A visitor asked me this week whether it was true that you could get nothing done in Spain without a personal introduction and that, absent this, you were fair game for anyone you came up against in business. My answer was that, whilst exaggerated, it was basically true. As I’ve said more than once, the personal factor is of paramount importance in Spain and all sorts of obstacles disappear once you’re ‘plugged in’ [enchufado]. If not, then anyone you deal with lacks the ‘duty of care’ that they have for those with whom they have a personal connection. It’s all rather black and white; either you will be extremely well treated [even given services for free] or you will regarded almost as if you were an enemy. But it’s all quite logical. If there is a huge onus on you to treat your never-far-away family and friends extraordinarily well, it’s hardly surprising you don’t have much time or sympathy for the rest of the world. This doesn’t, of course, preclude the Spanish being the nicest people on the planet if you meet them in a bar, train, plane, etc. But one should never be taken in by this shallow sociability. Especially if it’s an agent trying to sell you a house, for example.

The peace process in Spain has apparently taken a step backwards. Two or three ETA terrorists were filmed this week letting off shots and vowing they’d never give up their arms until the Basque Country was socialist and independent. Since this almost certainly includes not just Navarra but also bits of southern France, it looks like being an eternity away. Meanwhile – and in the face of strong criticism from the right-of-centre opposition party – the government continues with its probably wise policy of legalising ETA’s political arm, Batasuna. At the moment, there is the worst of all possible worlds, with the party regularly holding meetings and demonstrations which are technically illegal but about which nothing is done by the authorities. Pragmatic but not sustainable.

A correction - I wrote the other day that the amount votable by Catholics to the church via their tax forms had increased slightly. In fact, the percentage rose from around 0.5 to around 0.7%, which is quite a large percentage rise, even if the absolute amount stays small. But I wouldn’t be at all surprised if the church gained in the short term, possibly explaining their acceptance of the very belated deal.

Galicia Facts

Galicia’s spa towns are booming. The number of visitors has increased from 38,000 in 1998 to 100,000 in 2005. Many of these are German, apparently

The average pension in Spain is 725 euros a month, or 8,700 euros a year. Galicia’s average is as the bottom of the national table, taking it closer to the poverty threshold of 6,300 euros a year. Incidentally, 20% Spaniards [8 million] are said to live below this level, with most of these being people over 65 living alone.