a man in Madrid who is about to be released from prison for abusing his daughters. One has since committed suicide and he now regains parental rights over the other who is now 10 years old.
El Mundo notes that Julián Muñoz, the ex Mayor of Marbella, has reached a deal with the prosecutor and will only serve three years in prison for nearly 100 separate court cases.
ABC notes that the Minister for Justice, Sr. Bermejo has denied that the judiciary is in chaos. The paper says that he has blamed the delays in the cases currently on Franco.
In international stories:
El Mundo reports that Hezbollah have taken over Beirut airport and that combat is becoming more generalised in Lebanon.
El País considers that Hezbollah has declared war against the Lebanon government and prints a front page photo. The paper says Hezbollah are supported by Iran and Syria.
ABC is the first Spanish media to get into Burma after the cyclone. Pablo M Diéz says that he has spent the last five days without power or water, burning mountains of bodies. He reports that nearly half the more than 100,000 dead are children, and that hunger is now threatening the survivors.
Back in Spain:
El Mundo continues with its look at Partido Popular politics and notes that the Number Two from the Madrid regional government, and others in the party are calling on Mariano Rajoy to reveal his new opposition team.
Barcelona papers El Periodico and La Vanguardia both lead with the sacking of Frank Rijkaard as Barcelona manager. El Periodico says he will leave the club on June 30 and Pep Guardiola has been confirmed as his successor.
And finally
Público reports in a two page special on the increasing graffiti in London.
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