Almost 500 years since Juan Sebastián Elcano completed the first circumnavigation of the world and a vast empire was created, Spain has re-built a substantial but very different global presence.
http://www.realinstitutoelcano.org/wps/portal/rielcano_en/contenido?WCM_GLOBAL_CONTEXT=/elcano/elcano_in/zonas_in/wp8-2017-chislett-global-spain-economic-military-soft-power
Category: Elcano Royal Institute
Inside Spain (16 May-20 June)
Spain holds firm in Elcano Global Presence Index.
Catalonia sets October date for illegal referendum.
Socialist Pedro Sánchez returns from the wilderness to win back the party’s leadership.
‘Failing’ Banco Popular sold to Santander for €1.
Tubacex wins €550 million oil pipeline contract with Iran.
Global Spain
Only now is Spain recovering its pre-crisis (2008) GDP level. Its Great Recession took a heavy toll, particularly in terms of unemployment, but one area – internationalisation– has hardly been affected. The 2016 Elcano Global Presence Index, which measures the results of internationalisation, ranks Spain 12th out of 100 countries with a score of 204.1. Spain has held this position since 2014 (between 1995 and 2013 it was in 11th place). The United States has the highest global presence followed by China.
http://www.blog.rielcano.org/en/global-spain/
Inside Spain (18 April-16 May)
Spain aims to use Brexit to change Gibraltar’s ‘unfair’ economic model.
Popular Party rocked by yet more corruption scandals.
Government finally close to gaining support for 2017 budget.
Population slips for fifth consecutive year.
US Cordish resubmits mega casino and hotel project for Madrid.
http://www.realinstitutoelcano.org/wps/wcm/connect/cc33e6f7-1143-44dc-96be-1cb0b46b8de2/139_InsideSpain_ElcanoNewsletter.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&CACHEID=cc33e6f7-1143-44dc-96be-1cb0b46b8de2
Spain finally bounces back – after nine years
At some point before the summer Spain will regain its pre-crisis (2008) GDP level. This will doubtless be the cause of some celebration in the conservative Popular Party (PP) government, which for the last six years has been getting to grips with the problems.
http://www.blog.rielcano.org/en/spain-finally-bounces-back-after-nine-years/
Inside Spain (21 March-18 April)
Spain aims for a ‘soft’ Brexit, but Gibraltar could be a stumbling block.
Basque separatist terrorist group ETA fulfils disarmament promise.
Washington distances itself from Catalan independence movement.
Fiscal deficit falls within EU targets for first time since 2008.
Madrid rejects mega entertainment complex.
Why Spain would like a ‘soft’ Brexit for the UK
The Spain-UK relation has become increasingly significant in terms of trade, direct investment, tourism, fisheries and the number of Britons living in Spain, by far the largest group of British expats in any European country. As a result, Spain has good reasons for wanting the best possible post-Brexit relationship between Britain and the EU.
Spain’s merchandise exports notch up yet another record
Spain’s exports of goods rose in 2016 for the seventh year running, defying expectations that they would tail off as the economy recovers and domestic consumption picks up.
http://www.realinstitutoelcano.org/wps/portal/rielcano_en/contenido?WCM_GLOBAL_CONTEXT=/elcano/elcano_in/zonas_in/commentary-chislett-spain-merchandise-exports-notch-up-yet-another-record
Inside Spain (16 January-20 February)
Rajoy offers to be Trump’s interlocutor in Europe and Latin America.
King’s brother-in-law convicted for fraud and influence peddling.
Thousands protest as former Catalan Premier stands trial.
Merchandise exports notch up yet another record.
Spain drops to 41st position in Transparency International’s Corruption Index.
Cyprus’s elusive reunification: a solution so near, yet so far
The reunification of Cyprus is one of the world’s longest running and intractable international problems. The latest talks in Geneva this month between Nicos Anastasiades, the Greek Cypriot President, and Mustafa Akinci, the Turkish Cypriot leader, after 20 months of negotiations, made significant progress. The issues of properties, territorial adjustments, security and guarantees are the most sensitive and core issues yet to be resolved and ones that will determine whether a solution can be reached and approved in referendums.
http://www.realinstitutoelcano.org/wps/portal/rielcano_en/contenido?WCM_GLOBAL_CONTEXT=/elcano/elcano_in/zonas_in/ari6-2017-chislett-cyprus-elusive-reunification-so-near-to-solution-yet-so-far
William Chislett 