Highlights

The President of the Spanish Congress, Jesús Posada, has set 1st August at 9am to be the date in which the Spanish Prime Minister will face congress to explain the Bárcenas corruption scandal. It will be a debate similar in which Rajoy will have unlimited time to explain himself while the opposition will have two turns to respond. No votes or motions shall be taken following the questioning. Rajoy has been under pressure from opposition parties to explain the scandal which involved illegal cash payments given to the Prime Minister and senior members of the PP from former party Treasurer Luis Bárcenas. Spanish law stipulates that it is illegal for government ministers to receive an extra salary aside from their government income.

From July onwards Barcelona’s music museum will give visitors the chance to view 50 guitars from their collection which is considered to be one of the best in the world according to experts. The collection includes historic guitars such as that of internationally renowned Catalan guitarist Miguel Llobet. The museum has undertaken an extensive restoration and research project in order to restore the original sound of many of these unique instruments. The Museu de la Música is part of the L’Auditori complex hall and entrance into the exhibition includes a guided tour of the collection as well as a concert in which two of the historic guitars will be showcased.

Between January and June of this year, the port of Barcelona received a total of 1,040,823 cruise line passengers. This figure represents an increase of 15% over last year. The amount of cruises docking in the Catalan capital for at least one night is also up on last year to 351, an increase of 15% over the first six months of 2012. Of the total cruise line passengers that visit Barcelona, 56% begin or end their journey in the Catalan capital. These travellers make a major contribution to the local economy as they tend to spend a few days before or after their cruises exploring the city.

FC Barcelona has reached an agreement for the Argentinian to be manager for the next two seasons. The schedule for his trip to Barcelona, signature of his contract and official presentation will be announced in the next few hours. The man known as ‘Tata’ as extensive experience of South American football, first as a player and after as a coach, most recently on the bench at Newell's Old Boys, with whom he won the 2013 Final Tournament.

The Catalan president argued that if strict deficit targets are imposed upon his government budget again, it will be impossible to promote growth and create jobs, thus affecting the economy of Catalonia, Spain and the whole of southern Europe. The Spanish government will publish in the next few days new regional deficit targets for 2013 and Catalonia is asking for more flexibility. “If they do not offer us what we need, we won’t be able to stimulate our economy, and if we can’t do that, the whole of Spain and southern Europe will be affected”, stated Mas.

The Spanish Prime Minister has finally declared that he will stand before the Spanish Congress to face questions over the alleged illegal financing of senior members of his People’s Party (PP). During a press conference on Monday, Rajoy announced that in late July or early August he will face questions from parliamentary groups in an attempt to resolve the ongoing Bárcenas scandal. Rajoy has been under pressure from opposition parties to explain the scandal which involved alleged illegal cash payments given to the Prime Minister and senior members of the PP from former party Treasurer Luis Bárcenas. Spanish law stipulates that it is illegal for government ministers to receive an extra salary aside from their government income.

The Spanish minister for Foreign Affairs, José Manuel García Margallo, says comments by Juan Carlos Gafo were “intolerable” and “absolutely inconsistent” with the organisation which aims to promote the Spanish image abroad. The now sacked Deputy Director said on Twitter: “F*** Catalans. They do not deserve anything at all. His words caused outcry in Catalonia, so he later apologized saying he has “nothing against Catalonia or Catalans”. He said he got “mad at hearing the Spanish national anthem booed” during the Barcelona 2013 FINA Championship.