News Politics

Spain: PM Sanchez wins support of Catalan separatist party

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Paving the way for the formation of a coalition government, the biggest separatist party based in Catalonia has extended its support to Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.

The move has end the deadlock under which Spain was brought by an inconclusive election result.

The support means Spain can no longer look the question of the independence of Catalonia with disrespect.

At this moment, it remains unclear the new coalition government will agree to conduct a formal Catalan independence referendum.

Earlier, an informal referendum conducted by the regional government in Catalonia was supported hugely by the people of the region.

It even paved the way for the emergence of a confrontation between the regional government in Catalonia and the central government.

Meanwhile, another big question that remains is whether the destiny of the punished Catalonian separatist leader will be overturned.

Several Catalonian leaders have been punished severely as the central government has chosen not to take a lenient stand in the independence issue.

Catalonia is a rich territory in Spain. Its culture is a bit different from that of the rest of the country. A considerable number of Catalonians want to be identified with Catalonia than with Spain.

Anyway, the new political development in Spain is a big boost to the Catalonian separatist movement.


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Travel Trending

Spanish court rules against Ryanair

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A Spanish court has ruled against budget flight conglomerate Ryanair, against its decision to impose fine on one of its customers, who violated its terms and conditions by carrying a bag which weighs much higher than what is approved by the flight management.

The court has found as excessive the terms and conditions of the flight that require its customers to limit their luggage to their handbags.

The court has asked the flight management to return the fine amount, which they collected from the affected customer, with interest.

Meanwhile, the court has taken a light stand on the question of compensation. It has found it unnecessary to ask the flight management to pay any compensation to the affected customer.

Anyway, the court direction, it seems, is not likely to change the attitude of the flight management.

The company still says that it will revamp its terms and conditions. The company, it seems, sees the judgment as an intrusion of the court into the right of the company to decide on its internal policies.

Ryanair is a popular budget aircraft. It offers short distance budget flight service. It usually does not allow its customers to carry anything more than their handbags. It charges extra money for additional luggage.


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News

Spain criticises forced removal of Bolivian supremo by military

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The Spanish government has strongly criticised the formed removal of Bolivian supremo Evo Morales by his country’s military.

The removal has come amidst growing protest in Bolivia against the alleged irregularity committed by Mr. Morales during the recent presidential election.

It was a regional organisation which first exposed the irregularity. Later, similar stand was taken by many, including the US.

Notably, the majority of those who stand against the Bolivian president are from the political right. And, the majority of those who stand with the president are from the political left; importantly, Spain is at present in the political left platform.

Not only Spain but also several others like Venezuela and Mexico has come out publically in favour of the Bolivian president.

Anyway, it is from Russia the most unexpected support has come.

The Russian government, even though is a political right country, has taken a different stand than that of its fellow rightist countries. It has strongly criticised the action of the Bolivian military.

Mr. Morales has accepted the asylum offer extended by the Mexican government. He has called his ouster a coup. He has hinted about his return in his statement.

In his statement, he said that it was very painful for him to fly away from his country. He added that he would return with more energy and power in the near future itself.

The alleged coup has put the country in chaos. The supporters of Mr. Morales have gathered in the city centres in large numbers. In many places, they have openly clashed with the police. The Bolivian military, with an intention to bring stability, has sent their members to support the police.

Notably, Jeanine Anez, the deputy leader of the Senate, is likely to take charge as the interim president. She has announced her intention recently. Anyway, it needs the assent of the senate. It is not clear whether she may be able to get the support of the senate dominated by the supporters of Mr. Morales.

Whoever becomes the interim president gets at least 90 days to conduct election.


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News Politics

Spain Election: Rightists make major gains; Socialists retain power

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The fourth election in Spain in less than four yours has also contributed the crisis of political deadlock, like what it contributed in the past three occasions.

This time also, making the situation bad to worse, no political party has gained a clear majority in the Spanish parliament.

The Spanish parliament has nearly 350 seats. So, for a simple majority at least 176 seats is needed.

In the latest election, the ruling PSOE (socialists) has gained around 120 seats – which is at least three seats less than what it wristed in the previous election.

Meanwhile, the rightist political parties like the PP and the Vox have made major gains in the election.

The PP has increased its seat count to around 88 from less than 66, and the Vox to 52 from 24. As what can be clearly read from the data, the far-rightist Vox is the one that has made the biggest gain.

In the previous time, the socialists failed to find a supporter for its government. When it called for a snap election, its expectation was that it would be able to gain a clear majority this time.

What the election result tells is a different story. The result shows the decreasing popularity of the socialists and the increasing popularity of the rightists.

A political expert says that it is not wise to lose this chance. He adds that if the leftists lose this chance, they may not be able to come to power in the country anything in the near future.

The Spain election result has a message for the entire Europe. In Europe, the political left and the political liberal are shrinking. What that is occupying that space is the political right – sadly, the political far-right.

Unlike others, the political far-right is not easy to deal with. It is not clear whether the political left and the political liberal know how to deal with that front rightly.


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News

Spain to polls

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The European country of Spain is set to return to the polling stations tomorrow to decide who should lead the country in future.

It is the fourth time the people of the country, in the short span of four years, have been asked to share their opinion on who should be allowed to lead them.

In all the three times, the election results were inconclusive. In the last time, the Socialists emerged as a major force. But, unfortunately, they failed to convince their natural allies to join them.

Spain is a very powerful European power. It is a member of the European Union – not just a member, but is a main pillar like Germany and France on which the economic union stands.

At present, the country is under the clutches of several serious political issues; the Catalonian independence movement is one of them.

The country requires a stable government to overcome these troubles. It is hoped that Spain votes for the best option available.


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News

Spanish dictator Franco’s remains moved to low-key grave from vast mausoleum

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The remains of the most brutal leader the European country has ever seen, Francisco Franco, have been removed from the vast mausoleum, in which he was buried several decades ago, to a low-key grave.

The relocation was a key promise of the Socialists. The relocation is the victory of the Socialist leaders.

The Spanish government has successfully surmounted the opposition raised by the family members of the dictator.

The family members of the leader have strongly challenged the decision to relocate the remains of the leader.

The Spanish government has stayed close to its stand that it could not allow the glorification of a Fascist leader.

Mr. Franco was a brutal dictator who ruled the European country of Spain for several decades.

His burial place was regarded as a symbol of Fascism. In the recent past, several protest happened across Spain demanding the destruction of that symbol.

The relocation is considered as the victory of that movement.


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News Politics

Spanish court awards serious punishment to Catalan independence leaders

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A Spanish court has awarded serious punishment to the political leaders, who led a violent separatist movement in the Spanish region of Catalonia around two years ago.

The punishment has been awarded to nearly nine leaders. Some of them has got thirteen years imprisonment, and the rest has received not less than nine.  

The leaders, including former Catalan Vice-President Oriol Junqueras, have been found guilty of the serious charge of sedition.

The court has acquitted as many as nine other political leaders, who were charged with similar charges including rioting.

All the accused leaders have pleaded not guilty to the charges levelled against them by the Spanish government.

The court has lent its ears to most of those pleas. In the case of the convicted leaders, the court has found the grounds, on which the charges against them have been erected, relevant.

The Catalan referendum movement is the most powerful political movement the European country of Spain has witnessed in its recent history.

Meanwhile, tens of thousands of people have gathered in all major Catalonian cities, including Barcelona, to express their solidarity with the independence leaders of the region ahead of the controversial verdict, which has shacked the heart of many Catalonians, mostly those in favour of the separatist movement.


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Accidents News

Spanish Festival : Spectator gored to death by bull

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A 62 year old man has been gored to death by a bull during the famous Spanish festival. The tragic incident happened in central Spain.

The man was killed in s bull run in the town of Cuellar, 155 kilometres north of Madrid, on Thursday.

The town mayor, Carlos Frailesaid said to local media that the man who had suffered severe and deadly horn blows in his chest and neck could not be saved.

The man was just a viewer of the bull run, as per reports. It is reported that he was rammed into a field and gored. Another spectator, who was afraid of being gored climbed onto a wall, and was saved.

In Pamplona festival, which was made famous worldwide by Ernest Hemingway’s 1926 novel “The Sun Also Rises”, eight people were gored and 35 were injured this year.

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European Breaking News
News Politics

Socialists wins the Spain election

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Spain’s ruling Socialists wins the election by collecting most of the votes. They failed to win a majority amid historic gains by the far-right. This was one among the crucial elections in decades.

29% of the votes were polled by PM Pedro Sánchez’s party. In order to form a government, they will need the help of either left-wing Podemos and regional parties, or the centre right, to form a government.

Since military rule ended in the 1970s, it is for the first time a far-right party is set to enter parliament. The Popular Party (PP) faced a collapse in support. The Popular Party had governed Spain until it was dumped from power in May 2018 in a no-confidence vote.

In this election, the Popular Party could just win 66 seats, down from 137 in the previous parliament.

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News Politics

Spain to witness snap election in two months

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The Spanish government has decided to conduct a snap election, as its budget has been failed in the parliament due to the withdrawal of Catalan separatists’ support to the socialist government, which came to power nearly eight months ago with the support of an anti-austerity party and the Catalan separatists.

In the 350 member parliament, the PSOE (the ruling socialist party) has less than 85 members. And, its main ally Podemos (the anti-austerity party) has little more than 65 seats. Meanwhile, the main opposition Popular Party has as many as 134 seats.

It was the Catalan separatists who were preventing the minority government from being washed away by the heavy tides of the opposition.

The absence of that protective layer formed by the Catalans means the government is no longer indestructible.

In the statement released during the announcement of the government’s decision to conduct the snap election, the ruling government has criticised the opposition heavily. It has alleged that the opposition has purposefully defeated many important bills in the parliament to destabilise the government.

A poll survey predicts that no party will cross the magic number in the proposed snap election. Meanwhile, the same survey suggests that the conservatives will defiantly make little progress in their number of seats in the parliament in the election.

Spain is new to political destabilisation. Never in its recent history has it suffered such a situation. The last time that it suffered some thing similar to this is when the country found itself liberated from its decades-old dictatorship post the unexpected demise of Francisco Franco.

Vignesh. S. G
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