Spain Notes, Oct 6: Zelensky, amnesty, Murcia
1/ ABC writes that “Europe must not fail Ukraine”, which the West, the US, the EU and NATO are showing “alarming signs” of doing as Zelensky turned up for the Granada summit. Spain is only 19th on a list of 30 countries in terms of the amount of support sent to Kyiv. If Europe fails now, Putin would become “an existential threat” for the continent.
2/ The King and Queen met Zelensky at the Alhambra.
3/ Security is so tight in Granada that local residents are complaining mobile phones and garage remote controls have stopped working.
4/ Sánchez admitted he was “negotiating” with the separatists, as if everyone didn’t already know, but declined to say “amnesty”. Sumar will present its idea for the giant get-out-of-jail-free card on Tuesday in Barcelona.
5/ After Puigdemont announced he was going for a grassroots vote on whether or not to support Sánchez as PM…now the PSOE is saying it will only start to table the amnesty bill in parliament before that reappointment happens, not pass it fully as the separatists would like.
6/ Voxpópuli reported the question the PSOE will pose to its own grassroots members will be so generic it will be impossible for anyone to vote no. Along the lines of “Do you agree with the agreements reached?” by party leaders…
7/ Morroco announced it wants the 2030 World Cup final to be played in Casablanca…putting it on a collision course with Spain, which wants it to be played in Madrid. El Mundo reckons its an opportunity to bring the country together over the next few years.
8/ Some 1,200 African migrants have reached the westernmost Canary Island of El Hierro in small boats in just a few days, which represents…an increase of 10% of the island’s whole population.
9/ By the middle of September, almost a month ago, the annual total for migrants rescued by the Spanish Coastguard near the Canary Islands was already up to 14,000 people.
10/ City Hall and local police in Murcia began actually closing bars and nightclubs still operating without a licence, with actual police officers and sticky tape. City Hall has still not confirmed how many there are.