Supreme Court suspends voting rights of 'ley de nietos' nationals
The Supreme Court has provisionally suspended the voting rights of people naturalized under Spain's 'ley de nietos'. The order focuses on a 2022 instruction by Sofía Puente that presumed exile status for all Spaniards who left Spain between July 18, 1936 and December 31, 1955. That reinterpretation lifted proof requirements and expanded potential cases to about 2.5 million files, five times the government's original estimate of 500,000.
EU proposes restricting second-home purchases in stressed areas
The European Commission has proposed an Affordable Housing Law that would make it easier for governments to restrict second-home purchases in price-stressed areas, especially by corporate buyers. The plan also allows tax penalties on empty dwellings. Authorities would need to prove an urban area is price-stressed and that restricting holiday rentals or non-habitual purchases improves housing access.
Half of Spain's rental listings are now seasonal
Nearly 45% of rental listings in Spain's provincial capitals are now for short or seasonal stays, according to Idealista data. Experts say landlords use 'fraude de ley' to avoid the housing law's minimum contract duration and price controls. The trend is strongest in Catalonia, Euskadi and Galicia, with close to 37,800 rental ads across provincial capitals in mid-August.
ECB to raise rates to 2.5% amid debt crisis fears
The European Central Bank is expected to raise interest rates by 25 basis points to 2.5% on Thursday. Sovereign bond yields have climbed as investors grow more reluctant to finance public debt, and old zero-rate debt is now being refinanced at a higher cost. The Middle East conflict adds pressure to the bank's updated forecasts. The move will affect Euribor-linked mortgages and credit costs in Spain.
Up to €15,000 in aid for home buyers under 35
Spain's new state housing plan offers up to €15,000 for under-35 buyers in small municipalities of 10,000 inhabitants or fewer. The aid cannot exceed 20% of the purchase price, with income capped at about €42,000. Buyers must use the home as their habitual residence for five years and must not already own property in Spain. Price limits range from €325,000 in Madrid to €200,000 in Extremadura.
Gasoline hits yearly high after tax rebate cut
Gasoline hit its highest price of the year at €1.835 per liter after the government cut the fuel discount from 10 to 5 cents per liter on September 1. Filling a 55-liter tank now costs about €100.9, €5.64 more than eight days earlier. Gasoline is 24% more expensive than in late February. Diesel prices have fallen after the diesel discount doubled to 20 cents per liter.
UGT demands government approve timekeeping and SMI decrees
UGT leader Pepe Álvarez urged the government to unblock two decrees: one tightening working-time registration and another changing minimum wage absorption rules. The SMI change aims to stop wage rises from absorbing salary supplements for workers just above the minimum wage. Stricter timekeeping has been mandatory since 2019, but the new measure would eliminate paper records and give the Labor Inspectorate real-time access.
Ceuta papers undercut Sánchez's account of migration crisis
Declassified Moncloa documents show Spanish intelligence warned the government and Morocco on July 29, one day before mass border crossings into Ceuta. The CNI had detected a WhatsApp group called 'Asalto a la valla de Ceuta' and Facebook groups with nearly 180,000 users calling for entry. More than 70,000 people crossed, undermining Pedro Sánchez's claim that the scale was unforeseeable.
Congress to approve Spanish nationality for Sahrawis
Congress is set to approve a law granting Spanish nationality by carta de naturaleza to Sahrawis born in the former Spanish colony before September 29, 1977, and their direct descendants. The measure comes from Sumar, with PSOE and its partners voting in favor; PP leans toward abstention and Vox opposes it. The initiative has advanced since March 2024 and now faces a plenary vote.
Spanish cities become heat traps as deaths double
Heat-related mortality in Spanish cities has doubled, rising from 82.8 deaths per million inhabitants in 1991-2000 to 176.3 in 2015-2024, according to a Lancet Countdown report. Jaén recorded the highest rate at 371 per million, followed by Linares, Salamanca and Talavera de la Reina. Spain has recorded 5,434 heat-attributable deaths so far this year.
Wildfires burn over 264,000 hectares in Spain
Wildfires have burned 264,656 hectares in Spain between January 1 and September 9, nearly triple the decade average of 97,879 hectares. The Niebla fire in Huelva, declared on August 6, burned an estimated 39,821 hectares, the largest by area in Spain this century. Castilla y León, Andalucía and Castilla-La Mancha are the worst-affected regions.
Murcian mathematician at center of OpenAI dispute
Luis Martínez Zoroa, a 32-year-old mathematician from Murcia, was key to solving the Navier-Stokes problem, but OpenAI does not recognize his contribution. Colleagues already consider him a candidate for the Fields Medal, which no Spaniard has ever won. 'I'm not a prototypical mathematician,' he said, noting he still calculates with paper and pencil.
