front cover.qxd 09/02/2005 14:26 Page 1 - AIP

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es-intro.qxd 09/02/2005 14:54 Page 2 2 Introduction What makes Spain tick? What are the concerns of its people? Where is it heading and why? Here is a brief introduction to the country as it enters 2005. Anyone coming to live in Spain now will find themselves in one of the most dynamic and fast-moving societies in Europe. Much of what you might call the 'Old Spain' is being swept aside and a New Spain is rapidly emerging. Indeed, this is a country which, far from lagging behind many of its north European neighbours, appears to be showing them the lead. A broad range of social reforms mean that what Spain is doing today, the rest of Europe may do tomorrow. IMMIGRATION But perhaps immigration offers the clearest indicator of where Spain is going now - Spain has the fastest rising rate of immigration in Europe. The relentless stream of new arrivals is led by people from South America; then Africa; followed by northern and eastern European countries, like Britain, Germany and the former Soviet bloc states. A key question for Spaniards, and for those who have chosen to make Spain their new home, is how is Spanish society adapting to this change? There is no phrase in Spanish for 'bloody foreigner' - simply guiri, a gentler and more welcoming tone. Beyond linguistics, how these new expats are received is important as many are drawn to Spain by the traditionally welcoming Spanish people. But, some are asking, as Spain begins to adapt to all the social problems associated with mass immigration, will this still be the case? Recently, racist chanting at football matches has been taken by some to indicate that Spanish society is not used to the presence of black or Asian people en masse.In fact, tit is rather a somewhat predictable backlash against rising immigration which happened in other countries, like Britain, in the 1960s and 1970s. TERRORISM Another major question facing Spanish society now is how it comes to terms with the terrorist bombings in Madrid in March of last year. On 11 March 2004, 191 people were killed and more than 1,500 injured when four commuter trains were blownup by Islamic extremists linked to Al- Qaeda. For Spain it was a rude-awakening to a new age. It had been used to its own domestic ter- Spain has all the bustle you could want in cities like Madrid and Barcelona, but it also has the perfect escape in Mallorca and its other islands. SPAIN EXPAT SURVIVAL GUIDE WWW.EXPATICA.COM
es-intro.qxd 09/02/2005 14:50 Page 3 Introduction rorist problem, after more than 30 years and 830 deaths at the hands of the Basque separatist movement ETA, but the bomb attacks in the capital were on an altogether different scale. And Spanish society is still trying to come to terms with the trauma. One obvious effect of the bombings was the way they influenced the general election result three days later, when the Socialists won a shock victory. YOUNG DEMOCRACY But why did this happen and what does it say about Spain? There have been various interpretations of why the former conservative government of Jose Maria Aznar lost. Within Spain, it appeared Aznar had lost the confidence of the people by repeatedly claiming ETA carried out the attacks despite mounting evidence to the contrary; it seemed like he was lying to his own people in order not to take the blame for making Spain a terrorist target because of its involvement in the Iraq invasion. Many in the outside world, however, saw things rather differently, viewing the Socialist election victory as a capitulation to the terrorists. Whatever the view, this was an important test of a relatively young democracy and the government which those attacks ushered in has had a dramatic effect on Spain in less than a year. Led by Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, the new government has introduced a number of measures which have gone some way to banishing an older era in Spain. TRADITION CHALLENGED Many may think of Spain as a conservative, Catholic country, still recovering from the hangover of the Franco era. That is how the cliché goes. Now, 30 years after the death of the dictator Francisco Franco in 1975, Spain finally seems to be shrugging off some of the trappings of that time. New laws will make gay marriage legal, make divorce both much easier and faster, separate the Roman Catholic Church from involvement in state education, and crack down on domestic violence in what has traditionally been thought of as a macho culture. Barcelona has banned bullfighting, Spain's most controversial 'sport', starting a trend which could follow throughout the country. Also, for the first time since Franco's death a commission will try to establish what happened to those who were murdered or jailed illegally under his regime. Though Spain is littered with reminders of the Civil War, be they exhibitions, street names or simply memories, not much has actually been done in concrete terms to put right some of the still raw wounds. The commission is a start. ECONOMY Beyond politics, for anyone coming to make a new life in Spain, its growing economy is, perhaps, a cause for celebration. Two factors are key to this continued growth; the seemingly relentless housing boom and a still-healthy tourist sector, which was unaffected by last year's terrorist attacks. The property explosion in Spain provides knock-on effects for the rest of the economy. And tourism is another vital motor for the Spanish economy - Spain is now only second to France in terms of its popularity as a world tourist destination. But the structure of the Spanish economy continued on page 4 To keep up to date with the latest news and current affairs - in English - visit www.expatica.com/spain WWW.EXPATICA.COM SPAIN EXPAT SURVIVAL GUIDE 3
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front cover.qxd 09/02/2005 14:26 Page 1 - AIP

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