Tens of thousands of Spaniards took to the streets in Madrid on Sunday to protest against reports that acting Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez could grant amnesty to Catalan separatists in return for political support. Protesters chanted out, out and Sanchez, resign.
The former president of the Catalonian government, Carles Puigdemont on Tuesday demanded the complete abandonment of judicial proceedings against any members of the Catalan separatist movement. Speaking to journalists, Puigdemont said that any talks about his support in the formation of a new Spanish government were dependent on this condition.
Europol has supported the Spanish Civil Guard (Guardia Civil) in dismantling a criminal organization smuggling large quantities of cocaine from South America to the European Union via the Canary Islands. The operation also involved law enforcement authorities from Croatia, Italy and Serbia. The investigation identified a significant threat; criminal organizations' increasing ability to collaborate closely and deploy members to different locations for longer periods to enable large-scale drug trafficking. The international cooperation of law enforcement authorities across the EU was therefore crucial for intercepting the suspects and halting their criminal activities.
The Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs has summoned Uruguay's Ambassador to Madrid, Ana Teresa Ayala, in response to controversial statements made by acting Vice President of the Uruguayan government, Graciela Bianchi, concerning Spain's Socialist Party (PSOE) in the wake of the recent Spanish general elections.
By Shlomo Ben-Ami (*)
A few days ago, the Vox party appeared to be on the cusp of becoming the first far-right party in Spain’s government since the end of Francisco Franco’s dictatorship nearly 50 years ago. That did not happen, but Spanish politics may nonetheless be headed for a new and volatile chapter.
Spain's conservative opposition Popular Party (PP) won Sunday's general elections but is short of votes to make Alberto Núñez Feijoó, even though an alliance with the far-right VOX movement, it was reported in Madrid after over 98% of the polling stations were counted.
As of this Monday, 17 July, European trawlers will no longer be able to fish off the Moroccan coast since the fisheries protocol is over, and renewing the protocol will be complicated since Morocco is seeking to secure a more advantageous deal.
The European Union Court of Justice on Wednesday confirmed that former Catalonia leader Carles Puigdemont and two other Catalan separatist Members of the European Parliament, do not have legal immunity.
On Monday 3 July, the UK and Spain completed the signing of a UK-Spain bilateral agreement on cooperation in matters of education and access to university and other higher education institutions. This follows the close collaboration between Spain’s Ministry of Education and Vocational Training and Ministry of Universities in Spain and the UK Department for Education and Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
A team of experts in Spain has begun work to exhume the bodies of more than 100 civil war victims from a huge basilica complex near Madrid, where dictator Francisco Franco once lay.