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Catalan prisons besieged by public employees protesting over working conditions

January 13, 2012 11:26 PM | CNA

Prison employee unions and the Catalan Government, which manages all prisons in Catalonia, have carried an arm wrestling over the past few weeks. Trade unions have been impeding access to some Catalan prisons on three occasions: in early December and this week. The Government claims these actions are illegal, represent a risk and refuses to negotiate under this threat. Unions are mainly protesting over salary cuts and a lack of human resources.

The Spanish Government will set a spending limit and sanctions for Autonomies that do not meet the deficit objectives

January 13, 2012 11:26 PM | CNA / Gaspar Pericay Coll

Catalonia already approved its own spending limit through a law of its own last September. The Spanish Vice President, Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría, explained that the new Budget Stability and Sustainability Law will introduce “mechanism corrections” and “almost automatic” sanctions for public administrations that do not meet the deficit objectives. In addition, before approving their budget, the Autonomies and large city town councils will have to commit to a spending limit and present detailed reports on several aspects of the budget. However, she stressed that each autonomous government will have the freedom to allocate resources.

Barcelona will become the first European city with the contactless payment system installed

January 13, 2012 01:17 AM | CNA

CaixaBank and Visa Europe will begin installing the system enabling “contactless payments” to be made throughout Barcelona. The system consists of paying for goods valued at less than €20 by passing a special credit card in front of a sensor, with no need of actually introducing the card anywhere or typing any code. The system will become fully operational to coincide with the Mobile World Congress, which starts on February 27th. Barcelona will be the first city in Europe where the contactless payment method can be used, ahead of London, which aims to have it ready for the Olympics this summer.

Vueling to fly to 23 new destinations from Barcelona Airport after increasing passenger numbers by 11.6% in 2011

January 12, 2012 11:27 PM | CNA / Esther Romagosa

The Catalan airline will invest €325 million in increasing the number of destinations and frequency of its flights from Barcelona El Prat Airport. Vueling will base 28 planes at Barcelona, after having bought 5 new aircraft. These initiatives demonstrate that Vueling continues with a strategy to consolidate Barcelona Airport as “a true hub” for intercontinental flights. The Catalan airline expects that up to 2 million of its passengers will change flights at Barcelona.

Regional governments are responsible for less than 20% of Spain’s debt and for 33% of its 2011 deficit

January 12, 2012 11:11 PM | CNA

In the last number of weeks, regional governments in Spain have been taking the blame for the deficit, and in the past week have done so at an international level. However, Spain’s Central Government is responsible for 63% of the country’s deficit and 75% of public debt, despite controlling less than half of public expenditure and having far greater control over revenue. Regional governments have produced less than 20% of Spain’s public debt and in 2011 were responsible for 33% of the country’s deficit, despite representing around 40% of the public expenditure total and managing the most expensive and socially-rooted policies (healthcare, education, social grants, public transportation, etc.).

The Spanish Government threatens to financially asphyxiate the Autonomies that do not meet the deficit objective

January 11, 2012 10:12 PM | CNA

The Spanish Finance Minister, Cristóbal Montoro, announced that the Central Government might heavily fine the governments of Autonomous Communities that do not meet the deficit objective. Montoro, from the People’s Party (PP), met with the regional governments run by his party to prepare a common position on the issue. On the same day, the Centre-Right Catalan Nationalist Coalition (CiU) gave its support to the Spanish’s Government decree to cut public spending and increase taxes, announced at the end of December.

Ryanair to open 19 new routes from the Girona Airport after an agreement is reached with the Catalan Government

January 10, 2012 10:03 PM | CNA

The Irish low cost airline, Ryanair, has announced it will transport 3 million passengers through the Girona-Costa Brava Airport, where it will operate a total of 59 routes. Ryanair’s Vice President, Michael Cawley, explained that after a long negotiation process an agreement has been reached with the Catalan Government. “It’s not 100% our agreement, it’s not 100% the Government’s agreement, so it’s probably a good agreement” he said ironically. Ryanair and the Catalan Government have been arguing over the last year about the airline’s presence in Girona and Reus airports.

Celebrities give their full support to ‘Black Bread’ in its quest for an Oscar nomination

January 10, 2012 09:48 PM | CNA / Gaspar Pericay Coll

‘Black Bread’ (‘Pa Negre’), which was shot in Catalan, will represent Spain at the Oscars. Literature Nobel Prize winner Mario Vargas Llosa, chef Ferran Adrià, soccer player Gerard Piqué, tenor Josep Carreras, artist Miquel Barceló, filmmaker Isabel Coixet, chef José Andrés, psychiatrist Luis Rojas Marcos and dancer Rafael Amargo are some of the celebrities who have participated in a video sponsoring the film in its quest to win an Oscar nomination. The film depicts the horrible period after the Spanish Civil War through the experiences of a young boy living in rural Catalonia.

Mas explains Catalonia’s austerity measures to Liberal leaders in London

January 9, 2012 11:55 PM | CNA / Laura Pous / Gaspar Pericay Coll

The Catalan President, Artur Mas, has met with the UK Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg at a summit of European Liberal leaders. He stressed that Catalonia is doing “its homework” despite the excessive and “continuous fiscal drainage” from the Spanish State, which “is unprecedented in Europe”. “European leaders must understand” Catalonia’s situation, Mas said. “We need to explain ourselves” […] “because otherwise the only image that is received abroad is distorted”. He also explained that Catalonia’s GDP is the size of Portugal’s and Finland’s, and has an export level similar to Denmark. Mas also criticised Rajoy’s recent tax increase.

Ski resorts and holiday cottages in Catalonia experience a quiet Christmas season

January 9, 2012 10:57 PM | CNA

Hoteliers around Catalonia faced a difficult Christmas tourist season with occupancy rates that were below 50% in some areas. The only exceptions could be found in areas where snow attracted skiers, such as Val d’Aran and adjacent counties. In those areas there was an occupancy rate of between 70% and 85%. Rural tourism suffered its poorest results and does not forecast a recovery for 2012.