The European Union and Latinamerica could play a crucial role in helping solve the Middle East conflict said Syrian president Bashar al-Assad following an offer from Spanish president Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero to mediate in a Damascus-Israel dialogue.
Spain's ambitious six-month presidency of the EU was eclipsed by the European debt crisis which thrust the country's fragile economy into the global spotlight and weakened the Spanish government, analysts said.
The Spanish Parliament voted Tuesday against a proposal urging a ban on the use of floating storage tankers in Gibraltar. The Popular Party motion before the Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Commission called on Madrid to ask the British Government to force Gibraltar to store all bunkering fuel on land.
Spanish lawmakers Tuesday gave preliminary approval to labour reforms considered essential for slashing the soaring jobless rate, reviving the fragile economy and sending a strong message to nervous markets.
IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn praised Spain’s management of the current economic situation and said the budget deficit will shrink “rapidly” as the government’s overhaul of labor rules boosts economic growth.
The International Monetary Fund has raised fresh concerns about Spain's economy, saying “far-reaching” reforms are needed to ensure its recovery. It said the country faced “severe” challenges, including the need to urgently reform a “dysfunctional” labour market, and its banking sector.
Within the framework of the European Union/Latam leaders’ summit held in Madrid, the EU and Chile agreed to improve and strengthen relations, with a special focus on energy and trade, five years after the launch of the Association Agreement.
World stock markets plunge Friday and the Euro hit an 18-month low against the dollar, on growing fears that the austerity packages unveiled across Europe could tip the continent back into recession and stifle global economic recovery.
Miriam González, the Spanish wife of recently appointed United Kingdom Deputy Prime Minister Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg, has captured the imagination of the media, especially in her native country.
Portugal has become the latest country to introduce austerity measures, after both Greece and Spain took similar steps to stabilize public finances in the face of massive debt.