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In March, 2,750 flats and houses were sold in Catalonia, 13.9% less than a year ago in the same month. 32.5% were newly built homes and 67.5% were second hand ones. The previous worst month of the economic crisis had been December 2011, when 2,778 housing units were sold. However, the results from March represent the lowest level of housing sales since January 2007. The reasons behind this drop are the economic recession and the crisis of the real estate sector. In the whole of Spain, housing sales dropped by 12.6% compared to a year ago, with 22,086 flats and houses sold. However, at a Spanish level, the worst month in the last few years is still April 2012, when 21,551 housing units were sold.

During the weekend, the Spanish Finance Minister, Cristóbal Montoro, stated that the Catalan Government’s deficit for 2013 will not be above 2%. The Catalan Government has been asking for a 2.1% deficit target, corresponding to a third of the 6.3% that was announced by the Spanish Government as the figure allowed for Spain’s entire public sector. On Friday, several high-level meetings to discuss the issue were held in Barcelona between members of both executives. On Monday, the Spanish Prime Minister, Mariano Rajoy, stated that in his meeting with the President of the Catalan Government, Artur Mas, they did not discuss specific figures. He also stated that no figure will be decided on until the European Union officially confirms Spain’s 6.3% total deficit target.

As has been traditional over the last 58 years, when spring arrives the city of Girona dresses up with flowers and colours abound during a week at the festival “Girona, Temps de Flors”. There is much more than flowers: music and gastronomy also participate in this festival of smells, tastes and magic images of a city that completely changes from the 11th to the 19th May. In this edition the floral installations are displayed in 142 spaces, eleven more than last year, consolidating the Festival as the most important floral event in Catalonia.

Barcelona hockey team RC Polo has won the third final play-off match 4-1 against Madrid-based Club de Campo this Sunday and has become Spanish league champion. In a hard fought final, RC Polo won the first match 3-5 in Madrid while Club de Campo came back by beating RC Polo in the second game 3-6 on Saturday.

Barça celebrated their latest league title with a well earned win at the Vicente Callderon, where the league’s third placed team and finalist in next week’s Cup final received the Champions with a guard of honour. After a pretty placid first half, Atletico went ahead, FC Barcelona switched to a three man defence and–reduced to 10 men by an injury to Messi – went for the jugular, scoring twice and showing all the pride and bravery that has helped to make them the league champions once again.

Barça have won their 22nd Spanish League title, their fourth in the last five years. Without counting the times FC Barcelona have won consecutive league titles, this is the first time that the Blaugrana have managed to win again the League after losing it the year prior. With four matches left on the schedule this year, Vilanova’s men claimed La Liga with 88 points (28 victories, 4 draws and 2 defeats).

On the occasion of the kick-off of the 2013 Barcelona International Motor Show, the Spanish Prime Minister, Mariano Rajoy, and 3 ministers (Finance, Economy and Industry) visited Barcelona on Friday. They held several meetings with the President of the Catalan Government, Artur Mas, and the Catalan Finance Minister, Andreu Mas-Colell. Mas and Rajoy talked for 20 minutes about Catalonia’s deficit target for 2013 and the budget for this year. Officially, they have not discussed the self-determination process. In addition, Mas also met with Luís De Guindos, Spain’s Minister for the Economy. Mas-Colell met with De Guindos and Cristóbal Montoro, the Spanish Finance Minister.

Catalonia’s GDP decreased by 0.3% between January and March 2013, while the Spanish economy dropped by 0.7% in the same period. The Catalan figure represents a more gentle drop compared to the last quarter of 2012, when the Catalan economy plummeted by 0.7%. However, looking at the annual figures, results from March 2013 represent a 1.9% drop compared to March 2012. Exports and tourism are the main economic engines. However, the improvement is also due to the fact that domestic consumption continued to post negative figures but they were still better than in the previous months. The data are early estimations calculated by the Catalan Statistics Institute (Ideascat) and the Catalan Economy Ministry, released on Friday.

The opposition has denounced “the insult to intelligence” and the “ridiculousness” of changing the official name of the Catalan language in Aragon. Catalan has been spoken in the eastern part of Aragon for almost a thousand years. In addition, the regional parliament has also changed the name of Aragonese, a minority language also spoken for many centuries in Aragon’s Pyrenean valleys. The People’s Party (PP) and a minority regional party called PAR have changed the law ruling Aragon’s official languages. Spanish is now considered the only official language in all Aragon and LAPAO (formerly Catalan) and LAPAPYP (Aragonese) are secondary languages. University experts have strongly criticised this decision which goes against all scientific criteria. From Catalonia, the situation is perceived as another attack on the Catalan language and an attempt to eradicate it from certain areas.

The ‘Rossinyol’ project aims to improve social problems faced by foreigners such as inequality and social exclusion. It is an adapted version of the ‘Nightingale’ program, consolidated in different European cities, and was brought to Girona due to migratory patterns. The ‘Rossinyol’ project is based on a mentoring network helping the inclusion process of immigrant children. Volunteer university students play a tutorial role for Primary or Secondary school foreign students who are in difficult economic and social situations. In 2006, the project was implemented for the first time both in Catalonia and Spain thanks to the University of Girona. Now the project is applied by different organisations in the province of Barcelona and in Navarra, in the north of Spain.

The XX performed last week at the Poble Espanyol in Barcelona. The band from London played songs from their hit albums ‘xx’ and ‘Coexist’. Besides their great performance, Barcelona-based producer John Talabot also put on a great show with his first album ‘ƒIN’. Talabot’s music can be labeled as melodious techno, with a dark and creepy atmosphere. The Catalan producer played for less than an hour after which the stage was rebuilt for The XX.

Catalan rider Dani Pedrosa won the MotoGP race at Jerez Circuit last Sunday, leaving behind him outstanding rookie Marc Márquez and the current World Champion Jorge Lorenzo. The two Spanish riders were responsible for the confrontation of the day, as their motorbikes collided on the final corner, recently named after Lorenzo, where Márquez stole his second position. The Moto2 category also finished with a Catalan victory led by Esteve Rabat, as well as Moto3, with Maverick Viñales at the top of the podium.

The Catalan Parliament replies by approving the creation of a parliamentary commission on Catalonia’s right to self-determination with 79.3% of yes votes. The commission will study ways to organise a vote on the hypothetical independence from Spain. It is the first time in Spain a court has suspended an entire declaration that has no legal value and has been approved by a parliament. The declaration has no direct legal effect, as it is only a political statement stating that the Catalan people are sovereign to decide on their own collective future. The Spanish Government firstly downplayed the text and later, following the advice of its legal services, decided to appeal against it. By admitting the Spanish Government’s appeal against the text, the Constitutional Court temporarily suspended the Declaration until a sentence is issued.

The Saló de l’Automòbil exhibition is the main meeting point for the automobile industry in Spain and will take place at the Montjuïc trade fair from May 9th to the 19th. 22 car brands and 32 premieres are announced: two worldwide, four European and 26 at Spanish level. The showing coincides with the Spanish Formula 1 Grand Prix at the Circuit de Catalunya and the extreme sports event X Games of Barcelona, completing a motor week in the Catalan capital. Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy will kick off the Motor Show on Friday the 10th of May.

The international business of the Catalan energy company has been the main driving force behind the profit increase in the January-March period, compared to a year ago. Gas Natural Fenosa’s EBITDA which come from its international business increased by 8.1% while that coming from the Spanish market dropped by 2%. International business represented 44.1% of Gas Natural Fenosa’s total consolidated turnover during the first three months of this year. The consolidated EBITDA reached €1.33 billion, 2.2% higher than that reached in the first quarter of 2012. The company’s debt levels reached 50.9%.