Spanish are hurting too

[Jool]

The "crisis" is now really hurting spanish citizens and not just immigrants.....excerpt taken from Typically spanish

More Spaniards find themselves unable to pay their debts

2.7 million Spaniards and 232,000 companies are not paying their debts in Spain currently, with the number of Spaniards and immigrants included on the list of bad debtors increasing by 26% and 67% respectively over the first four months of the year. The number of Spaniards now included on the list drawn up by Asnef-Equifax has reached 2,054,000, while the number of immigrants is 691,000.

[anyroads]

It will not improve until the euro weakens.

anyroads

[Bongtrees]

Why when it did not help GB when the pound weakened?

[anyroads]

GB will recover well before the Euro Zone, and one of the prime reasons is the weak pound.

anyroads

[katy]

The European commission states that Spain will be the last place in the eurozone to recover. There was an interesting debate a few days ago on a spanish forum. The junta said they are going to pump more money into tourism projects. The view on the forum was why spend money on these projects, they only lead to low paid jobs and they (Spain) get all the rubbish low spending tourists. The concensus was that the junta should invest in new technology and research to provide real jobs instead of relying on tourism. I absolutely agree.

[Jool]

Me too Katy, real jobs, real manufacturing base and real infrastructure to attract investment

[julian]

Katy and Jool for president !!....you´ll have have spain out of this world wide recession is 5 minutes..if I vote for you don´t forget about me later when I need the odd favour !! I´ll have to keep a good eye on your expenses though when you get the job !!

[Jool]

You can be my positive energy minister and PR person, imagine that, honest forthrightness in a politician......and red colouring would be banned from all foodstuffs as it generates wayward energy........

[Lavanda]

Agree totally, Katy and Jool, just one thing ... manufacturing in any country will have to compete with the Chinese. Who in the West will work 16 hours a day, seven days a week with no health and safety and no holiday or sick pay for about €0.30 per hour. That's what we will need to do. Any takers?

[julian]

Lavanda..you can be leader of the opposition party !! (you might quickly become the new president with logical comments like that)

[K chameleon]

"POWER TO THE PEOPLE!"

Plant rape seed and avocados

Why isn't there more solar power over here, can't they built power stations?
(surround them with trees, obviously)

[julian]

there are solar power stations here, i think spain is one of the leading countries in that field

[olive]

I don't know where you live but there are loads of solar plants in southern Spain. never a week goes by without another one going up. Also haven't Spain got the worlds first of its' type "mirrors pointed at a large tank of water ontop of a tower" power station near Seville and they are going to double its size soon.

And Spain is using its' know how to help Algeria, whose gas will run out in 40 years time , to build vast solar plants with the aim of being able to economically sell electricity even to the Germans!!!

By the way there is still more bad news to come yet in the UK economy, the worst isn't over despite what the pundits say.

olive

PS It will be Ok in the UK though as the Saudis (sponsors of terrorism?) will be funding the nuclear power plants there. Phew what a relief.

[K chameleon]

I thought there might be the odd few plants over here. But why is electricity so expensive?

[BENIDORM]

Spain really is one of the leaders with regard to solar and wind power.

Each time I've travelled up and down through Spain there seems to be another 'crop' of solar panels or windmills, usually in the 'middle of nowhere', which is the best place for them...in my opinion.

I do think they are a great idea, however I wouldn't like to live in the shadow of the windmills, it amazes me just how big they are...Anyone ever been stuck in a traffic jam caused by the extra long trucks carrying just one of the 'propellors' ?...I'm just thankful that the network of autovias seems to be improving throughout Spain....not so a few years ago, in fact 20 years ago I often had 2 overnight stops in Spain...now I do Spain in a day....and don't use many toll roads...

And back to the original subject...I know of Spanish families who have been 'skint' for years, especially young families loaded with heavy mortgages and credit card bills...Nowt new !

Regards,
Gordon...

[frank]

These windmills are a bit "nimby'ish", they are great on some distant hillside, but you wouldn't want one in your back garden. Have you stood under one, they can be surprisingly noisy. I read of some Brit couple near Vejer de la Frontera, and they have one in the back garden almost and it has almost sunk their B&B business, not too many people want to try and sleep under one. For me, all that strip from Tarifa to Vejer has been completely blighted by the mass of windmills along that stretch. There were plans to install a huge offshore wind farm just off Trafalgar, that'll look great!

[katy]

The reason that Spain is heavily investing is solar and windpower is all about money from brussels!
Some of the major constructors are setting up companies for these projects. What will happen is they will be badly constructed, poorly maintained and ineffective.

Anyone been following the debate on the crisis yesterday, watched a bit on TV this morning, Zetaparo is like a rabbit caught in the headlights

[Lavanda]

You're right about EU money, Katy. Here we have a lot of wide, open and empty spaces. We have thousands of hectares of solar panel 'farms' on this land. That's fine. They are quite and sheep can still graze around them BUT they look like wall-to-wall grey metallic carpets which is a bit weird in a place that is supposed to be the 'last rural wilderness in Europe'. It all comes down to the HUGE EU subsidy. Wind farms are going up in the Sierra de Gata, an area of outstanding natural beauty! We also have a nuclear power station in a National Park! Go figure!

[Acen]

Are they really hurting like people in the UK??

Where are all the repossesed houses in Spain??I know a neighbour who has been struggling/not paying her mortgage for over a year, they get threats from the banks but still nothing, they are unlikely to get kicked out.

Where are all the discounted prices?? foods still going up and cars are still rediculously expensive both new and second hand so their still must be some people buying them.

Most spanish people in my village live at least 3 geneations in one house leaving the Dad to by a BMW X5 becuase he still lives in his mothers house and now has his wife and kids thier also!!!

They can still get 80% of basic salary for up to 2 years after being made redundant.

oh yes finanlly €3 euros for kiddies rides at feria time. and yes it was packed.

Where i am prices have not dropped. they of course have not sold but the owners still are greedy and want the same!!! they bought it so cheap 10 years ago that they can afford to hold on to it.

Am i the only one who remember the uk recession of the early 80s late 70's it was really bad back then.

a

[Jool]

Sorry Acen but i am not sure your info is true, around here many spanish are really suffering, especially those previously working in auto or building trade.....and the info re their benefits etc just does not ring true, I think only the very well off manage this level of benefit, most get virtually nothing after 6 months. They sit begging outside supermarkets or at the markets or queue for food at the special centres, even town halls cannot pay their bills........its a real mess.

Also many banks have special departments for houses that have been re-possessed, and they are sold off at the value of the mortgage plus Court costs....I personally know of over 3000 over spain on sale now from one bank alone