control

Checking level of crowds online and service of lifeguard and first aid already available

Podemos unhappy about proposed Socialist bill for “flagrant breach of government agreement”

Essential activities only justification for leaving hometowns from Friday to Monday

President of state rail operator says signing contract with Catalan government only depends on state transferring funds owed

Philip Alston advocates for rent control plans and social housing funding after visiting Barcelona and other cities to study poverty levels

Catalonia will keep the terrorist threat level at 4 out of 5 but extra security measures will be put in place. Thus, ‘Mossos d’Esquadra’ will dedicate 30% of their resources to fighting terrorist threats, as they are currently doing, and increase this to 40% in Barcelona. The Catalan Police will also reinforce the anti-terrorist surveillance, especially in the most touristic places. The Spanish Police have already put in place extra security measures on the French border, at La Junquera, to control the traffic and will be stopping vehicles in random checks, asking for documentation and searching for suspicious materials in the boot. These measures are in response to the terrorist attack which killed 84 people in the French city of Nice this past Thursday night. 

The Spanish Finance Ministry transferred this morning 3 billion euros from the Spanish Liquidity Point (FLA) corresponding to Catalonia. However there is still 34 million pending to be transferred due to the Ministry’s “invoices checking” procedure. The payment of this 3 billion euros from the FLA comes after the controversial "specific and additional controls" that Spain's executive has imposed on Catalonia to guarantee "transparency" and ensure that “the FLA won’t fund pro-independence whims”, in the words of Spanish Finance Minister Cristóbal Montoro. The 3.034 billion euros assigned this year to Catalonia includes the 2.6 billion euros outstanding from 2014’s FLA, which the Catalan government repeatedly asked for in order to pay pending debts, such as those from pharmacies and medical centres.

Spanish Finance Minister Cristóbal Montoro warned that Catalonia will have access to the 3,034 million euros from the Spanish Liquidity Point (FLA) after the control extra measures imposed by the Spanish executive "are accomplished". Last Friday, the Spanish government announced specific control measures for Catalonia "to guarantee" that the FLA's money "won’t fund pro-independence whims". According to Montoro, the Catalan government "shouldn't distract the attention" and should correctly administer the citizens’ money. In order to increase the control over Catalonia's finances, Montoro announced that the Bank of Spain, the Comptroller General's Office and the National Institute of Statistics will investigate the 1,300 million euros that Spain's executive believes wasn't properly accounted for last year.

The Spanish government will impose special conditions on Catalonia when transferring funds from the Spanish Liquidity Point (FLA). The aim is to guarantee the “transparency” and “the legal compliance of the payments” as well as “make sure that the funds are destined for the planned activities”, stated Spanish vice-president Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría this Friday. She justified these “specific and additional controls” due to “Catalonia’s singularity” and “the non-fulfilment of its obligations”. Catalonia is set to receive 3,034 million euros from the FLA, which will be subject to these new measures. Current Catalan Finance Minister, Andreu Mas-Colell, responded that the transferring of FLA funds “shouldn’t be conditioned” to whether the Spanish government “likes the Catalan politics or not”. He added that the “dramatisation” of the announcement is part of the 20-D electoral campaign.