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 On Saturday January 31st and Sunday February 1st, hundreds of people and their dogs will take part in peaceful protests across the UK, demanding an end to the abuse, abandonment and killing of up to 100,000 hunting dogs each year in Spain, campaigners explain. https://www.thelocal.es/20260121/spains-filthy-secret-uk-protests-demand-end-to-spanish-hunting-dog-cruelty Wed, 21 Jan 2026 11:59:48 +0100 spains-filthy-secret-uk-protests-demand-end-to-spanish-hunting-dog-cruelty European leaders sending their troops to Greenland has - writes political columnist John Lichfield - called Donald Trump's bluff when it comes to military conflict. Instead the continent faces the prospect of a long and brutal trade war. https://www.thelocal.es/20260120/opinion-this-is-a-1938-moment-for-europe-but-the-war-will-be-a-trade-war Tue, 20 Jan 2026 11:46:19 +0100 opinion-this-is-a-1938-moment-for-europe-but-the-war-will-be-a-trade-war Many foreigners who move to Spain are surprised by just how freezing Spanish winters can be, but they're equally shocked by how sometimes it's colder inside their homes than outdoors. https://www.thelocal.es/20211104/why-are-spanish-homes-so-cold Thu, 04 Nov 2021 09:42:59 +0100 why-are-spanish-homes-so-cold Are Spaniards falling for the anti-immigration rhetoric sweeping across Europe and the US, or is far-right Vox rising in the polls due to other domestic issues unrelated to foreigners? https://www.thelocal.es/20251212/is-voxs-rise-in-spain-due-to-anti-immigration-or-other-reasons Fri, 12 Dec 2025 14:52:32 +0100 is-voxs-rise-in-spain-due-to-anti-immigration-or-other-reasons Immigration has been gaining increasing salience in Spanish politics and society recently, resulting in claims that foreigners are making Spain's chronically mediocre job market even worse. Is there any truth to this, or is it just a cliché? https://www.thelocal.es/20250806/myth-buster-immigrants-dont-take-jobs-from-spaniards-or-lower-wages Wed, 06 Aug 2025 13:50:15 +0200 myth-buster-immigrants-dont-take-jobs-from-spaniards-or-lower-wages Amid anti-immigrant rhetoric from the Spanish far-right in recent weeks, a new report has highlighted that Spain will need millions more migrants in key economic sectors in the future. https://www.thelocal.es/20250714/why-spain-needs-millions-more-migrants-not-less Mon, 14 Jul 2025 12:15:04 +0200 why-spain-needs-millions-more-migrants-not-less New rules for tour groups on the Spanish island have led the British tabloids to claim holidaymakers are being "treated like animals", attributing the words to a local tourism boss. But is Mallorca really being so harsh with tourists? https://www.thelocal.es/20250221/is-spains-mallorca-really-treating-tourists-like-animals Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:40:09 +0100 is-spains-mallorca-really-treating-tourists-like-animals Spain's Prime Minister has justified taxing or even banning non-EU non-residents from buying Spanish homes because they want "to speculate", but the stats prove there are far bigger fish to fry in Spain's housing crisis. https://www.thelocal.es/20250122/are-non-eu-property-buyers-really-to-blame-for-spains-housing-crisis Wed, 22 Jan 2025 10:22:45 +0100 are-non-eu-property-buyers-really-to-blame-for-spains-housing-crisis The Spanish government's proposal to limit non-EU non-resident property buyers has generally caused a lot of anger outside Spain and has been called into question by experts. But what do our readers really think of it? https://www.thelocal.es/20250120/locals-should-have-priority-your-views-on-spains-property-tax-for-foreigners Mon, 20 Jan 2025 14:29:22 +0100 locals-should-have-priority-your-views-on-spains-property-tax-for-foreigners The Local speaks to experts in EU law and property who question the effectiveness and legality of the Spanish government's plan to deter non-EU non-residents from buying properties in Spain by taxing them more. https://www.thelocal.es/20250115/why-spains-limit-on-foreigners-buying-homes-is-absurd-and-illegal Wed, 15 Jan 2025 13:46:13 +0100 why-spains-limit-on-foreigners-buying-homes-is-absurd-and-illegal Valencia has seen a surge in tourists and digital nomads in the post-pandemic period and many locals now fear Spain's third city is 'dying from success', just like its Mediterranean neighbour. Valencia-based journalist Conor Faulkner explores why. https://www.thelocal.es/20250117/how-valencia-is-becoming-another-barcelona-in-the-bad-sense Fri, 17 Jan 2025 13:01:24 +0100 how-valencia-is-becoming-another-barcelona-in-the-bad-sense More than eight years after the UK's Brexit vote, a majority of EU citizens would like a closer relationship with Britain and many Brits are now prepared to ditch their Brexit red lines, a new survey has revealed. https://www.thelocal.es/20241212/brexit-reset-why-majority-of-eu-citizens-want-closer-ties-with-the-uk Thu, 12 Dec 2024 15:02:13 +0100 brexit-reset-why-majority-of-eu-citizens-want-closer-ties-with-the-uk The return of Donald Trump to the White House may be catastrophic for US democracy. It could be even more destructive for Europe, writes John Lichfield. https://www.thelocal.es/20241106/opinion-trumps-win-spells-crisis-for-europe-but-it-could-save-the-eu Wed, 06 Nov 2024 17:06:36 +0100 opinion-trumps-win-spells-crisis-for-europe-but-it-could-save-the-eu As countries within the EU reintroduce checks on their Schengen zone borders, columnist John Lichfield looks at why this threat to the 'invisible achievement' of open borders matters to the whole of Europe. https://www.thelocal.es/20241023/opinion-europes-open-borders-are-precious-fragile-and-under-threat Wed, 23 Oct 2024 11:48:49 +0200 opinion-europes-open-borders-are-precious-fragile-and-under-threat Footage and photos showing angry protesters in Tenerife surrounding tourists have been criticised by many who say the movement should direct its ire elsewhere. https://www.thelocal.es/20241022/have-spains-anti-tourism-protests-turned-nasty Tue, 22 Oct 2024 15:35:52 +0200 have-spains-anti-tourism-protests-turned-nasty Thousands of Senegalese nationals queued for hours or days to get their passports in Barcelona, showcasing the plight of countless immigrants in Spain who are kept in a precarious "a-legal" situation by restrictive bureaucracy. Jennifer Lutz reports. https://www.thelocal.es/20241025/senegalese-passport-chaos-highlights-spains-immigration-policy-failures Fri, 25 Oct 2024 11:54:59 +0200 senegalese-passport-chaos-highlights-spains-immigration-policy-failures Gibraltar has been the main sticking point in Spain-UK relations for centuries. Understanding the history and each side's arguments helps to explain why the issue of who ‘The Rock’ should belong to is likely to rage on for many more years. https://www.thelocal.es/20240920/in-depth-should-gibraltar-be-british-or-spanish Fri, 20 Sep 2024 16:20:18 +0200 in-depth-should-gibraltar-be-british-or-spanish Traditional Spanish baked goods and puddings just don't seem to be as good or as well-known as their European counterparts from France, Italy, the UK and Portugal, do you agree? Read on to discover the reasons why this might be. https://www.thelocal.es/20240920/opinion-why-spanish-cakes-and-desserts-arent-among-the-best Fri, 20 Sep 2024 12:07:08 +0200 opinion-why-spanish-cakes-and-desserts-arent-among-the-best The death of a German tourist after being attacked by a shark has been covered in national and international media as having occurred in waters near the Canary Islands. However, the truth is very different. https://www.thelocal.es/20240918/fact-check-no-sharks-have-ever-killed-people-in-spains-canary-islands Wed, 18 Sep 2024 15:24:11 +0200 fact-check-no-sharks-have-ever-killed-people-in-spains-canary-islands The Local Spain’s editor Alex Dunham shares one example of the state-funded impunity of many of the country’s civil servants, an experience that anyone who lives in Spain can relate to. https://www.thelocal.es/20240830/opinion-my-surreal-experience-with-a-civil-servant-is-normal-in-spain Fri, 30 Aug 2024 18:18:31 +0200 opinion-my-surreal-experience-with-a-civil-servant-is-normal-in-spain