Hundreds of thousands of Catalans took to the streets of Barcelona in an unprecedented show of mass support for autonomy from Madrid, blaming Spain's economic crisis for dragging their wealthy region down.
Bank of Spain figures show that net capital outflows—including bank withdrawals and sell-offs of Spanish stocks and bonds—equaled more than 50% of the country’s economic output over the year ended July 31.
Spain’s Foreign Minister issued a clear threat to Gibraltar in the latest salvo of words in the fishing dispute. Jose Manuel García-Margallo said Gibraltar’s stance in the row would lead to repercussions in other areas affecting the Rock.
Asian shares looked set for their biggest daily gain in nearly five weeks on Friday after the European Central Bank outlined its bond-buying scheme to help calm the Euro zone's debt crisis, while firm US data fed speculation of a strong jobs report later in the day.
Spain will consider seeking extra aid from Europe on top of a 100 billion Euro rescue of its financial sector but does not see any need for new conditions, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said in an interview published in European newspapers.
“We’re a free country with dignity and national pride; we are nobody’s employee or subordinate” challenged Argentine president Cristina Fernandez after it was revealed that the US, Spain and Germany at the Inter American Development bank (IDB) had voted against granting the country a loan.
The European Commission has told a South West of England and Gibraltar Member of the European Parliament that it has no powers to intervene in the ongoing standoffs at sea between local law enforcement agencies and the Guardia Civil.
Spain’s recession worsened in the second quarter as the government’s austerity push to reduce the Euro area’s third-biggest budget deficit and a slump in consumer spending offset growth in exports.
The European Commission has again urged Britain and Spain to cooperate on nature protection issues in Gibraltar waters, according to press reports in Spain. The reports cited anonymous Brussels officials saying the Commission had asked both countries to work to that end.
Pickets of unemployed and union members in the south of Spain took over supermarkets and took food produce which they then delivered to social organizations and needy families to protest and warn of the consequences of the tough measures implemented by the government.