Today in Spain, mud, rain, and flooding possible, a Judge is on trial for hate crime, and farmers summoned to Government meeting. On Thursday the 15th, the focus of attention will be on the final reading of inflation in Spain and the preliminary GDP data for the United Kingdom in Q4 2023. On a day when the trend in the Eurozone trade balance will also be relevant, along with the United Kingdom. In the UK, by-elections will dominate the headlines as voters in Wellingborough and Kingswood constituencies decide on their latest representatives on Thursday. The votes follow the ousting of Peter Bone, and the resignation of Net Zero review author Chris Skidmore.

Spanish News

The presence of an anticyclone that still dominates large areas of the Peninsula and that leaves temperatures rising will break this Thursday with the possible formation of a DANA. The front will cause a drop in the mercury in almost all thermometers and precipitation in several areas of the country, especially in the Gulf of Cádiz and the Strait. Forecasters believe that “a DANA will cross Spain this Thursday with heavy rains and storms, accompanied by hail and mud.” For his part, meteorologist David Gómez explains on his “It is likely that the precipitation will pass more quickly and violently.” A Judge based in the Criminal Court number 1 of Granada, declares this Thursday in a procedure in Court number 8, as being investigated for an alleged hate crime. This procedure was initiated by a complaint from the lawyer Carlos Aránguez regarding the continuous absolutely inappropriate comments on his Facebook account such as, for example, referring to the feminist movement as “feminazis”, making fun of the Queen and the Pope, calling the Supreme Court garbage and repeatedly using xenophobic and racist expressions. Farmers, who have been protesting across the country, have been summoned to a meeting with the Government representative today, Luis Planas, the Minister of Agriculture. Now into the second week of the tractor protests, the Government is finally moving forward and calling on the representatives of farmers and ranchers. It will do so the day after the main agrarian organisations, in unity of action, showed their muscle in what they have called ‘Super Wednesday’, that is, the main day chosen to carry out the largest agrarian mobilisation since the beginning of the protests, having as its most important action a concentration at the doors of Mercamadrid, the largest logistics centre in Spain.

Things to Do Today

Although we are in a quiet time once again, this weekend will see the Orihuela Costa Carnival in which no less than 27 troupes have already agreed their participation, with the route around Playa Flamenca and Los Dolses. And, Unbroken is in Torrevieja, an urban endurance sports competition.

Traffic and Travel

We still have farmers protesting in various areas, and snow on higher ground. The same as last week, the weekend is going to be busy on the roads particularly around winter leisure areas, which includes second homes, but mostly the mountainous regions for winter sports. We will have the full details of the busiest times in tomorrow’s bulletin. Flights could still be diverted today due to that live missile firing exercise in the Bay of Biscay.

On This Day

1993, in Madrid, the police dismantle a trafficking gang that had illegally introduced more than 2,000 Dominican citizens into Spain to dedicate them to prostitution. 1990, in Madrid, Argentina and the United Kingdom reach an agreement to reestablish diplomatic relations after eight years since the Falklands War broke out. 1966, Spain grants Germans entry into the country without the need for a passport, although they do require an identity card, for tourist purposes.