SPAIN THIS WEEK

Monday, 29 January 2018

25/01/2018 President of the Government receives Secretary General of NATO The President of the Government, Mariano Rajoy, and the Secretary General of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, held a bilateral meeting at Moncloa Palace. Jens Stoltenberg, who was elected as Secretary General of NATO in October 2014, recently renewed his mandate until the year 2020.

24/01/2018 Mariano Rajoy presents project entitled "Spanish, a global language" The President of the Government, Mariano Rajoy, argued that this "State project", presented at the Reina Sofia National Museum and Art Centre, seeks "to foster the universal use of knowledge in the Spanish language" and "its ability to create opportunities for the Spanish-speaking community" by harnessing the benefits of new technologies. He also announced the creation of an "Ibero-American Erasmus" programme.

24/01/2018 Mariano Rajoy trusts that Budget for 2018 will be approved In an interview on the programme "Más de uno", on Onda Cero, the President of the Government, Mariano Rajoy, stressed that if Carles Puigdemont returns to Spain, he will be arrested under the arrest warrant issued by the courts. As regards the Debate on the State of the Nation, he remarked that this could be held in the spring.

23/01/2018 "There is no alternative to the law because Spain is a democracy", says Mariano Rajoy Following his visit to the National Cybersecurity Institute and the Real Colegiata de San Isidoro in Leon, the President of the Government announced the continuity of the high-speed railway line (AVE) project to Asturias. Mariano Rajoy also advocated the recovery of institutional, economic and social normality in Catalonia.

22/01/2018 "Great integrating projects are those that have offered us stability and helped Spain prosper", says Mariano Rajoy At the inauguration of the high-speed railway line (Spanish acronym: AVE) from Valencia to Castellón, the President of the Government remarked that Spain sets a global benchmark in high-speed railway travel and that this constitutes a strategic infrastructure and a productive investment. He also stressed the need for an agreement to reform the regional financing model.

26/01/2018 Government challenges candidature of Carles Puigdemont to Presidency of the Regional Government of Catalonia before Constitutional Court The decision responds to the political commitment and constitutional duty to use all the legal instruments available in defence of democracy and the rule of law, claimed the Vice-President of the Government. The government also declared the Venezuelan Ambassador to Spain to be 'persona non grata' in strict application of the principle of reciprocity.

28/01/2018	Frigate 'Santa María' rescues more than 300 people
26/01/2018	Contributory pensions amount to 8.91 billion euros in January
25/01/2018	European Union to invest 578 million euros in a new electricity interconnection between Spain and France
25/01/2018	Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Food and Environmental Affairs allocates 68 million euros to boosting job creation and the green economy
25/01/2018	Number of people in work on verge of 19 million at close of 2017 after year-on-year rise of 490,300
24/01/2018	Spain becomes a retaining wall against drug trafficking, after seizing 40% of all cocaine in Europe and almost 70% of all hashish
24/01/2018	The Treasury has issued a syndicated bond for 10 billion euros, which has attracted the highest ever demand
24/01/2018	Isabel García Tejerina advocates an ambitious CAP and strong financing in the future European Union Budget
23/01/2018	Companies improve order backlog together with long-term activity and employment expectations
23/01/2018	Average number of foreign citizens registered with Spanish Social Security system stands at 1,837,901 in December
23/01/2018	The Immediate Information Supply system and the new reporting of financial accounts will be key pillars of AEAT's fight against fraud
22/01/2018	Fátima Báñez stresses that 2017 set a new record in hiring of persons with disability
22/01/2018	Íñigo Méndez de Vigo asserts that the international projection of the Spanish language and the wealth of our literary heritage are priorities of this term of office