Spain's extraordinary regularization process, expected to finish in September, remains incomplete. Official figures from July 2 show 1.174.978 applications, 609.737 admissions and about 11.000 final resolutions. At nine law firms, only 27,94% of admitted cases were definitively resolved, and applicants are "very angry," Legalteam says.
A 24-hour general strike over housing has been called for Wednesday, November 11. It is the first major general strike in Spain in 14 years and was driven by street protests, not unions. The trigger was the eviction of 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal Martín from her lifelong home, which became the tipping point for anger over rising rents and housing prices.
The Bank of Spain lifted its 2026 GDP growth forecast to 2,6%, two tenths above its June projection, and its 2027 estimate to 2,1%. Unemployment is expected to fall below 10% next year, to 9,7%. Inflation, however, is now forecast to close 2026 at 3,9% and remain near 4% until 2028.
The Bank of Spain maintains its forecast of a cumulative deficit of 1 million homes by 2028. Residential investment is expected to accelerate next year, but structural problems persist: labor shortages, scarce buildable land and slow urban development. The institution says it will analyze the government's housing decrees once enough data is available.
Morocco's King Mohamed VI said relations with Spain are a "sovereign choice" and cannot be subject to threats or blackmail. He denounced the "instrumentalization" of what happened in Ceuta in July, when more than 80.000 migrants entered from Morocco. He also criticized delays in the repatriation of minors, speaking publicly for the first time about the events.
The November 29 general election could delay the 2027 pension increase. Since 2021, contributory pensions have been updated in line with inflation, using average year-on-year IPC rates over the 12 months before December. If government formation extends into January 2027, the rise might miss the January payroll. One option is to approve the revaluation by decree.
A new study analyzes the genes of Maria Branyas, who died at 117 and was the world's oldest living woman for nearly five years. Born in 1907, she kept her mother's habit of eating three yogurts a day and cited dairy as the reason for her longevity. After she said dairy was her secret, sales of La Fageda, the brand she consumed, rose 5%.
Under Article 3 of the Ley de Vivienda, a gran tenedor is generally anyone owning 11 or more residential urban properties, or more than 1.500 square meters built for residential use. Garages and storage rooms are excluded. In stressed housing market areas, autonomous communities can lower the threshold to five or more homes if justified.
The Public Prosecutor's Office has asked the Supreme Court to lift the suspension of the so-called "ley de nietos" ahead of the November 29 election. It stressed the problem of using a census closed on August 1 and the suspension potentially blocking registrations. The September measures suspended voting and new census registrations except for accredited exiles.
The EU and China have reached a deal to cut Chinese exports of hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles to the EU. Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic said the deal involves reducing exports by several million units over four years. Tariff cuts on automotive components, olive oil and food are expected to save European firms 225 million euros.
There is no general legal limit in Spain on withdrawing cash from a bank account. Banks must identify clients for cash transactions of 1.000 euros or more, and cash deposits above 3.000 euros may be reported to the Agencia Tributaria. Exceeding these amounts is not illegal, nor does it automatically open an investigation.
Shortages of hormonal treatments for menopausal women and trans women are pushing pharmacies toward compounded formulas, which the Spanish Medicines Agency considers a "last resort." Doctors have redirected patients to other medicines with the same active ingredients, causing excess demand. One pharmacist described a domino effect: "One medicine is missing, then another."
The government approved Real Decreto 739/2026, allowing former professional athletes to count pre-integration periods in the Régimen General as contributed years, rather than a refund. It applies from March 15, 1980 to each discipline's integration date. Integration varied: cyclists in 1992, basketball players in 1993, handball players in 1998.
King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia will make their first official visit to Ceuta on Tuesday, staying overnight there before traveling to Melilla. The trip comes two and a half months after more than 80.000 migrants entered Ceuta from Morocco. The agenda includes an ecumenical ceremony in memory of those who died in the July events and a school visit.
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