When I first started coming to Spain in the early 70s, some folk considered it tantamount to suicide to venture onto the roads here. And, if you read about the amount of drinking and driving done by the protagonists in Graham Greene’s 1984 novel Monsignor Quixote, you can readily see why. So, you can understand how good today’s news is that deaths on the road again reduced significantly last year and were, for the first time, below the number of suicides.
The other good news today is that on June 22 the government will tell all the regional health authorities of its plans for a full public-space smoking ban. It’ll still be necessary to get approval of the Bill from Congress but, at the moment at least, there’s all-party support for the measure. In truth, we’re blessed now with at least three smoke-free wi-fi cafés here in Pontevedra but it will be wonderful to go into any bar or restaurant and be free of fumes. Speaking on behalf of non-smokers, of course.
And still more good news . . . When I asked at the library today whether I could join more than one book club, I was told I could sign up for as many as I liked. Except the Portuguese one, as it was already fully subscribed. Which, I have to admit, was not a huge disappointment. Anyway, we clearly have a better class of bureaucrat here in Pontevedra than in Vigo. Or I have more charm than my friend Anthea . . . Not.
And yet more good news . . . The Opposition has put forward economy-related proposals than could perhaps form the basis for discussion of the ‘State pact’ which most people feel would be a good thing but fear will fall victim to Spain’s rather-more-tribal-than-elsewhere politics. We will see.
And now for the bad news . . . As I was walking into town this morning, it struck me it was impressive that the end of the boom and the resultant recession had not led to any serious anti-immigrant developments in Spain. Only then to see the headline in El País about the very increased percentage of Spaniards(77) who now think there are too many immigrants here. Oh, dear.
I wrote a week or two back that I was confused consumer confidence was rising in Spain, whereas it was falling in France. Well, sanity (or honesty) has been restored and it’s now reported to have fallen again, on fears that the recession here is worse than people thought. Or deeper than their government regularly assured them it was.
El Mundo today reported that the leader of the ruling party in Mallorca – who recently resigned amidst a raft of corruption allegations – used a network of 30 ghost companies to siphon millions of euros into her commodious pockets. I seem to recall the lady was quoted as saying last week that you had to be in business to make money. Or several in her case. Virtually. No wonder she was smiling broadly as she left office. But nice to see town hall corruption is a gender-neutral profession in Spain.
Finally . . . There’s a new link on the right hand side of this page, to Qorreo. This is a new English-language journal covering affairs in the Spanish world. God knows how it will make money and survive but please do your bit by reading it.
Stop-press: Best news of the day:- France 0: Spain 2
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