Awake, for morning in the bowl of night has flung the stone that puts
the stars to flight.
And, lo, the hunter of the east has caught the sultan’s turret in a noose of light!

Spanish life is not always likeable but it is compellingly loveable – Christopher Howse: ‘A Pilgrim in Spain.

Cosas de España

An Economy special . . .

Reader David in La Coruña has sent me this BBC article on Spain’s (macro) economic success, pointing out that no mention is made of the still chronic corruption, nor of the public’s heavy reliance on credit. Just a few lines at the end on housing issues and public debt. And no mention at all of potholes. Nor roundabouts, I added. . .

I asked an AI engine why Spain would be getting so much dosh from Brussels, if it had the best-performing economy in the EU. This was the answer: Spain is set to receive a total of €163bn from Next Generation EU funds from the program. Spain has so far received almost €48 billion. It is one of the largest recipients of funds because it is one of the biggest countries in the EU and it experienced one of the sharpest falls in GDP in 2020. Important factors:–

• Economic Impact: Spain experienced one of the sharpest declines in GDP among EU countries in 2020, making it eligible for substantial recovery funds.
• Milestone achievements: Spain leads in the number of milestones and targets achieved, with 18, ahead of Italy and France.
• Strategic Investments: The funds are channelled towards modernizing the railway system, promoting low-emission zones, supporting the EV sector, and providing subsidies for small enterprises.

So, if you are lucky enough to have god-given sun and sand and thus have a huge tourism sector, Brussels will be the gift that goes on giving. I don’t suppose there are many complaints in Madrid. Though – give the constant stream of corruption cases – there might well be some leakage.

Someone else asked about the utilisation of funds and got this answer:- Spain has encountered several challenges in utilizing EU funds, including:

• Administrative capacity: Effectively planning and executing the large amount of funds poses a significant test for Spain’s administrative capabilities. There is a risk of public administrations becoming bogged down in bureaucracy.
• Implementation delays: Spain might face difficulties in meeting investment milestones, leading to delays in the allocation of resources. Details regarding allocation are still missing, which further complicates implementation.
• Underlying structural problems: These require reforms, and the funds are not a panacea for them. How the money is spent will be closely scrutinized.
• Low productivity and employment rate: These are significant factors that hinder convergence with European living standards.
• Inefficient use of funds: Spain is one of the countries that used EU funds the least efficiently between 2014 and 2020. The Court of Auditors found that Spain allocated EU funds to people and projects that did not meet the program requirements.
• Failure to execute budgeted funds: Spain has a history of not managing to spend all the money that it has budgeted. For example, in 2018 the public sector failed to execute almost half the funds allocated for R&D&i.
• Slowness in implementing EU directives: Spain has been slow in putting these into force, taking almost 50% longer than the bloc’s average.

I confess that none of these comes as a surprise. And I suspect that a fear of leakage might well lie behind some of them.

Cousas de Galicia

As I’ve stressed, young and very productive immigrants from South America are vital to Spain’s hugely important tourism industry. So, virtuous immigration. In fact, I read only last week that, here in Galicia, the young locals are less and less interested in seeking jobs in the hostelry business. I wonder where they go instead and my Spanish friends don’t have answers to this question, other than ‘study’ and abroad’.

In their recent pre-announced campaign against cyclists ignoring the law in pedestrian areas, the local police stopped 92 folk who clearly don’t have access to the new. Of these 37 – or 40% – were fined, apparently for riding their bikes, not walking with them. And possibly for weaving in and out of the pedestrians at speed.

Ireland

The Irishare said to have the 2nd highest level of trust in scientists in the EU, after the Spanish. In international rankings, Ireland comes 14th out of 68 countries, above the UK and US. Both Spain and Ireland are ex Catholic countries but they’ve clearly abandoned the Bible as a trustworthy source.

The USA

His fans say that Trump excels in blue-sky or out-of-the-box thinking. Surely, ‘out-of-his-mind’ would be a more apt description.

In Through the Looking Glass, the white queen says she believes 6 impossible things before breakfast. As the early bit of this video shows, the president of the USA emails 3 grifts* to his subscribers before they’ve even woken up. Hardly Trump’s worst crime but still difficult to believe. Except it isn’t, is it? This is a man who reportedly made billions from gullible (and loss-making) acolytes via his bitcoin, as did his wife. I cited an article on stupidity yesterday. This seems to have afflicted around half of the US populace and one wonders if and when it will end.

*I assume this is a noun as well as a verb in the US.

Here and here are videos supporting the claims that Trump was booed and humiliated at the Super Bowl yesterday. I confess that I don’t find them totally convincing.

Spanish

• Recopilatorio: Compilation, collection, recap.
• Cuenta: Usually ‘account’ but can mean ‘bead’
• Drifting: Drifting. To do with road racing, it seems.
• Traer de cabeza: To drive crazy

Did you know?

After many years of wondering I’ve finally found out here what a ‘flat white’ is, only to learn that it’s no longer fashionable. The coffee version I should now be asking for is a ‘long black’ – to maintain my ‘personal branding’. As if that would get me anywhere in Spain outside one of those astonishingly expensive places where they ask for your name.

You Have to Laugh

Finally . . .

As I was walking home down Rúa Real last night, a very pretty young lady stopped me and asked in English if I spoke English or Spanish – almost certainly because I was listening to a podcast in English without the benefit of earphones. Sadly, it was simply to tell me I’d dropped my cap. The irony of this is that I’ve lost a lot of caps over the years and, as I’ve never really liked the one in question, I’ve more than half wanted to lose it for quite some time. So that I could justifying a new one. But it simply won’t lose itself. And, as a child of leaner times, I am reluctant to bin it.

Another irony is that I typed that last paragraph making only 2 typos. In each case it was the word’ ‘English’. But in different ways . . .

Finally, Finally . . .

I woke just before 6 this morning to the sound of a throbbing techno beat that I feared was coming from a party next door. But the source turned to be a car parked more than 100 metres down the hill. It must have been deafening for the person sitting inside it. For god-knows-what reason. [Postscript: I’ve been advised by a neighbour who was woken at 5.30 that it wasn’t techno beat but reguetón/reggaeton. Some of you will know the difference, I guess.]

My thanks to those readers who take the trouble to Like my posts.

The Usual Links . . .

• You can get my posts by email as soon as they’re published. With the added bonus that they’ll contain the typos I’ll discover later. I believe there’s a box for this at the bottom of each post. If you do this but don’t read the posts, I will delete your subscription. So perhaps don’t bother if you have other reasons for subscribing . . .
• For new readers: If you’ve landed here looking for info on Galicia or Pontevedra, try here. If you’re passing through Pontevedra on the Camino, you’ll find a guide to the city there.
• For those thinking of moving to Spain:– This is an extremely comprehensive and accurate guide to the challenge, written by a Brit who lives in both the North and the South and who’s very involved in helping Camino walkers. And this is something on the so-called Beckham Rule, which is beneficial – tax-wise – for folk who want to work here. Finally, some advice on getting a mortgage. And this article ‘debunks claims re wealth and residency taxes’. Probably only relevant if you’re a HNWI. In which case, you’ll surely know what that stands for.