Latest news with #Podemos
Euronews
2 days ago
- Politics
- Euronews
Pope Leo XIV welcomes Argentine President Javier Milei at Vatican
Argentine President Javier Milei has met with Pope Leo XIV in the Vatican on Saturday, where they discussed the importance of urgent efforts towards achieving peace. The Pope and Milei also spoke about bilateral relations, as well as "matters of common interest, such as social-economic progress, the fight against poverty, and the commitment to social cohesion," a statement by the Holy See Press Office noted. After his meeting with the pope, the Argentine President met with the Vatican Secretary of State cardinal Pietro Parolin, accompanied by the Under-Secretary for Relations with States, Reverend Msgr. Mirosław Wachowski. Milei arrived in Rome on Friday, the first stop of his 10-day European tour, where he attended the signing of a natural gas export deal, local media reported. The event was also attended by Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who hosted the Argentine president for a private dinner afterwards. Shortly after his meeting with Pope Leo XIV, Milei departed for Spain, to attend the Madrid Economic Forum. After Spain, the Argentine president will also visit France, and will end his trip in Israel, where he will receive an award in recognition of his support of Israel in a ceremony at the Knesset on 11 June. While the Spanish socialist government wants to increase defence spending in line with the demands of US President Donald Trump and European allies, a thousand demonstrators from Podemos, Izquierda Unida and Sumar protested this Saturday in the Spanish capital against increasing the military budget. The demonstration has taken on special relevance after the firm warning of Izquierda Unida (IU) that they are questioning their place in the coalition government. Its parliamentary spokesman, Enrique Santiago, has been categorical in stating that it is practically impossible for his party to continue in an executive that assumes this course. He also urged Pedro Sánchez to stand firm in the face of pressure from NATO, despite the reproaches he may receive, recalling that IU, of which minister Sira Rego is a member, firmly rejects the increase in defence spending. Sumar's presence at Saturday's protest was undoubtedly the most striking. The internal debate within the electoral coalition has once again intensified in the run-up to the NATO summit in The Hague at the end of June, where allied countries are expected to make a new commitment to allocate up to 5% of GDP to defence, up from the current 2%. Labour minister and leader of the left-wing coalition, Yolanda Díaz, has long distanced herself from Sánchez's position, though without breaking the unity of the government. Podemos has also publicly denounced the increase in defence spending approved by the government, saying it is a "betrayal" of progressive principles and a direct alignment with the strategic interests of the United States and NATO. MEP Irene Montero warned on Saturday that, by prioritising rearmament, the central government is laying the foundations for future cuts in social policies, especially affecting public education and programmes such as the Co-Responsibles Plan, aimed at improving family reconciliation. According to a survey by the Centro de Investigaciones Sociológicas (CIS), published in March, 75% of Spaniards are actually in favour of increasing military spending, especially after Donald Trump's re-election.
Euronews
2 days ago
- Politics
- Euronews
Spain: Coalition partner threatens to leave over defence spending
While the Spanish socialist government wants to increase defence spending in line with the demands of US President Donald Trump and European allies, a thousand demonstrators from Podemos, Izquierda Unida and Sumar protested this Saturday in the Spanish capital against increasing the military budget. The demonstration has taken on special relevance after the firm warning of Izquierda Unida (IU) that they are questioning their place in the coalition government. Its parliamentary spokesman, Enrique Santiago, has been categorical in stating that it is practically impossible for his party to continue in an executive that assumes this course. He also urged Pedro Sánchez to stand firm in the face of pressure from NATO, despite the reproaches he may receive, recalling that IU, of which minister Sira Rego is a member, firmly rejects the increase in defence spending. Sumar's presence at Saturday's protest was undoubtedly the most striking. The internal debate within the electoral coalition has once again intensified in the run-up to the NATO summit in The Hague at the end of June, where allied countries are expected to make a new commitment to allocate up to 5% of GDP to defence, up from the current 2%. Labour minister and leader of the left-wing coalition, Yolanda Díaz, has long distanced herself from Sánchez's position, though without breaking the unity of the government. Podemos has also publicly denounced the increase in defence spending approved by the government, saying it is a "betrayal" of progressive principles and a direct alignment with the strategic interests of the United States and NATO. MEP Irene Montero warned on Saturday that, by prioritising rearmament, the central government is laying the foundations for future cuts in social policies, especially affecting public education and programmes such as the Co-Responsibles Plan, aimed at improving family reconciliation. According to a survey by the Centro de Investigaciones Sociológicas (CIS), published in March, 75% of Spaniards are actually in favour of increasing military spending, especially after Donald Trump's re-election. The Polish elections, held on the first of June, resulted in conservative Karol Nawrocki beating liberal Warsaw mayor Rafał Trzaskowski by a very close margin. Nawrocki won 50.89% of the vote against Trzaskowki's 49.11%. Polish politicians, namely from Trzaskowski's camp, have been asking for the results to be investigated. Chief among these those expressing concerns is Rafał Trzaskowski's chief of staff Wiola Paprocka, who wrote about the surprising reversal of support in the second round of the presidential election in some commissions. 'We will contact the PKW [National Electoral Comission] to clarify each of these cases,' Paprocka announced on Twitter. Her statement included four polling stations at which reports of irregularities have come to light. Due to suspected irregularities, Paprocka appealed for electoral protests to be filed with the Supreme Court. In one station in the city of Kraków, Trzaskowski won in the first round of elections, winning with 550 votes. Nawrocki, on the other hand, came in third place, after the Warsaw major and hard right candidate Sławomir Mentzen. In the run-off, however, Nawrocki received the most votes, according to the official count, prompting questions about the results of the count. An investigation into the case is being carried out by the district electoral commission in Krakow. Krakow City Council chairman Jakub Kosek wrote in a post on social media that the votes had been incorrectly entered into the minutes. "From what we know today, a mistake was made in the minutes - and the results of the candidates were swapped," - Kosek emphasised. Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Affairs Krzysztof Gawkowski expressed that he was surprised by such "mistakes". "I am counting on this to be clarified, because as I myself looked at the results," he said. "We have never had such cases in the past," he added. The National Electoral Commission (PKW) seperately addressed the matter. Responding to a request for comment from Euronews, PKW representatives stated that any irregularities must be reported to Poland's Supreme Court by the 16th of June. "Currently, the results of the district voting can only be verified by the Supreme Court in connection with the consideration of election protests," they told Euronews. A spokesman for the Polish Peasants' Party (which is currently part of Donald Tusk's ruling coalition) and long-time member of the electoral commissions Miłosz Motyka emphasized in an interview with Euronews that the issues of irregularities in the vote count should be carefully checked. "There should not be a situation where, having several members of the electoral commission from different political formations, from municipalities, from city halls, we have a situation where a result that affects the final result [of the election - ed.] is wrongly recorded in the minutes", he said. "This is too serious a matter to simply brush aside. That is why any of this information should be verified and always the PKW should also conduct appropriate proceedings with the committee chairman. The aim here is really to verify irregularities", he added. Law and Justice MP Radosław Fogiel, pointed out in an interview with Euronews that it is standard procedure to investigate irregularities. However, he emphasized that he is critical of the actions of some members of the ruling coalition. "Here, unfortunately, we are starting to deal with an organised action and the creation of a whole narrative of alleged falsification" he said, adding that "the Civic Platform milieu" is "formulating these kinds of theses and this is a serious and dangerous matter". "If I had to guess why someone would do this, assuming that there is a method in this madness and that it is not just the result of political paranoia, I would say that it is to serve the purpose of creating a myth about the victory that was to be claimed", Fogiel told Euronews. Observers representing the joint mission of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe said in a statement that the elections were conducted "professionally and efficiently". In their view, freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly were respected in both rounds. However, they drew attention to media bias as well as irregularities in campaign financing. Karol Nawrocki won the second round of the presidential election by a difference of 369,451 votes, or by 1.19 percentage points. This is the smallest vote difference between the candidates since 1990.
Times
24-05-2025
- Business
- Times
Spain has banned some Airbnbs. This is why they're right to do so
No one expects the Spanish Inquisition — least of all, it seems, the nation's Airbnb proprietors. The news last week that the left-wing government had demanded the immediate removal of 66,000 short-term rental properties from the website was met by a stunned silence, but the landlords really should have seen it coming. The Ministry of Social Rights, Consumption and Agenda 2030 — a Spanish government department similar to the UK's now defunct Office of Fair Trading — says many of the properties in question have been deemed illegal because their listings do not show a licence or registration number. Others because the licence number doesn't correspond with official records and some because it's not clear whether the owner is an individual or a corporation. Three warnings were sent to Airbnb before the axe came down, with Pablo Bustinduy the minister wielding it. Formerly a professor of philosophy at the State University of New York, he returned to Spain in May 2011 to participate in the widespread protests against austerity, corruption and inequality that spawned the 15-M movement. He then joined Podemos: a party founded on the principle that all wealth was subordinate to the needs of the people. Accepting his current role in November 2023, Bustinduy tweeted that he would dedicate his time to 'expanding social rights, an essential condition of democracy, to defending a fair and sustainable consumption model, and to making Spain a benchmark for development and equality'. And it looks like he means it. According to 2024 data from the Spanish statistics office (INE), there were 351,389 short-term rentals advertised in Spain on the Airbnb, and Vrbo sites. Last week Bustinduy chopped that by 65,935 — or just under 20 per cent. 'It is possible to ensure that no economic interest prevails over the right to housing and that no company, no matter how large or powerful, places itself above the law,' he announced before warning foot-dragging local administrations across Spain that he'd had enough of officials 'protecting those who profit from the right to housing. You must act; there are no excuses for inaction. Demand the removal of advertisements for illegal tourist apartments.' The 65,935 holiday rentals in question have not been closed down, but Bustinduy's insistence that they are removed from Airbnb's listings effectively takes them off the market until they toe the line. Will existing bookings be cancelled? Almost certainly not, and because Airbnb is questioning the legality of the ruling, some of the affected properties may be reinstated to the platform. Last summer the tourism minister for the Balearic Islands government, Jaume Bauzá, told me of a plan to hit illegal landlords who, rather than promoting a property on Airbnb, or Vrbo, advertise by word of mouth, on community websites or social media to friends, neighbours and work colleagues. The money changes hands outside of Spain and the clients might come and go undetected. Time is now running out for those operating outside of official channels. A new campaign in Menorca warns landlords 'rent your house illegally and get a €400,000 fine'. In Ibiza, more than 700 unregistered holiday rentals have been shut down since February. In Mallorca a team of inspectors has been ordered to shut down illegal rentals. Beyond the Balearics, in Andalusia, Galicia and elsewhere, more properties are likely to vanish from the booking sites as the Spanish pitbull Bustinduy gnaws on a bone of contention with a doggedness that will endear him to Spain's voters. The trend could even go international. Airbnb's busiest developing markets are fast catching up with Spain in terms of numbers of properties let. Public resentment will inevitably follow, inspiring ambitious politicians to target short-term lets to appeal to populist sentiment. That could shake consumer confidence in a global corporation which, in 2016, encouraged tourists to 'live like locals' while those same locals were being evicted from long-term rentals so that landlords could profit from tourists. So I'm on Bustinduy's side. Renting an apartment or a house somewhere lovely for your holidays may seem like an innocent activity that saves you a few quid, but it has caused misery in Spain. • The secret Spanish isles so beautiful you need a ticket to visit In 2015 my friend Luis — a chef in Barcelona — was living in an apartment across the square from the restaurant where he worked. His wife Carolina, a critical care nurse, could cycle to the hospital, and Luis had time between shifts to take their daughter to and from school. Then their landlord terminated the lease so that he could convert the flat into a short-term let. The only affordable alternative accommodation was a 60-minute commute away. Luis could still take his daughter to school, but he couldn't collect her. Nor could Carolina when she was on shift. As for the dog, he had to go because the family couldn't find anywhere that allowed pets. 'We'd only had him a few months,' said Luis. 'We got him from our neighbour when she was evicted.' Everyone in Spain's tourist hotspots knows someone, it seems, with a similar story. Last August, while making a film about overtourism in Palma, Mallorca, I met a couple carrying their possessions down the street. Claudia and Alberto, both born in Palma, had just had their long-term lease cancelled and were moving out of the city because there was nowhere else to rent. 'Everything is Airbnb,' said Claudia. 'I know that people love this city for the sun and the beach and I want to share. But now I have nothing to share.' Just around the corner a poster proclaimed: 'tourism does not feed the poor. It just makes the rich fatter' — and this raises some awkward questions. • The destinations broken by tourism — and how we fix them Do any of us wish to be complicit in the eviction of people like Luis and Claudia? Do we want our presence in Barcelona, Palma, Madrid, Seville or Las Palmas to be welcomed or resented? Rented apartments almost always beat hotels on price: next weekend £350 will get you either a twin-bedded cupboard in a three-star hotel in Madrid's Puerta del Sol or, a few streets away, an entire former residential apartment that sleeps four and has an outdoor terrace. But, is bagging that bargain the most important consideration here? Companies such as Airbnb, and Vrbo would argue quite rightly that not all short-term lets are a drain on housing stocks. Renting a self-catered holiday villa on a beach in Menorca, a luxury serviced apartment in Barcelona or a spare room in a house in Jerez might not help those working in the hotel and restaurant industries, but it's not robbing locals of their homes. So be selective. Look at the photos and the location — Google Street View will show you if the property is in a residential neighbourhood. Ask yourself if that cosy apartment with the views of the cathedral from the terrace is the kind of place where a now-displaced family might once have had a home? If so, look elsewhere. Or book a hotel and spread the love. What are your thoughts on the ban? Let us know in the comments below
Al Manar
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Al Manar
Spain Takes Bold Stand: Parliament Votes to Consider Israeli Arms Trade Ban
Spain's parliament on Tuesday passed a non-binding motion calling on the government to impose an arms embargo on Israel in response to its military operations in Gaza. The motion, introduced by the leftist Sumar alliance, part of the ruling coalition, along with opposition parties Podemos and the Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC), was approved by a vote of 176-171, El Pais reported. Spain's parliament passed a non-binding resolution on Tuesday calling for a full arms embargo on Israel, citing its actions in Gaza as genocide. The motion, approved by a slim majority of 176 to 171, urges the government to halt all military-related exports, including protective… — The Cradle (@TheCradleMedia) May 21, 2025 The conservative People's Party (PP) and the far-right Vox voted against the proposal, while all other parties supported it. Lawmakers in favor applauded the motion, which urges the Spanish government to ban the exports of any material that could strengthen the Israeli military, including helmets, vests, and fuel with potential military use. The motion also recommends reforming Spain's foreign trade legislation to prohibit military agreements with any state accused of committing genocide or crimes against humanity, specifically citing Israel's offensive on Gaza. Sumar spokesperson Veronica Martinez said Spain 'cannot cooperate with a state that commits genocide or war crimes,' adding that Israel's arms industry 'must not be supported under the current circumstances in Gaza.' Podemos leader Ione Belarra called on the Spanish Cabinet to convene an emergency session this week to issue a formal decree banning arms sales to Israel. 'Palestinians cannot wait any longer. Netanyahu is killing, bombing, starving, and depriving them of medical care. What is happening is the biggest ethnic cleansing of the 21st century,' she said, describing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as 'the Hitler of our time.' Defense Minister Margarita Robles, attending an EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Brussels, reiterated that Spain has not engaged in arms trade with Israel since the onset of the Gaza war on Oct. 7, 2023. 'We are not buying weapons from Israel, and this must be clearly stated. Since October 7, not a single weapon has been purchased from 'Israel'. Only protective gear like helmets and vests for Spanish security forces has been procured,' Robles said. However, civil society groups demonstrating outside parliament claimed that Spain still maintains nine active contracts with Israeli arms companies and continues to pay millions of euros under those agreements.
Days of Palestine
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Days of Palestine
Spanish Parliament Passes Motion to Impose Arms Embargo on Israel Over Gaza Genocide
DayofPal– Spain's parliament on Tuesday approved a non-binding motion urging the government to impose a full arms embargo on Israel in response to its ongoing military operations in Gaza, intensifying calls for a more assertive stance on the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza enclave. The motion, spearheaded by the leftist Sumar alliance, a member of the ruling coalition, garnered support from other progressive parties, including Podemos and the Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC). It was adopted by a narrow majority of 176 votes in favor to 171 against, according to El País. Conservative lawmakers from the People's Party (PP) and the far-right Vox party voted against the measure, while all other parliamentary groups backed the initiative. Applause broke out among its supporters as the motion passed. While not legally binding, the resolution calls on the Spanish government to immediately halt all exports of materials that could bolster the Israeli military, including protective equipment such as helmets and vests, as well as dual-use items like fuel that may serve military purposes. Beyond the arms embargo, the motion advocates for a broader overhaul of Spain's foreign trade legislation. It recommends prohibiting military cooperation with any state credibly accused of committing genocide or crimes against humanity, explicitly naming Israel's military campaign in Gaza as grounds for such restrictions. 'Spain cannot collaborate with a state that commits genocide or war crimes,' said Veronica Martínez, spokesperson for Sumar. 'Under the current conditions in Gaza, the Israeli arms industry must not be supported.' Podemos leader Ione Belarra went further, calling for an emergency Cabinet meeting this week to issue a formal government decree suspending all arms exports to Israel. 'Palestinians cannot wait any longer,' she said. 'Netanyahu is killing, bombing, starving, and denying them medical care. This is the largest ethnic cleansing of the 21st century. He is the Hitler of our time.' Meanwhile, Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles, speaking from Brussels where she was attending an EU Foreign Affairs Council, pushed back against claims of ongoing arms transactions. 'Let me be very clear: Spain has not purchased a single weapon from Israel since October 7,' she stated. 'The only items acquired have been non-lethal protective gear for our own security forces.' However, human rights organizations and demonstrators gathered outside parliament expressed skepticism, accusing the government of failing to sever existing defense contracts with Israeli companies. Activist groups claim that at least nine military agreements remain in force, with Spain continuing to pay millions of euros under those deals. The motion reflects growing pressure within Spain's political establishment to align its foreign policy with its public rhetoric on human rights. While the final decision rests with the executive, Tuesday's vote signals a significant shift in the parliamentary mood amid international scrutiny of Israel's genocide in Gaza. Shortlink for this post:
