In our last Spanish news roundup of the week, former airport border boss sentenced to prison for receiving preferential treatment bribes, Mahou San Miguel in 2 billion euro income boost, and in preparation for the European elections 2024, we have a basic guide from the Spanish Government to the electoral process. Plus, active population figures in Spain are published.

Spanish News Headlines

The National Court has sentenced the former chief commissioner at the Madrid-Barajas airport, responsible for the border controls, to 5 years and 8 months in prison for having received gifts in kind and in cash between 2010 and 2015, including high-end cars, luxury watches, or money, by business owners as a reward for giving “the best treatment and consideration” to the clients and relatives of said executives. To the other defendant in this case, a businessman and lawyer, the magistrates of the Fourth Section of the Criminal Chamber sentenced him to three months in prison for a crime of active bribery committed by a private individual. with the analogue mitigation of collaboration, in a highly qualified degree. Mahou San Miguel has closed an exceptional year 2023, marked by growth on multiple fronts. With a 10% increase in its turnover to reach the record figure of 1,9 billion euro, and a net profit that rose by 6.1%, rising to 108.3 million euro, the company consolidates its position as leader of the beer sector in Spain. The company’s general director, Alberto Rodríguez-Toquero, announced during the presentation of the results to the press that the year 2023 has been positive despite the challenges caused by inflationary tensions and geopolitical volatility. Thus, the director has indicated that, “2023 has been a transformative year for our company. We have experienced substantial growth in all our business areas, strengthening our leadership in the domestic market and accelerating our international presence, especially in Europe.” Elections to the European Parliament will be held between June 6 and 9, 2024. In Spain, the vote will take place on Sunday, June 9, 2024. Although the vast majority of Brits are no longer eligible to vote after Brexit, there are some who retain those rights. As part of the buildup in Spain, the Spanish Government has published a basic guide to European elections 2024. Citizens of all European Union countries elect their representatives as deputies to the European Parliament every five years. In 2024, 720 deputies will be elected, 15 more than in the previous elections in 2019, who will represent almost 450 million people. To read these articles in full, visit SpainToday.news

Business, Markets and Statistics

The week will end with the reading of Germany’s PPI, together with UK retail sales and Spain’s trade balance. Furthermore, the end of the week will feature the Fed’s Philadelphia Survey in the USA, which will complete the analysis of the degree of dynamism of the US economy. The Active Population figures are published by the INE in Spain.

Things to Do

29º Certamen Internacional Juvenil Habaneras takes place in Torrevieja on Saturday, at the Torrevieja Municipal Theatre. Fans of the music of Queen might want to take a trip down to Cartagena on Saturday, where the concert, Symphonic Rhapsody of Queen, A Kind of Magic, will be taking place. Twenty One Pilots are performing in Madrid on Sunday. In Catral, the Sevillanas fiesta takes place from Friday to Sunday, commonly referred to as a May Fair, or April Fair. On Saturday, a special March Against Cancer takes place in Guardamar del Segura, specifically for the children. A Mental Health conference is taking place in Torrevieja on Friday and Saturday, specifically focusing on children and adolescents. The Los Montesinos tapas trail takes place from Friday to Sunday. On Saturday in the IFA exhibition hall in Alicante, you can delve into the Japanese world of Manga, and if you are in Guardamar del Segura a special bus has been arranged to take fans to the event. The Todo Tren 2024 tapas event is now on in Torrevieja, taking place until Sunday. For more local events, pick up The Leader newspaper every Monday, and This is Torrevieja for Torrevieja events.

Traffic and Travel

All this week, ROADPOL, the European Traffic Police Network, will be carrying out a speed awareness and enforcement campaign, focussing on one of the Fatal 4 most contributing factors in road traffic collisions. From Friday and through the weekend, the Guardia Civil will be carrying out a specific geographic campaign in Aragon and Castilla y Lyon. For information and updates about driving in Spain, visit N332.es

Official Websites for Travel Information