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

SPAIN THIS WEEK

Monday, 15 January 2018 10/01/2018 Mariano Rajoy advocates extending Economic and Monetary Union, and complete the internal market The President of the Government, Mariano Rajoy, asserted at the 4th Summit of Southern European Union Countries that the main priorities for the coming years are growth and job creation, the social welfare system, immigration and the fight against terrorism.  09/01/2018 "We export one third of our GDP", says Mariano Rajoy At the inauguration in Madrid of the 8th Spain Investors Day Forum, the President of the Government, Mariano Rajoy, explained that "the leading role of our foreign trade sector" not only "provides guarantees of the sustainability" of our economic growth, but will also allow "further progress to be made in raising our levels of revenue, productivity, salaries and, in short, in improving our well-being". 03/01/2018 Mariano Rajoy stresses that "the quality of jobs is improving" since "a great many permanent employment contracts were signed" in 2017 At the inauguration of the works to extend the capacity of the AP-9 motorway along the stretch through Santiago de Compostela, the President of the Government stressed that the employment and National Insurance contributor figures for 2017 are "pleasing" and "encouraging". The goal, he said, is to ensure "20 million Spaniards are working" by the end of 2019. 12/01/2018 Government develops regulation on marketing of audiovisual rights of football clubs The government amended the operation of the State Watchdog for Co-existence at School, with the aim of avoiding new forms of harassment, and approved a programme to support the wine sector for the period 2019-2023. 02/01/2018 Spain begins its mandate as member of Human Rights Council for period 2018-2020 08/01/2018 Treasury reduces net issue in 2018 to 40 billion euros 08/01/2018 Oviedo will host WTO 2nd World Conference on Smart Destinations in June 10/01/2018 Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport calls for proposals for 12 grants to study a Master's Degree at universities in the United States 10/01/2018 Spain posts record number of 82 million inbound tourists in 2017 11/01/2018 "Spain continues to break records and is once again the global leader in organ donation and transplantation", says Dolors Montserrat 11/01/2018 Iñigo de la Serna welcomes IATA decision to choose Madrid as headquarters for its largest operations centre 12/01/2018 Inflation slows to 1.1% due to decelerating energy prices

SPAIN THIS WEEK

Monday, 4 December 2017

27/11/2017 The main objective for Catalonia is to begin a new period of "peace" and "social harmony", says Mariano Rajoy In an interview on Telecinco, the President of the Government, Mariano Rajoy, stressed that a reform of the Spanish Constitution cannot be "a reward" for those who sought to destroy it. Furthermore, he said that the recent statements from the General Secretary of Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya (ERC) [Republican Left of Catalonia], Marta Rovira, on how Central Government was going to act against any sovereignty process are "slanderous".

28/11/2017 Fifth European Union-African Union Summit The 5th African Union-European Union Summit will take place in Abidjan (Ivory Coast) on 29 and 30 November 2017, although this is the first time that it has been held under the African Union-European Union format. The summit will take place at the auditorium in the Sofitel Ivoire hotel.

30/11/2017 Mariano Rajoy trusts that European Investment Plan for Africa will contribute to combating "the root causes of migration" The President of the Government, Mariano Rajoy, advocated safe, regular and orderly migration, with greater cooperation with countries of origin, at the 5th African Union-European Union Summit. He also stressed that Spain "will actively participate" in the initiative to combat illegal immigration and the trafficking of migrants in Libya as agreed at this forum.

01/12/2017 Government allocates 71 million euros to autonomous regions for education programmes Most of the funds will be allocated to paying for text books and learning materials and to reducing the school drop-out rate. The Council of Ministers also approved the new National Security Strategy and the Regulation of Railway Traffic and analysed the draft bill of the Securities Market and Financial Instruments Act.

30/11/2017	European Commission selects three investment projects with Spanish participation to receive CEF funding for sum of 72 million euros
30/11/2017	Constituent meeting of National Commission for Commemoration of '500th Anniversary of First Voyage around the World'
29/11/2017	Spain signs three agreements with Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria
28/11/2017	Social Security contributions to October totalled 89.68 billion euros, 5.19% more than last year
28/11/2017	Deficit of Public Administrations, excluding Local Authorities, shrank by 1.19 GDP percentage points to September

SPAIN THIS WEEK

Monday, 27 November 2017

21/11/2017 Mariano Rajoy reiterates his commitment to allocate 1 billion euros more to combat gender-based violence The President of the Government, Mariano Rajoy, stated in the Upper House of Parliament that he is confident the State Pact against Gender-Based Violence will be signed this year. He also argued that the new model of regional financing should be backed by all the regions and reach a very broad consensus in Parliament.

22/11/2017 Mariano Rajoy urges Catalan business leaders to "restore the confidence that has recently been lost" The President of the Government, Mariano Rajoy, at the award ceremony for the Carles Ferrer Salat Prizes and the Foment del Treball Medals of Honour, claimed that talking about Catalonia is synonymous with talking about "entrepreneurship, innovation, vision, future and progress", facets that must "continue to be its hallmark".  Mariano Rajoy also stressed that the people of Catalonia "will never lack, neither now, nor in the future, the support of the Government of Spain".

22/11/2017 ​Mariano Rajoy would like State Pact against Gender-based violence to be signed in December, but says "it is already being implemented" At the government control session held in the Lower House of Parliament, the President of the Government, Mariano Rajoy, said that whoever wins the elections on 21 December will have to "govern" and "respect the legislation already in place". Furthermore, he defended the application of the Official Secrets Act for preserving State security.

23/11/2017 "Spanish democracy was able to defend itself, and this is a source of calm and legitimate satisfaction", says Mariano Rajoy The President of the Government, Mariano Rajoy, at the award ceremony of the Fernández-Latorre Prize, praised the response from the institutions and society as a whole to the "disloyalty" shown by the secessionists. He stated that the Spanish people will come out of this crisis "with stronger resolve to tackle new, future challenges together".

24/11/2017 Mariano Rajoy stresses that "a society free of violence against women is possible" and that "together we will achieve this" ​The President of the Government, Mariano Rajoy, presented the awards at Moncloa Palace on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, celebrated on 25 November.

24/11/2017 Government makes cross-border gathering of evidence at EU level more flexible The draft law approved by the Council of Ministers establishes a simple and better coordinated system so that judges and prosecutors in any Member State of the European Union can apply for evidence to be gathered in another State. The government also proposed Julián Sánchez Melgaras as its candidate to be appointed as the new Chief Public Prosecutor.

22/11/2017	Spanish education system among most equal according to results from PISA 2015 study
22/11/2017	40th anniversary of Spain's membership of Council of Europe
21/11/2017	Iñigo de la Serna visits works on Line 2 of underground system in Lima, a project headed up by Spanish companies
21/11/2017	"Spain and France share a common security agenda, we defeated ETA together and we will put an end to the Jihadi threat together", says Juan Ignacio Zoido
21/11/2017	Exports continue to post historic highs, with a 9.1% increase to September
21/11/2017	Average number of foreign citizens registered with Spanish Social Security system stands at 1,851,014 in October