The MEI pension mechanism will rise to 1% as of January 1, 2027. Workers will contribute 0.17% of their base salary, up from 0.15% in 2026, while employers will pay 0.83%. The increase will hit all workers, with no salary-level exceptions; for example, an employee earning €25,000 gross pays about €37.50 this year.
Spain's Horizontal Property Law, which has been in force since April 2025, now requires community approval for temporary or non-residential rentals. Approval requires a three-fifths majority of both owners and ownership shares—six out of ten owners. Communities of owners can reject the rental use, impose a special fee, or raise common expenses by up to 20%.
After the European Central Bank raised interest rates for the second time this year, banks are competing harder for deposits. Neobanks such as ING, MyInvestor and Trade Republic now offer 3% on their main products, while large banks focus on investment funds, pensions and payroll accounts. Variable-rate mortgages will become more expensive.
Medical unions have called an indefinite national strike starting October 28 to reject the Estatuto Marco bill and demand a separate statute for doctors. The unions CESM, SMA, Metges de Catalunya, AMYTS, SME and O'MEGA announced the action 10 days after the Council of Ministers approved the bill. Patients may face delays in appointments and hospital care.
Three unaccompanied migrant minors say Spain forcibly returned them to Morocco without applying the legal procedure required by the Ley de Extranjería. They arrived in Ceuta during the mass entry at the end of August. Videos and images obtained by elDiario.es show night operations at the Tarajal border involving Guardia Civil agents.
Fuel stations warn prices will rise sharply starting October 1 unless the government restores fuel tax rebates. Brent crude trades near $105 per barrel. With the 20-cent rebate ending, gasoline would rise by 6.05 cents per litre and diesel by 24.2 cents. CEEES says the situation threatens SMEs and autónomos (self-employed).
The government plans to issue a decree granting up to €201.7 million to private operators to build 2,425 affordable rental homes on public land under the Casa 47 program. The state will provide land and funding for companies to build and manage the rentals. The average subsidy is about €83,000 per home across 29 projects.
The Prosecutor's Office reports more than 30 proceedings for sexual assaults on migrant women in Ceuta since the July 30 mass entry. In 40% of cases, the victims were unaccompanied minors. The government has provided 500 places on the mainland to speed up transfers of migrant children.
Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary warns ticket prices may rise if oil prices stay high, following a 34% drop in the airline's profit. Brent crude reached $108 and is trading near $105, with some experts warning of $119.40. Ryanair has fuel hedges at $67 per barrel for 2027 and has covered 15% of its 2028 needs at $85.
Madrid's president, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, will file objections with the Junta Electoral Central to exclude voters with 'greater ties' from the CERA census. She wants the expansion to include only voters abroad whose last residence was Madrid. The move follows the Supreme Court's suspension of the census for those who obtained nationality under the Ley de Nietos.
Around 45,000 people, according to the Guardia Urbana, marched in Barcelona on the Diada, which was called by the ANC and other pro-independence groups. Organizers put the figure above 100,000. Separate marches in Girona drew 15,000 and in Amposta 13,000, with slogans such as 'Independència'.
A draft decree requiring new renewable plants to supply 80% of data centers' electricity is drawing criticism from renewable and industrial sectors. Renewable groups call the simultaneous supply requirement unworkable; industrial sources say it could double project costs. Data centers warn projects may move to other countries.
Researchers at ICMAB-CSIC have developed a new architecture for zinc-air batteries that increases available power by up to 80%. The key is a physical reconfiguration of the internal cell space, with no change to the chemical composition. The design avoids scarce materials and uses abundant zinc and atmospheric oxygen.
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