The President of the Catalan Government Artur Mas announced in Madrid that in 2012, if the People’s Party (PP) or the Socialist Party (PSOE) want CiU’s support to form a new Spanish Government, Catalonia needs more money and greater control over its own finances. Mas made these comments the same day his Government agreed a 400 million euros loan.
The ‘Volta Ciclista a Catalunya’ celebrates its centenary in style. Alberto Contador has won the centenary edition of Catalonia’s cycling ‘Tour’. Michelle Scarponi and Daniel Martin are second and third respectively.
The Catalan race is one of the oldest cycling events in the world. The ‘Volta’ started in 1911, 24 years before Spain’s own ‘Vuelta’ and only eight years after the first Tour de France.
Under the slogan ‘Also in health, more than a club’, FC Barcelona has unveiled its ‘Smoke-free Camp Nou’ campaign on Monday whose two objectives are to raise awareness of the dangers of tobacco and to encourage people not to smoke in the stadium.
Goods transportation is increasing at Barcelona Airport since it experienced a drop in 2009 due to the global economic crisis. Two companies have already announced that they will establish their services in the area. Barcelona Airport transported 104,280 tonnes of goods in 2010.
The board of the Catalan savings bank decided to “temporarily” use public capital in order to meet the new requirements in the sector. This move means it will reach 10.4% of ‘core capital’. Private capital is expected to increase its share “in the medium-term”.
Seydou Keita has spoken to Barça TV about why he thinks this team has been so successful, about the difficult times regarding Abidal’s illness and about the run in to the end of a season where the squad is still hoping to win everything.
As the 6 Nations Rugby Championship ended, Catalonia looks to join this elite club in the near future. Barcelona has a long tradition of rugby.
Catalans traditionally exchange roses and books with their loved ones on 23rd of April. Streets and squares around the country fill with crowds in celebration of the National Day or ‘Diada’.
The organisers stated that Barcelona’s Japanese twin festival of electronic and advanced music will take place despite the tsunami and the nuclear crisis. In addition, Barcelona’s Sonar Festival and its Galicia twin will give 25% of the money made at the box office to Japan’s Red Cross.
Foreseeing a negative decision the Catalan Government already modified the law in 2009. The sentence declares illegal certain aspects of the law approved in 2005, such as conditioning the establishment of large retail centres to the expected effect on existing small businesses in the area or on the market share.
Éric Abidal is now back home, after having a tumour removed from his liver. The FC Barcelona’s medical services report that his post-operation progress has been satisfactory.
Catalan political parties will meet with social and economic agents to discuss how best to boost the Catalan economy. The Advisory Council is made up of academic experts and members of the business community. They drafted the report as a basis for discussion. Among many measures, they recommend partially paying for extra public services or reducing the number of public employees.
Catalan Olga Fontanillas is the founder of this NYC-based company. She assures this is the best time to break into the American market.
The French train manufacturer plans to lay off 1,380 employees at its plants in Germany, Italy and Spain. Alstom’s Spanish factory, which has 900 staff members is located in Santa Perpètua de la Mogoda, in the Barcelona Metropolitan Area.