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 European Union's mammoth trade deal with South American bloc Mercosur provisionally enters into force Friday, despite a pending court ruling on its legality. https://www.thelocal.es/20260501/blockbuster-eu-mercosur-trade-deal-enters-into-force Fri, 01 May 2026 09:52:06 +0200 blockbuster-eu-mercosur-trade-deal-enters-into-force Spain's dynamic economy withstood the turmoil unleashed by the Middle East war to post 0.6 percent growth in the first quarter, in line with expectations, official data showed on Thursday. https://www.thelocal.es/20260430/spains-economic-growth-defies-impact-of-middle-east-war Thu, 30 Apr 2026 11:46:57 +0200 spains-economic-growth-defies-impact-of-middle-east-war Spanish inflation cooled in April thanks to falling electricity prices even as the Middle East war roiled global energy markets, official data showed on Wednesday. https://www.thelocal.es/20260429/spains-inflation-rate-slows-down-despite-middle-east-war Wed, 29 Apr 2026 13:04:45 +0200 spains-inflation-rate-slows-down-despite-middle-east-war Spain and Poland might have run afoul of European Union rules with their tax cuts on fuels aimed at curbing the economic impact of the Middle East war, the European Commission said Wednesday. https://www.thelocal.es/20260409/eu-warns-spain-over-tax-cuts-on-fuels Thu, 09 Apr 2026 11:23:08 +0200 eu-warns-spain-over-tax-cuts-on-fuels Spain's government said Tuesday it expected the Middle East war to contribute to a bumper tourist season, but warned that the crisis could also drag down a key driver for the Spanish economy. https://www.thelocal.es/20260401/spain-sees-surge-in-last-minute-bookings-by-tourists-avoiding-middle-east-war Wed, 01 Apr 2026 09:30:46 +0200 spain-sees-surge-in-last-minute-bookings-by-tourists-avoiding-middle-east-war Spain’s economy could face a "significant slowdown" due to the Middle East war, the Bank of Spain said on Friday, although it still predicts growth of 2.3 percent in 2026. https://www.thelocal.es/20260327/spains-annual-inflation-rises-in-march-due-to-higher-fuel-costs Fri, 27 Mar 2026 10:34:20 +0100 spains-annual-inflation-rises-in-march-due-to-higher-fuel-costs Spain's parliament approved Thursday a sweeping package worth €5 billion ($5.8 billion) aimed at curbing the economic impact of the Middle East war, including steep cuts to energy taxes. https://www.thelocal.es/20260326/confirmed-spain-approves-measures-to-curb-middle-east-war-impact Thu, 26 Mar 2026 17:53:48 +0100 confirmed-spain-approves-measures-to-curb-middle-east-war-impact UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves visited Madrid on Wednesday to meet with Spanish businesses and agree on other ways to strengthen ties between both countries post-Brexit, including a short-stay work visa waiver. https://www.thelocal.es/20260318/spain-and-uk-to-agree-on-new-work-visa-waiver-and-stronger-business-ties Wed, 18 Mar 2026 13:57:58 +0100 spain-and-uk-to-agree-on-new-work-visa-waiver-and-stronger-business-ties Spain's leftist government on Thursday said it would soon present a plan to contain the Middle East war's impact on Spanish electricity and fuel prices. https://www.thelocal.es/20260312/middle-east-war-spain-plans-measures-to-combat-soaring-energy-prices Thu, 12 Mar 2026 16:48:11 +0100 middle-east-war-spain-plans-measures-to-combat-soaring-energy-prices Despite distancing itself from the conflict and refusing military cooperation, Spain may still be impacted by the economic ripple effects of war in Iran. https://www.thelocal.es/20260303/how-will-war-in-iran-impact-life-in-spain Tue, 03 Mar 2026 10:51:21 +0100 how-will-war-in-iran-impact-life-in-spain In the Middle East energy exports to Europe have been disrupted by the conflict between the US, Israel and Iran that has spilled into surrounding regions. Economic experts are predicting a spike in inflation. https://www.thelocal.es/20260303/inflation-to-hit-eurozone-as-war-in-the-middle-east-disrupts-energy-flows Tue, 03 Mar 2026 12:38:03 +0100 inflation-to-hit-eurozone-as-war-in-the-middle-east-disrupts-energy-flows The price of second-hand housing in Spain has surged by more than 20 percent in a year, new data reveals, laying bare the realities of the Spanish property market. https://www.thelocal.es/20260204/buying-a-home-in-spain-costs-e40000-more-than-a-year-ago Wed, 04 Feb 2026 09:09:03 +0100 buying-a-home-in-spain-costs-e40000-more-than-a-year-ago European leaders on Sunday hit back at US President Donald Trump's threat of tariffs over their opposition to his designs on Greenland, with far-right Italian leader Giorgia Meloni urging Washington against making a "mistake". https://www.thelocal.es/20260118/european-leaders-denounce-trumps-tariff-threats-over-greenland Sun, 18 Jan 2026 09:46:34 +0100 european-leaders-denounce-trumps-tariff-threats-over-greenland The European Union will on Saturday sign a deal 25 years in the making with the South American trade bloc Mercosur, creating one of the world's largest free trade areas at a time of growing protectionism and volatility. https://www.thelocal.es/20260117/eu-to-ink-long-awaited-trade-deal-with-south-american-bloc Sat, 17 Jan 2026 11:03:56 +0100 eu-to-ink-long-awaited-trade-deal-with-south-american-bloc Buoyed by immigration, the Spanish economy has enjoyed positive headline figures in recent years and will continue to lead the way in the bloc in 2026, but Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez admits the benefits aren't yet trickling down to locals. https://www.thelocal.es/20251218/spain-to-be-fastest-growing-eu-economy-in-2026-but-benefits-not-trickling-down Thu, 18 Dec 2025 15:32:33 +0100 spain-to-be-fastest-growing-eu-economy-in-2026-but-benefits-not-trickling-down Spain's pork industry is "very concerned" by a growing African swine fever outbreak among wild boars that has sparked jitters about the world's third-largest producer of the meat and its derivatives. https://www.thelocal.es/20251203/spanish-pork-producers-very-concerned-by-african-swine-fever Wed, 03 Dec 2025 09:39:03 +0100 spanish-pork-producers-very-concerned-by-african-swine-fever Spanish lawmakers on Thursday rejected the minority left-wing government's spending and deficit plans, moving one of the world's most dynamic developed economies closer to another year without a new budget. https://www.thelocal.es/20251128/spains-mps-reject-state-budget-for-third-year-in-a-row Fri, 28 Nov 2025 10:13:50 +0100 spains-mps-reject-state-budget-for-third-year-in-a-row The Bank of Spain now estimates that the country has a shortfall of 700,000 homes, something it warns could become a "bottleneck" for the economy. https://www.thelocal.es/20251125/spain-faces-shortage-of-700000-homes-central-bank-estimates Tue, 25 Nov 2025 11:51:00 +0100 spain-faces-shortage-of-700000-homes-central-bank-estimates As Spain's immigrant population continues to grow, a new study has found that household consumer spending by foreign residents in Spain is outpacing that of locals by more than double in some cases. https://www.thelocal.es/20251125/consumer-spending-by-foreigners-in-spain-outpacing-that-of-locals-study-shows Tue, 25 Nov 2025 10:46:37 +0100 consumer-spending-by-foreigners-in-spain-outpacing-that-of-locals-study-shows Spain's leftist government on Tuesday approved an increase of its 2025 growth forecast from 2.7 to 2.9 percent, more than double the average expected in the eurozone. https://www.thelocal.es/20251118/spain-raises-2025-growth-forecast-to-2-9 Tue, 18 Nov 2025 18:06:58 +0100 spain-raises-2025-growth-forecast-to-2-9