Spain Press Review - Monday May 18 2009

Spain Press Review - Monday May 18 2009
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By h.b. - May 18, 2009 - 9:46 AM
Campaigning ahead of the European elections is beginning to show on the Spanish front pages.

Today's El País

El Mundo notes that Zapatero has called the Partido Popular cowards, and has announced a new pact on a new model for growth. Público says the Prime Minister wants to form a pact with the unions on a new productive model, and has said that a new agreement with unions and employers will be in place in the next few weeks.
La Vanguardía says one of the ideas from Zapatero is to increase unemployment payments.
El Mundo has an interview with the Minister for Employment. Celestino Corbacho tells the paper that ‘we cannot become a country of subsidised people’.

Público dedicates its front page to the growth of the black or hidden economy. The paper says that between 12 and 15 million people in Spain are obtaining income working in the black economy and that this now amounts to 19.5% of the country’s GDP. The paper says experts say that it is now worth more than 200 billion Euro.
It compares the percentage of the black economy across different countries – Italy 22%, Spain 19.5%, Germany 14.6%, France 11.6% and the United States 7.6%. The numbers come from Linz university.

El País has more revelations on the Gürtel case, the day ahead of the declaration before the judge of Francisco Camps, the PP leader in Valencia.
The paper says today that the PP treasurer and Senator, Luis Bárcenas, received a backhander of 1.6million € and free travel. The money came from the network led by Francisco Correa, the businessman who has received many
contracts from the party in Madrid and Valencia.

ABC has a headline with Ángel Gabilondo, the Minister for Education, who says that there are some very important and interesting aspects in the Catalan law for education. He says the new ‘Bolonia’ EU education law will see a change in how scholarships are awarded in Spain.

The MP expenses row in Britain has made the front page of El País today, which says that Gordon Brown has promised a ‘hard hand’ against the abuse. El País says the irregular costs have gone from the cleaning of private swimming pools, to the purchase of luxury furniture. The paper says the scandal has sunk the labour party in the polls.
Back in Spain Público tells us today that three out of every four Spanish deputies also have ‘private activities’.

ABC leads with the headline that cutbacks in the Navy has left the patrolling of Spanish coasts at minimum levels.
The paper says the old patrol boats which are taken out of service will not be replaced until 2010, and notes that three out of the four Spanish submarines are currently in dry dock.

El País notes that the Spanish government is to offer work permits to abused foreign women. The paper says the idea of punishing non-governmental organisations which help those who arrive in Spain illegally has been ruled out.
In line with that El País continues a series of reports on how people are sexually exploited in Spain and today headlines the piece ‘They would hit me if I did not make 3,000 €’.

El Mundo leads with more on its conspiracy theory over the Madrid train bombings and dedicates a large front page photo today to the scientist who doubts the findings of the court case, Antonio Iglesias. He claims tests at the time showed TNT and not the Goma 2 Eco. The paper highlights this considering the usual explosive used by ETA could have been present.

There is wide coverage in many papers for the death of the poet from Uruguay, Mario Benedetti. El Mundo has two pages and an obituary on him. El País says that his long life fighting against adversity and in the defence of happiness was put out for ever yesterday. The paper said he made a chronicle of sentiments and died in Montevideo aged 88. His novels and poems are an emblem for readers in Latin America and Spain.

El País notes the arrest in Marbella of a top member of the Italian mafia. Known as El Español or El Gordo, Raffaele Amato headed a gang which has more than 60 deaths in its name between the years 2004 and 2005 according to El País. The paper says he was responsible for the trafficking of all sorts of drugs between Galicia and Naples.

El Mundo says that the SGAE copyright protection organisation wants to convert the Palacio del Infante Don Luis en Boadilla into their new headquarters.

ABC notes that after losing the Galician elections, Sr. Touriño tried to get rid of all the luxury furniture he had previously obtained. The paper says that he tried to return some chairs which cost 2,300 € each, 23 days after the election.

El Mundo notes that Federer has beaten Nadal 19 months on, after the final in Madrid yesterday. ABC has a large front page photo from the award ceremony with Federer removing confetti from Nadal’s hair. It has the caption ‘Federer dries his tears’
El Mundo also notes that Lorenzo won the Moto GP in Le Mans and now leads the world championship table.

And finally,
El Mundo asks the question if it is obligatory for Spain to ‘hacer el ridículo’ in Eurovision every year.

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