‘Where there’s a will…’

CORRUPTION scandals dominate Spanish conversation, fill endless newspaper columns and unleash vast amounts of vituperative political bile but are not a deciding factor during elections.

 Possibly the ERE funds used for cocaine or Camps’ suits did not influence voters in Andalucia on March 25 or Valencia last year because corruption in this country has always been reluctantly accepted as an unsavoury but unavoidable fact of political life.

Rajoy’s Transparency laws should curb this – or will corrupt politicians merely become wilier still?

Horses for courses

 THE PSOE might be euphoric because the conservative Popular Party (PP) failed to win enough parliamentary seats to form a government in Andalucia, but this does not alter the fact that Javier Arenas obtained more votes than Jose Antonio Griñan.

Possibly the fourth-time unlucky PP grandee is doomed to be an eternal also-ran, but neither can the PSOE expect to be first past the post while Rubalcaba holds the reins.

Word perfect

CATALUÑA will require foreign immigrants to possess a minimum knowledge of Catalan and Spanish, doubtless aware that nothing divides – or unites – in the way that language does.

At the same time it is fortunate for the many British expats in Cataluña that the measure does not apply to citizens of EU member states.

 Were it otherwise, how many there or on the Costas would pass with flying colours?