https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Spain in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed The northern Spanish region of the Basque Country, home to popular cities such as San Sebastián and Bilbao, is to introduce a tourist tax of up to €7.50 per night, likely to be implemented this year. https://www.thelocal.es/20260213/spains-basque-country-to-introduce-daily-e7-50-tourist-tax Fri, 13 Feb 2026 07:38:18 +0100 spains-basque-country-to-introduce-daily-e7-50-tourist-tax Spain has revived a push for Basque, Catalan and Galician to be made official EU languages, despite a less-than-enthusiastic response from fellow European countries fearing a domino effect. https://www.thelocal.es/20250527/why-spain-wants-catalan-basque-and-galician-to-be-eu-languages Tue, 27 May 2025 20:09:50 +0200 why-spain-wants-catalan-basque-and-galician-to-be-eu-languages The Basque Country is known as being fairly different from the rest of Spain, and this also applies to its successful labour market, with higher salaries than the rest of the country, better career opportunities and strong labour rights. https://www.thelocal.es/20250314/why-the-basque-country-is-the-best-place-to-work-in-spain Fri, 14 Mar 2025 12:16:30 +0100 why-the-basque-country-is-the-best-place-to-work-in-spain Following the transfer of immigration powers to the Catalonia region, the Spanish government has now come to agreement with the Basque Country on work permits. https://www.thelocal.es/20250310/spain-allows-basque-country-to-handle-its-own-work-permits-for-foreigners Mon, 10 Mar 2025 12:51:35 +0100 spain-allows-basque-country-to-handle-its-own-work-permits-for-foreigners At first glance, there may not appear to be any links between Spain’s northern Basque region and the country of Iceland, but travel back hundreds of years and you’ll soon learn that these people were indeed connected. https://www.thelocal.es/20241119/did-you-know-it-was-legal-to-kill-basques-in-iceland-until-2015 Tue, 19 Nov 2024 13:06:40 +0100 did-you-know-it-was-legal-to-kill-basques-in-iceland-until-2015 The Basque city of San Sebastián joined Spain's anti-mass tourism movement on Sunday, a sign that the consequences of overtourism are being felt not just in Spain's traditional holiday hotspots. https://www.thelocal.es/20241028/spains-anti-tourism-protests-move-north-to-san-sebastian Mon, 28 Oct 2024 14:01:01 +0100 spains-anti-tourism-protests-move-north-to-san-sebastian There has been shock and outrage since it emerged that Spain's government will reduce jail sentences for terrorists who worked and killed for Basque separatist group ETA. https://www.thelocal.es/20241021/why-spain-is-reducing-jail-time-for-some-eta-terrorists Mon, 21 Oct 2024 15:10:13 +0200 why-spain-is-reducing-jail-time-for-some-eta-terrorists Spain is not usually celebrated for its desserts, but one northern Spanish treat has broken down all borders and taken the world by storm. https://www.thelocal.es/20240927/why-basque-cheesecake-is-taking-over-the-world Fri, 27 Sep 2024 16:20:15 +0200 why-basque-cheesecake-is-taking-over-the-world You're far more likely to see a Basque flag than a Spanish one in the bull-running Spanish region of Navarre. So why does this autonomous territory often feel, act and sound more Basque than Spanish? https://www.thelocal.es/20240819/are-people-from-navarre-more-basque-than-spanish Mon, 19 Aug 2024 13:22:13 +0200 are-people-from-navarre-more-basque-than-spanish Nationalist parties received 70 percent of the vote on Sunday's regional elections in the Basque Country. Does this spell renewed feelings of independence in a territory which hasn't forgotten the damage caused by terrorist group ETA? https://www.thelocal.es/20240422/does-the-basque-country-still-want-independence-from-spain Mon, 22 Apr 2024 12:44:54 +0200 does-the-basque-country-still-want-independence-from-spain The left-wing separatist coalition EH Bildu, widely viewed as the political heir of the defunct armed group ETA, made a major breakthrough in Sunday's Basque regional elections although falling short of the win predicted by pollsters. https://www.thelocal.es/20240421/spains-left-wing-separatist-bildu-eyes-historic-win-in-basque-vote Sun, 21 Apr 2024 11:18:01 +0200 spains-left-wing-separatist-bildu-eyes-historic-win-in-basque-vote "For us Basques, ETA's terrorism is in the past," says social worker Elena García, who says she's going to vote for the left-wing separatist EH Bildu in Sunday's election in Spain's Basque Country. https://www.thelocal.es/20240418/why-separatist-bildu-spells-hope-for-basque-youth-as-spanish-region-votes Thu, 18 Apr 2024 11:21:44 +0200 why-separatist-bildu-spells-hope-for-basque-youth-as-spanish-region-votes Athletic Bilbao fans filled the streets of their city on Thursday to celebrate the team's Copa del Rey triumph, their first major trophy for 40 years, paraded down the Nervión river on a boat during a spectacular party in the Basque city. https://www.thelocal.es/20240412/in-images-1-million-revellers-flood-into-bilbao-to-celebrate-first-trophy-in-40-years Fri, 12 Apr 2024 15:32:28 +0200 in-images-1-million-revellers-flood-into-bilbao-to-celebrate-first-trophy-in-40-years Mining roots stretching back centuries, an astute transition to R+D, locally-run companies, and a special fiscal agreement with the government. When it comes to industry and jobs, the Basque Country is just different to the rest of Spain. https://www.thelocal.es/20240409/why-the-basque-country-is-spains-industrial-powerhouse Tue, 09 Apr 2024 12:20:34 +0200 why-the-basque-country-is-spains-industrial-powerhouse Around half of all strikes in Spain take place in the Basque Country, but it wasn't always that way. https://www.thelocal.es/20240328/why-the-basque-country-is-the-strike-capital-of-spain Thu, 28 Mar 2024 15:48:03 +0100 why-the-basque-country-is-the-strike-capital-of-spain In the Basque Country, instead of tapas they tend to eat pintxos. What are these mouth-watering bites? Which are the best ones to try? What drinks should you order to accompany? This guide will help you on your gastronomic experience. https://www.thelocal.es/20221026/a-gourmet-guide-to-ordering-pintxos-in-spains-basque-country Wed, 26 Oct 2022 13:49:09 +0200 a-gourmet-guide-to-ordering-pintxos-in-spains-basque-country Basque is one of the world's most unusual and mysterious languages. If you're visiting the northern region, knowing some key Euskera words will stand you in good stead, and you'll even find that some of them are used all over Spain. https://www.thelocal.es/20160520/ten-unique-basque-words-you-need-to-learn-basque-country-language-languages Fri, 20 May 2016 08:58:36 +0200 ten-unique-basque-words-you-need-to-learn-basque-country-language-languages The northern central region of the Basque Country may be very different from the Spain you imagine, but there are plenty of reasons to love it and great reasons to move there. https://www.thelocal.es/20230927/what-are-the-pros-and-cons-of-life-in-spains-basque-country Wed, 27 Sep 2023 13:58:35 +0200 what-are-the-pros-and-cons-of-life-in-spains-basque-country Catalan, Basque and Galician will now be used as 'co-official' languages in Spain's Congress, while EU member states mull over whether to recognise them at the European level. Here's why the decision has been taken and what it'll mean in practice. https://www.thelocal.es/20230919/why-spain-has-allowed-regional-languages-to-be-spoken-in-congress Tue, 19 Sep 2023 13:32:31 +0200 why-spain-has-allowed-regional-languages-to-be-spoken-in-congress A decade after Basque separatist group ETA renounced the use of arms, the northern Spanish region is still trying to turn the page on decades of bloodshed. https://www.thelocal.es/20211019/wounds-persist-in-spains-basque-country-a-decade-after-eta-ended-armed-struggle Tue, 19 Oct 2021 11:52:22 +0200 wounds-persist-in-spains-basque-country-a-decade-after-eta-ended-armed-struggle