Spain Press Review - Thursday June 18 2009
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By h.b. - Jun 18, 2009 - 9:39 AM
The ongoing protests in Iran dominate many of the papers again in Spain today

El Mundo has a front page photo of the continuing protests in Iran, with a woman holding up a poster which reads ‘Where is my vote?’. The paper headlines that Musavi is not backing down in his challenge to Ahmadineyad despite a wave of arrests.
El País also has a front page photo of the ongoing opposition protests and says that Musavi called a day of mourning for the victims so far.
The paper also notes how Twitter is making a mockery of the attempts of control by the ayatollahs. It says the Internet has become the battleground of a worldwide ‘ciberrevolution’.

El Mundo prints more allegations against Alberto Saiz, the head of the Spanish Secret Service CNI, and says that he has been accused of giving jobs in the service to his family and friends.
The paper says that he has been accused of giving jobs to three nephews, to the children of two friends, and to the daughter of one of the two magistrates in the Supreme Court who authorised activity by the CNI which affects fundamental rights.
Saiz wants to give his explanations in secret, but the PP is demanding that an open hearing is held in the Ministry of Defence.

El Mundo prints a report from the Ministry for Equality which opens the way for a judicial process under which members of parliament can enjoy maternity or paternity leave without their party losing representation. The idea is that their places in Congress would be taken over the period by the people who followed them on the election candidate list.

El Mundo has a quote from Felipe González on the recession. The previous Socialist Prime Minister has said that ‘Spain has already hit bottom, but we could be dragging ourselves along the ground for ten years’.
El País tells is that the Bank of Spain will ‘pilot’ the new fund being created by the Government to save those banks and savings banks in trouble here. The paper says that Zapatero has ruled out any new tax increases this year.
ABC headlines that Zapatero has backed a tax increase while at the same time giving more money to the regions.
ABC says that after deciding Cataluña is above the average, he has now promised Andalucía more funds than the rest.
El Mundo reports that the Prime Minister has promised ‘compensations’ to Andalucía, compared to Cataluña. The paper says however that despite that, just as nearly all the regions, the President of the Junta de Andalucía, José Antonio Griñán, has rejected the financing deal offered to José Montilla in Cataluña yesterday.
Público leads this morning with the headline that the Constitutional Court is to approve the ‘essence’ of the Catalan Statute. The paper says the sentence will be made public in July with just two articles being annulled; no longer will judges have to be fluent in Catalan, and the Spanish Ombudsman will be allowed to act also in the region.
La Vanguardia tells its readers that the new Terminal One which opened this week in Barcelona Airport is proving popular.

In other international news, El Mundo notes that Barack Obama has strengthened financial regulations in what is the largest reform of the system since 1929.
Público says it is a wide reform to control banks and markets, with the creation of an agency to protect small investors.
El País makes the story its lead and says that it is the largest reform of the financial sector since the Great Depression. It says the Federal Reserve is tightening controls.

The request by the United States asking Spain to accept four Guantanamo Bay prisoners gets wide coverage. El Mundo says that the four have no charges against them.

El País is among the papers to cover the Spanish cruise liner which is in quarantine following an outbreak of the H1N1 virus.

Back in Spain,
Público says that the Government is to authorise one pay per view channel on the TDT digital terrestrial television system to each operator on the system. The paper also notes that the mobile phone and email have been awarded the Prince of Asturias award for technology this year.
The TDT decision has upset the industry according to El País and has been improvised according to ABC. It notes that Prisa, parent company of El País, Cuatro and Digital Plus, has said it will challenge the law in the courts.

ABC has a photo of the Mayor of Madrid with Prince Alberto of Monaco, and says that Alberto Ruiz-Gallardón has left Lausanne happy about Madrid’s chances of hosting the 2016 Olympics. The paper remembers that it was Prince Alberto’s negative vote which was decisive in Madrid not winning in 2012.

ABC tells is that 264,000 € of the Government’s Plan E fund is going to improve a hut where gardening tools are stored in the Plaza Joan Miró in Barcelona. The paper says that work on the hut is expected to take eight months.

And finally,
El Mundo notes that the ex lead singer of top 80’s group Mecano, Ana Torroja, is in court today accused of a 655,000 € Hacienda fraud.

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