SPAIN NOTES, Jan 12: immigration, identity and power with Catalan separatists
A Complex, Global 21st Century
1/ Israel defended itself against the South African accusation of genocide in Gaza at the ICJ in the Hague, which was, their lawyers said, a “profoundly distorted and factual legal picture” and that Israel only sought to defend itself.
2/ The US and the UK attacked Houthi positions in Yemen overnight, in an attempt to restore security to global shipping lanes through the Gulf of Aden. The Houthis have sworn revenge.
A Changing Spain
3/ The government insisted that Catalonia would not be able to reject immigrants when immigration policy is transferred to the region.
4/ Esquerra leader Junqueras said that “embracing far-right discourses that cirminalise migrants” was not the way forward for Catalan separatists.
5/ The First Minister of Castilla la Mancha, García-Page (PSOE): “If Vox asked for this, everyone would be outraged […] if it were up to Puigdemont, I’d be a foreigner”.
6/ “It’s going to be difficult to sell this as a progressive policy”, said Sumar.
7/ ABC wonders if the immigration deal will really go through, given its very sensitive nature: “we would not be surprised if this demand for migration policy powers is executed in the style of the most extremist xenophobes”.
8/ The PP sees it all as proof that Sánchez is “the weakest Prime Minister in the history of our country”.
9/ Carlos Cuerpo, the new Economy Minister, said European law prevented companies who decided not to return to Catalonia from being fined.
10/ Sánchez announced that the government would increase the minimum wage in Spain by another 5%, to €1,134/month.
11/ In Galicia, Sumar is to sue the regional PP government over its handling of the pellet crisis. The European Parliament will debate the issue next week.
12/ The PSOE is withdrawing press credentials from the influencer-reporters linked to Vox who rebroadcast the Sánchez piñata doll being beaten outside Socialist Party HQ in Madrid on New Year’s Eve.
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