Living the American dream, when Catalonia seems to small
"Although there is a very high standard in Barcelona, the clients are not the same”, this is the opinion of a Catalan web developer who is currently based in Manhattan. This is his story.
crisis
Tourism in the 'low cost' capital
Two Catalans opened a guided tour business in Berlin making the most of the economic crisis and the fact that the city was ‘fashionable’. They set up ‘Cultourberlin’, a project that would offer Spanish and Catalan tourists guided tours of Berlin
From Barcelona to Paris to build shopping centres in China
A young Catalan architect with no employment opportunities at home opens an office in Paris to work on buildings in Asia.
The People’s Party (PPC) puts immigration at the centre of its campaign
In the last months, the Catalan branch of the Conservative People’s Party (PPC) raised controversy in breaking a taboo in Catalan-level politics: using immigration as a political tool. Many actions were performed earlier linking immigration with insecurity. such as spreading leaflets. Yesterday a videogame where the PPC's leader was shooting at illegal immigrants was put online and, after the complains, shut down. Last week, the PPC’s President and candidate, Alícia Sánchez-Camacho proposed an “integration contract” for immigrants that, if not respected, will enable public powers to expel immigrants. The rest of the parties accused the PPC of being xenophobic and populist.
Pending home sales decrease for second trimester in a row
80% of Catalan municipalities registered decreases or stock stagnation during the 1st trimester of the year. For the 2nd trimester of the year, Catalonia registered decreases in real estate stock for the first time since 2006.
European Central Bank: “Catalonia is in a better condition to recover from the crisis than the rest of Spain”
The “export vocation” and “good management of economic, tourism and trade competences” will ease Catalonia’s recovery from the crisis. This is the opinion of José Manuel González-Páramo, member of the European Central Bank’s Executive Board.
Catalan Government bonds massively bought on first day
Today banks and savings banks started selling the treasury bonds announced by the Catalan Government two weeks ago to get cash. On the first day, about 1,000 million euros have been bought. If this pace continues, the bonds will be sold out by next week. The quantity on sale is 1,890 million, which could be increased to 2,500.
Catalan Government will issue bonds to get cash
Citizens will be able to buy treasury bonds of the Catalan Government’s debt worth 1,000 euros each at a 4.75% interest rate. In the framework of the electoral campaign, the Opposition denounced that the Catalan Executive has “its drawers empty, without money”. The Catalan Government has denied this and accused the opposition of being irresponsible in order to get votes.
Car manufacturer SEAT to temporarily cut 700 jobs in Catalonia
700 workers from the Martorell factory next to Barcelona will temporarily lose their jobs. They will return to work in June of 2011. The company still has to negotiate the conditions with unions.
The Institut Català de Finances grows 2.5% during 2009
Activity reports for the Institut Català de Finances (ICF), the Catalan public financial institution delivering official credit, were released on Tuesday. The number of credit requests rose by 34.1% in 2009 while activity grew by 2.5%.
If the Spanish economy breaks down, Europe and the US will follow, says the CEO of 'la Caixa'
Juan María Nin lectured at the London School of Economics about the current economical situation in Spain. He argued that Spain will recover if the markets continue to trust in the country’s capacity to meet its debt.
Bank of Spain wants to limit Autonomous Communities’ expenditure
The Governor of the Bank of Spain, Miguel Angel Fernández Ordoñez, warned about the need to limit the capacity of local and autonomous communities’ administrations to increase their public debt. He wants legal limits. He also alerted that a plan B is needed if the economy worsens.
40,000 Catalan families lose their homes in last 3 years
Economic crisis is hitting some families unmercifully. 40,000 families that could not pay back their mortgage have lost their homes, according to a study made by the General Workers’ Union (UGT) and a consumers association presented today. A judicial procedure that permits banks and savings banks to survey homes and put them up for auction for 50% of their value is putting thousands of families in the risk of social exclusion.
The theatre sector only sees 2% drop in attendance despite crisis
The economic crisis has not had much effect on the theatre sector in Catalonia. The sector has experienced only a 2% drop in production attendance for its 2009-2010 season.
Private banking will finance 3,000 million euros for strategic infrastructures
Construction companies have agreed to receive loans for some 3,000 million euros to develop what the Catalan Government considers “strategic” infrastructures. The Catalan Minister for Public Works, Joaquim Nadal, announced this agreement this morning and listed some of these works.