EuroEFE Archives

The Spanish government is poised to issue pardons for nine Catalan politicians jailed for their involvement in the illegal and ill-fated referendum and declaration of independence in 2017, EURACTIV’s partner EFE reports.

Spain is set to lift the mandatory use of face masks in outdoor spaces in Spain on 26 June, with Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez telling an economics forum in Barcelona that his government will formalise the rule change in a cabinet meeting. EURACTIV’s partner EFE reported.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has been devastating not only for the Spanish economy but also, and above all, in terms of human lives: since March 2020 Spain’s mortality rate increased by 17%, with 492,930 new deaths directly or partially related to the pandemic, a historic mark not seen in the Iberian country since 1941.

Brussels has approved the coronavirus recovery funds for Spain and Portugal during a visit by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to the two countries. EURACTIV’s partner EFE reported.

Face masks worn in order to prevent the spread of the coronavirus may “soon” become something of the past in public spaces, Spain’s socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced on Wednesday. EURACTIV’s partner EFE reported.

The Spanish government could grant pardon in a matter of days to several Catalan separatists jailed for their involvement in holding an illegal pro-independence referendum in 2017, EURACTIV’s partner EFE reported.

Spanish immunologist Carmen Álvarez-Domínguez has warned that the COVID-19 vaccines available in Spain and other EU countries could adapt to new variants, potentially necessitating a third dose in 2022, EURACTIV’s partner EFE reported. 

Thousands of people gathered in Madrid on Sunday (13 June) to protest against pardons the Spanish government is poised to grant to 12 Catalan separatist leaders serving sentences of between 9 and 13 years in prison for their roles in an unauthorised independence referendum.

Madrid’s conservative mayor, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, has announced an ambitious plan to make the Spanish capital “the best city to live and work in 2030”, thanks to an initial investment of €3.9 billion of EU money, EURACTIV’s partner EFE reports.

Spain has set curbing soaring youth unemployment, which is among the highest in the European Union, as one of its main priorities for the coming years, EURACTIV’s partner EFE reported.

Spain's health ministry is in favour of gradually lifting restrictions for the hotel, restaurant and cafes sector known as HORECA and is mulling the reopening of nightlife activities for medium-risk regions for COVID-19. EURACTIV’s partner EFE reported.

Spain will allow travellers to enter the country as of Monday if they have been vaccinated against COVID-19, present a negative PCR test or show that they have taken the much cheaper rapid antigen test. EURACTIV’s partner EFE reported. 

Spain plans to reopen nightlife venues in regions with fewer COVID-19 cases in time for the summer season as the country eyes an international tourism sector badly hit by the pandemic, EURACTIV’s partner EFE reported. 

Unemployment in Spain significantly improved in May, with 129,378 fewer people searching for a job, the best official figure since 1996, EURACTIV’s partner EuroEFE reported.

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to badly affect Spain’s tourism sector, which in the first quarter of the year saw an 82% drop in the number of international tourists it welcomed compared to the same period of 2020, from 10.6 million to only 1.8 million. EURACTIV’s partner EFE reported.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is considering granting pardon by the end of June for a group of Catalan separatists jailed for their involvement in holding an illegal independence referendum in 2017, Spanish media has reported.

Five months after Spain started its COVID-19 vaccination campaign, the country ranked sixth in terms of most doses administered, equivalent to 18 % of its population, EURACTIV’s partner EFE reported.

Spain's government is considering pardoning 12 Catalan separatist politicians sentenced in 2017 for their role in holding an illegal independence referendum in the region, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has confirmed. EURACTIV’s partner EFE reported.

Spain's employer’s association has rejected a latest proposal by Social Security Minister José Luis Escrivá to extend pandemic-era temporary lay-off schemes known as ERTE - protecting some 600,000 jobs - beyond the 31 May deadline. EURACTIV’s partner EFE reports.

Spain has the “best conditions” to become Europe’s green hydrogen hub, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Monday, EURACTIV’s partner EFE reported.

Spain has from Monday (24 May) lifted COVID-19 travel restrictions for citizens of 10 low-risk countries, including the UK and Japan, in a bid to jump-start its pandemic-stricken tourism sector in time for the summer season. EURACTIV’s partner EFE reports.

Spain will aim to achieve a circular and carbon-neutral economy by 2050 to minimise its environmental impact, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has announced. EURACTIV’s partner EFE reports.

Moroccan border guards on Wednesday sealed off the crossing into Ceuta following two days of an abrupt migrant crisis that saw over 8,000 people illegally enter the Spanish enclave. EURACTIV’s partner EFE reports.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has pledged to safeguard the territorial integrity of the Spanish exclaves of Ceuta and Melilla after 6,000 migrants from Morocco entered Spanish territory, EURACTIV’s partner EFE reports.