Spanish Press Review
Spain Papers Review - Wednesday July 16 2008
By h.b. - Jul 16, 2008 - 9:45 AM
email this article |
El Mundo leads with the news that the Judiciary are to investigate whether any trickery was use by the ETA terrorist, Iñaki de Juana Chaos, so that he could keep his flat in San Sebastian.
The paper says the Prosecutor has asked the National Court to see if he and his wife have carried out the crime of hiding assets to avoid an embargo of 8 million € which should have gone to the victims. The paper says his wife, Irati Aranzabal, is paying 1,951 € a month for the mortgage, but only has a small income.
El Mundo reports that Juan José Ibarretxe has said that Zapatero has effectively suspended the Basque Government with his challenge to their plans for a referendum on self-government.
El País also has the story.
The cabinet has meanwhile told the lehendakari that he can put forward a reform to the Constitutional Court if he wants to make his referendum legal.
El Mundo reports that the PSOE Socialist party has asked for clarification on the relationship of Carlos Vela, who is now employed by the troubled builder Martinsa, but who was, it’s alleged, key in the granting of a 1 billion € loan to the company when in his previous employ at Caja Madrid.
The paper says the Government is looking at a plan of buying land to help those real estate companies who are in difficulties.
El País leads with the headline that the crisis in Martinsa leaves the homes of 12,500 families in the air. The paper says the group’s total debt is 7 billion, and it shows a photo of Chairman, Fernando Martín leaving work yesterday.
ABC considers that the case is putting the whole building sector on edge, and has caused an earthquake on the Stock Market. The paper says the Ibex 35 fell by 4.5% yesterday.
Público highlights what it calls the domino effect from the scandal, and says that as many as 4,000 jobs could be affected. The paper says that there are four areas of effect – the Stock Market, Constructors, Banks and the purchasers of the property.
La Vanguardia considers that the fall of Martinsa has damaged the confidence in the economy as a whole.
El Mundo describes the man who made off with bags of money from a security van outside a bank in a Sevilla town yesterday, the new loner – a reference to El Solitario, the famous bank robber who was Spain’s most wanted for a time. The paper notes that one guard was shot dead and the other was injured.
With the data on regional funding now published, El Mundo notes that the Madrileños and Catalans pay 82% of the so-called solidarity payments between the regions – in other words they make up the difference when a region cannot cover its own funding needs.
El País considers that the fiscal balances are stirring up the debate on regional financing, and that Cataluña wants to join forces with the other regions who contribute the most.
ABC notes that Madrid and the Balearics pay in more to the state than they receive and more than Cataluña.
El Mundo says there is upset in the police as the translation of a judicial order written in Catalan delayed a police raid for two hours yesterday. It was part of the anti-money laundering raids carried out across four provinces in Spain yesterday.
The paper continues to criticise the regional languages and today says that the signs in Galicia also systematically break the requirement by law to be bilingual.
ABC notes that two Civil Guards in the Madrid town of El Molar are accused of looking the other way in the face of local drug trafficking. The head of the local police is also charged with failing to report a crime.
In international news, El País notes the appearance of the first video of a questioning session in Guantanamo Bay. The defence team of a Canadian youth, who was just 15 when captured in Afghanistan, has released the film.
El País also reports that the Democratic Candidate, Barack Obama, is to centre his anti-terrorism strategy on Afghanistan.
And finally,
El Periódico de Catalunya has a photo of Brazilian player Ronaldinho – Arrivederci says the paper as the Barça player heads for Milan in a 25 million € deal.
MORE RELATED ARTICLES :
• Spain Papers Review - Friday August 29 2008 - Aug 29, 2008 - 11:05 AM
• Spain Papers Review - Thursday August 28 2008 - Aug 28, 2008 - 7:53 PM
• Spain Papers Review - Wednesday August 27 2008 - Aug 27, 2008 - 2:06 PM
• Spain Papers Review - Tuesday August 26 2008 - Aug 26, 2008 - 10:09 AM
• Spain Papers Review - Monday August 25 2008 - Aug 25, 2008 - 11:30 AM
• Spain Papers Review - Tuesday August 5 2008 - Aug 5, 2008 - 11:21 AM