Spanish Press Review
Spain Papers Review - Thursday May 15 2008
By h.b. - May 15, 2008 - 9:31 AM
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El Mundo says one of the two posted guards at the barracks was killed by falling rubble after the blast which happened just as he was raising the alarm about the van parked outside.
El Mundo considers that ETA has tried to create a massacre of Civil Guards, women and children in order to put pressure on Zapatero. The paper notes that there were seven children, seven women and 14 guardia civiles in the barracks at the time of the blast.
El Mundo has a photo of a civil guard protecting the area as investigators comb the scene.
El País has a similar photo and says that ETA was trying to create a massacre at the barracks where there were 15 families inside. The paper notes that Zapatero and Rajoy have agreed an anti-terrorist consensus following the blast.
ABC considers that ETA wanted a massacre of women and children in Álava. The paper notes the leader of the Basque parliament, Juan José Ibarretxe, has referenced the attack, coming just six days before his planned meeting with the Prime Minister, where he wants to put forward his plans for a referendum on self-determination. Zapatero has already dismissed such a vote taking place. ABC notes that in Congress yesterday the Socialists broke into applause when Mariano Rajoy offered consensus from the P.P. in the fight against ETA.
Público leads with the PP response and headlines that the Partido Popular returns, finally, to unity against ETA. The paper lists the previous ETA attacks where no PP unity was forthcoming, but shows deputies on the steps of Congress in a five minute silence yesterday.
El Periódico says that Rajoy has taken the PP to join the common front against ETA, which the paper notes also included the PNV, Basque Nationalist Party.
El Mundo continues its observations on the fighting in the Partido Popular and says today that Maria San Gil has threatened to leave the post of leader of the party in Basque Country, unless she sees a change from the party leader, Mariano Rajoy. The paper says she has given him 40 days.
El País has a quote headline, said by Maria San Gil to Rajoy – ‘I have a problem of confidence with you’. The paper also notes that she has threatened to resign as PP leader in the Basque region unless she sees a change in 40 days.
ABC also gives the story prominence and says that the position of Maria San Gil has left some of her regional colleagues ‘perplexed’.
El Mundo notes that the Constitutional Court has backed the new legislation which allows for greater sentences for men than for women in domestic violence cases. The paper notes the judges voted to support the difference, despite the general principle of equality in the Constitution, by seven votes to five.
El País notes the decision – hitting a woman will be more harshly punished than hitting a man.
El País notes the idea in some parts of Spain, of distributing immigrant children across local schools and colleges. The idea is that the process will help in preventing the establishment of ghettos.
El Mundo notes that the economy grew by only 0.3% in the first quarter of this year, less than half the rate seen in the last quarter of last year.
Hardly any international coverage today on the Spanish front pages, dominated by the ETA attack. However, El País notes that five gypsy encampments have been set fire to in the south of Italy. The paper quotes a Bosnian Gypsy who claims that Italy is preparing racist laws.
La Vanguardia in Barcelona reports a U turn by the regional government which has once again banned the filling of swimming pools in the region, because of the drought and in spite of recent torrential rain.
And finally,
El Mundo reports that the Barcelona star player Bojan has asked to be excused from representing Spain in the European Cup – citing ‘personal reasons’.
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