The factory will increase its output of biological and pharmaceutical products by 40% over 3 years, taking work from closing factories in Europe and the United States. The Catalan plant is specialised in animal health and vaccines for livestock. It was bought in 2009 by the North American pharmaceutical giant, in a small town near Girona.
'Convergència i Unió' (CiU) increases its vote share across Catalonia and becomes the leading party in number of votes. The large victory backs the Catalan Government’s controversial austerity measures. The Catalan Government and Barcelona City Council will be run by the same party, CiU. The Catalan Socialist Party loses large cities and 22% of its votes across the country. The People’s Party becomes the third party and wins in Badalona with a discourse focused on illegal immigration. ERC loses around a third of its votes but other pro Catalan independence parties gain support. The xenophobic and extreme right PxC remains marginal but increases its base and enters the Barcelona Metropolitan Area. The turnout was 55%, one point higher than in 2007. The null or spoilt vote multiplied its share by three but remains marginal.
An exhibition on the rise and fall of the Catalan industrial and financial bourgeoisie in the 19th century titled ‘Gold Fever’ inaugurates the new CaixaForum in Girona. After the merger with La Caixa, the cultural centre of the former savings bank Caixa Girona has been transformed into the new CaixaForum.
Tourists from Eastern Europe will increase their presence in Catalonia this summer season, according to experts in the sector. Girona is now linked with 60 destinations while at the same Ryanair is reducing its flights from the airport and in a dispute with the Catalan Government over subsidies. Spanair will operate Ryanair’s flight to Madrid if no other airline does it.
On May 22nd, Catalans will vote in their local elections. According to the recent polls the Centre-Right Catalan Nationalist Coalition (CiU) is well positioned to win in many cities, towns and villages across Catalonia, and in particular in Barcelona. CiU’s candidate may become the next Mayor of Barcelona after 32 years of Catalan Socialist Party (PSC) leadership. The same change could happen in Girona, where polls indicate a tie. However it seems the PSC will maintain control of Lleida and Tarragona City Councils. The People’s Party (PP) speech is of major significance with their focus being on immigration and security.
Ryanair’s CEO, Michael O’Leary urges the Catalan Government to pay 11,5 million euros to the airline if it wants Girona’s airport to see all its Ryanair flights back from October onwards. O’Leary says that the Irish company cancelled 28% of its routes from Girona for the Spring/Summer season due to the “lack of commitment” from the new Catalan executive.
Top chefs such as Ferran Adrià, Carme Ruscalleda and the Roca brothers gave talks at the cuisine and gastronomy congress. The Fòrum Gastronòmic held in Girona is one of the top fairs of its kind in Europe.
The low-cost airline Ryanair is cutting 28% of its routes from Girona airport and not replacing them with routes from other Catalan airpots. Although Ryanair promised to stay in Girona a few months ago, now the Irish airline company has accused the current Catalan Government of not respecting their agreement, for which it was receiving public subsidies. The Government is surprised by the decision and has reminded Ryanair of its current obligations.
In Paris, back in 2005, the death of young boys fleeing from police, spread violence and unrest across the outer suburbs. Now, in Catalonia, the accident of a 16 year-old who fell from a building while escaping police, has sent a wave of violence and vandalism across the town of Salt, forcing the deployment of more security officers in the area.
A Barcelona Commercial Court cancels the clause that penalises Ryanair passengers without printed boarding passes. Judge says the €40 fine is ‘abusive’ and obliges Ryanair to pay 285.55 euros to the passenger who filed the complaint. The reason: a boarding pass is an essential document to travel and paying an extra cost violates the Montreal Convention.
Barcelona-El Prat Airport had 29.1 million passengers, which means that Barcelona’s is Europe’s 9th airport. Girona airport saw a decrease of 8% in passenger traffic and Reus airport one of 16.7%.
The company will continue to operate 64 routes and maintain the 4 million annual passengers at the Girona airport.
A team at the University of Girona and the firm Easy Innova design a new application that helps people find car rides quickly and easily.
The G! Tourism Awards of Girona aim to promote the attractiveness of the Costa Brava and the Pyrenees. They honour audiovisual and print media reports related with the region. The awards ceremony took place at the La Sitja de Fornells de la Selva Civic and Cultural Centre.
‘Tideline’ opened today at the Municipal Theatre of Girona as part of the Autumn Festival of Catalonia ‘Temporada Alta’. The opera chronicles a young man’s search for identity as he travels back to his village to bury his deceased father.