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 Spain's biggest opposition party, the Socialists, filed a no-confidence motion on Friday against Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy after his conservative Popular Party was found guilty of benefiting from illegal funds in a mega graft trial. https://www.thelocal.es/20180525/spains-socialists-file-no-confidence-motion-against-rajoy-over-graft Fri, 25 May 2018 13:41:23 +0200 spains-socialists-file-no-confidence-motion-against-rajoy-over-graft Spain's Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said on Tuesday he hopes to defeat separatists in next month's Catalan election, calling for a "massive" turnout by voters. https://www.thelocal.es/20171115/rajoy-vows-to-defeat-pro-independence-parties-in-catalan-election Wed, 15 Nov 2017 09:30:13 +0100 rajoy-vows-to-defeat-pro-independence-parties-in-catalan-election Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy appealed to Spain's Senate for the approval of article 155 measures to intervene in Catalonia's autonomy and remove its regional government. https://www.thelocal.es/20171027/the-situation-is-exceptional-and-the-consequences-very-serious-rajoy-asks-senate-to-remove-catalan-government Fri, 27 Oct 2017 12:52:40 +0200 the-situation-is-exceptional-and-the-consequences-very-serious-rajoy-asks-senate-to-remove-catalan-government A Spanish prosecutor on Wednesday accused the ruling Popular Party (PP) of benefitting from funds obtained illegally by elected officials in the final days of a year-long corruption trial. https://www.thelocal.es/20171026/prosecutor-accuses-spanish-governments-party-of-benefitting-from-kickbacks Thu, 26 Oct 2017 10:28:22 +0200 prosecutor-accuses-spanish-governments-party-of-benefitting-from-kickbacks Catalonia's separatists were planning their response Sunday after Spain took drastic steps to stop the region from breaking away by dissolving its separatist government and forcing new elections. https://www.thelocal.es/20171022/what-now-for-catalonia-after-madrid-announcement Sun, 22 Oct 2017 17:57:33 +0200 what-now-for-catalonia-after-madrid-announcement Catalonia's leader accused Madrid on Saturday of waging the "worst attack" on his region since dictator Francisco Franco after the central government took drastic measures to stop it from breaking away. https://www.thelocal.es/20171022/catalan-leader-accuses-spain-of-worst-attack-since-franco Sun, 22 Oct 2017 09:52:07 +0200 catalan-leader-accuses-spain-of-worst-attack-since-franco Spain announced Saturday that it will move to dismiss Catalonia's separatist government and call fresh elections in the semi-autonomous region in a bid to stop its leaders from declaring independence. https://www.thelocal.es/20171021/spain-to-dismiss-catalonias-government-call-elections Sat, 21 Oct 2017 17:09:07 +0200 spain-to-dismiss-catalonias-government-call-elections The website of Spain's Constitutional Court -- which ruled the independence referendum in Catalonia illegal -- was forced down Saturday following threats from cyber-activists, as Madrid prepared to seize powers from the region over its independence threat. https://www.thelocal.es/20171021/spanish-court-website-taken-down-by-attack Sat, 21 Oct 2017 17:15:00 +0200 spanish-court-website-taken-down-by-attack Spain's government kicked off a crisis cabinet meeting on Saturday as it prepares to seize powers from Catalonia's separatist executive in an unprecedented move aimed at stopping the northeastern region's independence drive. https://www.thelocal.es/20171021/spain-to-grab-catalonia-powers-as-crisis-intensifies Sat, 21 Oct 2017 12:57:47 +0200 spain-to-grab-catalonia-powers-as-crisis-intensifies Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said on Friday his government has reached a "critical point" as it seeks to use emergency measures to stop Catalonia's separatist bid. https://www.thelocal.es/20171020/critical-point-reached-in-catalonia-pm-rajoy Fri, 20 Oct 2017 17:00:29 +0200 critical-point-reached-in-catalonia-pm-rajoy German chancellor Angela Merkel said on Thursday that she hoped a solution to the Catalan independence issue could be found within Spain's constitution, and once again backed the Madrid government in the dispute. https://www.thelocal.es/20171019/merkel-hopes-for-solutions-based-on-the-spanish-constitution-to-catalonia-issue Thu, 19 Oct 2017 18:01:37 +0200 merkel-hopes-for-solutions-based-on-the-spanish-constitution-to-catalonia-issue Silvio Berlusconi says he would have responded differently to the Catalonia crisis than Spanish PM Mariano Rajoy, backing a "legally controlled" referendum to resolve the situation. https://www.thelocal.es/20171019/berlusconi-says-he-wouldnt-have-sent-police-to-block-catalan-vote Thu, 19 Oct 2017 17:00:31 +0200 berlusconi-says-he-wouldnt-have-sent-police-to-block-catalan-vote Madrid will press ahead with the process of applying article 155 of the country's constitution and suspending Catalonia's autonomy, a new statement from the Spanish government said. https://www.thelocal.es/20171019/spanish-government-to-push-ahead-with-suspending-catalan-autonomy Thu, 19 Oct 2017 12:59:09 +0200 spanish-government-to-push-ahead-with-suspending-catalan-autonomy The Spanish government has given Catalonia's secessionist leader until Thursday to end his pro-independence push, judging that he has failed to clarify whether he declared independence or not. https://www.thelocal.es/20171016/spain-gives-catalan-leader-until-thursday-to-pull-back-independence-bid Mon, 16 Oct 2017 13:44:24 +0200 spain-gives-catalan-leader-until-thursday-to-pull-back-independence-bid Brazil's President Michel Temer declared on Monday after talks with Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy that investors are returning to Latin America's biggest, but deeply troubled economy. https://www.thelocal.es/20170425/new-era-for-spanish-investments-in-brazil Tue, 25 Apr 2017 10:47:44 +0200 new-era-for-spanish-investments-in-brazil Spain's conservative prime minister warned on Thursday that an election win by French far-right presidential hopeful Marine Le Pen or Germany's anti-immigration party AfD would be "a disaster" that would "destroy Europe". https://www.thelocal.es/20170126/marin-le-pen-will-destroy-europe-if-she-wins-in-france-says-spains-pm Thu, 26 Jan 2017 14:29:25 +0100 marin-le-pen-will-destroy-europe-if-she-wins-in-france-says-spains-pm Acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy embarrassingly admits to having an "empty diary" when he falls for radio show prank. https://www.thelocal.es/20160121/spain-pm-rajoy-prank-diary-radion-puigdemont Thu, 21 Jan 2016 15:15:31 +0100 spain-pm-rajoy-prank-diary-radion-puigdemont Spain's beleaguered Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said on Tuesday he would battle on to try and form a government despite categoric refusals by other key parties to back him after inconclusive elections. https://www.thelocal.es/20151230/spains-pm-will-battle-to-form-government-despite-lack-of-support Wed, 30 Dec 2015 09:52:23 +0100 spains-pm-will-battle-to-form-government-despite-lack-of-support Spain was on Monday reprimanded by The European Commission which ordered the country to submit a new draft budget with lower deficit estimates to avoid violating the bloc's tough spending rules, a blow for the government ahead of Spanish elections. https://www.thelocal.es/20151012/blow-for-pm-as-brussels-warns-spain-over-deficit-targets-in-draft-budget Mon, 12 Oct 2015 18:25:47 +0200 blow-for-pm-as-brussels-warns-spain-over-deficit-targets-in-draft-budget Mariano Rajoy will not only be attending the gay marriage of one of his conservative colleagues, he will be a witness at the nuptials, despite the fact that he has in the past been very vocal in opposing same-sex marriage. https://www.thelocal.es/20150915/rajoy-risks-hypocrisy-in-attending-gay-best-friends-wedding Tue, 15 Sep 2015 17:33:45 +0200 rajoy-risks-hypocrisy-in-attending-gay-best-friends-wedding