By Euro Weekly News Media • Published: 22 Jul 2016 • 8:27
ON THE SAME WAVELENGTH: Rajoy and May.
NEW British Prime Minister, Theresa May, continued to check in with other European leaders on Thursday, July 21, although in the case of Spain she had to make do with a phone call to Mariano Rajoy, the acting premier.
The two leaders were apparently in full agreement that no Spanish or British citizen resident in either country should be ‘harmed’ by the Brexit process, in an exchange which was described as “cordial and constructive” in the Spanish press.
Spain’s interim government had already communicated its congratulations to May via a telegram, presenting themselves as “a loyal friend of the British Government and people” and wished her “every success at a decisive time for the two countries and the future of Europe.”
The dialogue followed her earlier joint press conference with her French counterpart, François Hollande, who made it clear that free trade depends on free movement, which will disappoint Boris Johnson and his ilk, but appeared to relax his earlier stance that the dreaded Article 50 be invoked quickly, as he said he “understood the government that has just been formed needs this time.”
They also confirmed that both countries intend to maintain the UK border checks in Calais that Remain campaigners had said would be in jeopardy, as May said: “We have discussed the Le Touquet agreement, and President Hollande and indeed interior minister [Bernard] Cazeneuve have both been very clear from their point of view that they wish the Le Touquet agreement to stay. I want the Le Touquet agreement to stay.”
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Not so sure that it’s a decisive time for Spain, being as Sr. Rajoy is STILL the acting Prime Minister. More like an indecisive time if you ask me. Which you didn’t. But still eh….?
NO Citizen should be affected by Brexit????????Where are they?In cloud cuckoo land??June I lost 100⬠with the exchange rate and I haven’t gone into how much I will lose this month – Yes I am scared to look at what is left for mekay
What this refers to are UK citizens living in Spain and relative to Spain, not things that are controlled otherwise such as your exchange rates so as much as I agree that politicians are in cloud cookoo land it doesn’t really have anything to do with your currency exchange but it might give those expats who think they are going to get flung out a little more faith that they are not, just as people told them before Brexit.
I sympathise your situation Kay but there are many people benefiting from the lower exchange rate! As we know the rate goes up and down, I “as many others in business here” purchase goods in the UK, at times they cost more and at other times they cost less… all because of the exchange rate, at goes up and down and it always will while an exchange rate exists.
The Brexit “whatever shape it takes” will be something that will happen over time, some things that we have in 6 months will probably be different to what we have now or what we had 2 months ago, that could mean higher or lower exchange rates.
Something that is worrying is the ⬠is being held together with more and more sticky plasters so there will probably be some major bump or a bang there sometime soon, nothing to do with Brexit just bad EU monetary management but that will also effect the ã exchange rate.
Talk is cheap. And Rajoy promised during the 2011 electoral campaign he wouldn’t put up IRPF and IVA. One of his first actions was to do…guess what?! Plus, he’s unlikely to be invested this time either, and he can’t speak for the rest of the remaining 27. Bad feeling about this. I’m going to apply for Spanish citizenship the second they invoke Article 50.
IVA went up because the EU forced Rajoy to put it up through EU regulation… which he didn’t know about! 😉 Talk is cheap with most politicians Kally, you just haven’t realised this yet 😉
You are right, Rajoy can’t speak for the rest of the remaining countries, one of the good things with the UK being out of the EU will be to make decisions without having to climb over 27 other concrete walls so any decisions wanted to be taken can be and hopefully a lot quicker if so desired.
Rajoy is one of the most racist politicians currently running an EU country 🙂 If you have a bad feeling about this and say you will be applying for Spanish citizenship when A50 is invoked then why wait Kally, go for it and get a head start! Good luck to you as a future Spanish citizen 🙂
@Mike – I’d really rather wait until A50 is triggered, see what government we get in Spain (if we ever get one) and how things pan out for Brits living in the EU. And whether or not Spain responds to the growing trend across Europe and the petitions raise
See what government we get in Spain! But they could change 5 years down the line!
Spain does not recognise dual nationality with EU countries and that is not going to change! If you are accepted a Spanish citizen “which there is a slim chance of unless you meet some requirements” then they will not recognise your British passport but… since you cannot give up a British citizenship, you just apply for your British passport and bingo, you would have your British passport back.
What are you talking about “Slave like conditions” one of the main the reasons that unemployment is so high here is because the employed have it so good! To create more employment they need to make it cheaper to employ and take away or cut back drastically on the employment benefits that workers get and their employer pays for, I would employ if the SS costs where the same as they where in the UK! Many here get 2 months extra payment, holiday pay, 15 paid holiday days, 22 days payment per year employed… are you joking, I run a business so I can make money, not everyone else!
I don’t know who would replace the PP as the only other party having a lot of voters is the PSOE and they are as bad as the PP if not worse! None of the other parties have anywhere near enough voters and I don’t see that changing much over the next few years.
Spain can’t scrap IVA, the EU will not allow it to nor reduce it, any attempt to lower it would result in another fine!
Employees have it ‘so good?!’ You’re kidding, right? Most are on one or three-month contracts and spend months on the dole in between. The minimum wage is â¬645 a month, a typical wage is â¬800-900 and if you find a f/t 40hr/wk job paying â¬1,000, you’ve struck gold. 14-month payments only now exist in the public sector; few private-sector jobs even LAST 14 months. They work a standard 40-hr week, but it’s the norm to work six days, 48 hours, with the extra eight paid at time-and-a-half. And 1.5 times crap is still crap. They force you to sign contracts which only declare half your hours and give you the rest in cash, meaning half a pension, half dole money, etc. Bosses are despotic and must be obeyed, however rude, mediocre, abusive and unreasonable; staff are just minions who shd be grateful they’re even earning. If you run a business, your staff’s wellbeing shd come first. Unhappy, exploited, underpaid staff will NOT give their best. Happy, secure staff paid a living wage will give you their all and plenty more for free. Your customers benefit from the result of this, so do y profits. And, w today’s horrific jobless levels, firms have a social responsibility role and are judged on how well they do it. But Spain is into cost-cutting, even (esp) at the expense of quality (fire the native-speaking translator and use google to save a few â¬s, eg).Spanish nationality reqs are dead easy, esp. the language bit, which is only A2! Even my farts exceed THAT level!
As for Spain’s gov, Mike, it’s four years, not five. And yes, they can change again in four years, but it’s unlikely ALL the social and progressive changes a previous one makes will be undone. I wouldn’t have voted PSOE because I think the ‘big two’ have become too complacent, just taking alternate legislatures and knowing they’ll get back in when the other cocks up. But Sánchez seems to have his head screwed on. Podemos (esp with IU on board) has the social thing nailed, but I think they’re becoming too big for their boots. If Monadero or Carmena were at the helm, I think they’d walk it. UPyD looked promising, then disappeared. CompromÃÂs is only regional, but I’m relatively impressed with the new CV gov. As for C’s…too right-wing. Sensible about finances, but not sensible enough to realise that this has to start by allowing the ordinary citizen to afford to spend. Spain will never clear its deficit withoutpeople in quality jobs paying a living wage, because if you can only afford basic utilities, bread and eggs, then businesses don’t earn money as people can’t buy from them. Prohibitive and abusive Soc Sec ‘tariffs’ and non-wage-related staff costs for employers impede all that, and will unless drastic changes are made. If they are, and Spain clears its deficit, the EU may well allow it to reduce IVA (it cd start by cutting IRPF).BTW, did you know Rajoy legalised joint nationality for descs of Sephardic Jews at the stroke of a pen? Germany & Italy plan to do for Brits. It cd be done. Lobbying has started.
Yes “in general” they have it too good Kally, keep demanding they get more, the more they get the less that will be employed “fact”, a business needs to make money to be in business and to pay people they employ and with the current employment laws unemployment will now reduce except by the means it is now, they leave Spain to get work in other countries!
To correct you: If you run a business Kally the business should come first, without it being successful if won’t be there and nor would it be able to employ people. You need to look into the actual costs of employing someone here Kally as it is not just the wage the worker gets, add up the rest and you will find that that is the problem… if you understand anything about running a business! The current employment laws hold back small business “and large”, it forces them to employ illegally and pay lower wages, its not rocket science but you just look at it as the average employee here does, to try and get everything you can from your employer and screw if they remain in business or not because the employment laws are structurered for the employee and not the employer.
Bang on all you want but not seeing a major part of the problem doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist!
Just so you are aware, there is no political group in Spain currently that would walk anything, all of their ideas make Spain do the walking, along the plank! The only political party that mentioned anything that touches on anything that would be in any direction that might help unemployment is C’s but in general they haven’t a clue about running things either.
You talk about Rajoy should reduce IVA and IRPF, I pointed out he couldn’t reduce IVA because of EU and now you say if Spain clears it’s deficit the EU will allow him to, you appear to make up what you write as you go along! Spain will not clear its deficit any time soon if it doesn’t get its people working and doesn’t change its way of thinking towards non Spanish and taxation in general. Just so you are aware: Another of the biggest problems with unemployment is Spain are the unions and the government are scared to death of them, that needs to change also as they hold any politician from trying to do more to help the unemployment problems, the unions here still operate as they did in the USA back in the 40’s, similar to the countries politicians come to think of it 🙂
The British are not Sephardic Jews in general and Spain is not Germany nor Italy, they will not be offered dual citizenship in Spain! Oh OK, at least not unless a politician with a totally different way of thinking than the Spanish think takes Rajoy’s place 🙂
@Mike: Sure, I absolutely know about the crazy non-salarial costs for employers (and the self-employed) which preclude offering jobs or liveable wages. I’ve been lobbying about that for years. The Seg Soc ‘flat rate’ is outdated and urgently needs to be c
Also @Mike, re IVA: govs have considerable freedom how and where to apply it, and they do have a tongue in their heads to protest if need be (in Felipe González’s reign, Spain was a feisty, vocal, forthright member of the EU who brought good ideas to the table and thrashed deals until they were agreed. Now, it’s lost interest and just sits there and lets everyone else run the show). C’s proposed 21% IVA on bread and milk, the logic being that this wd raise the price by an affordable couple of cents, but as they’re basic products, the prolific buying of them would rake in more than by setting IVA at 21% on non-essentials that people would stop buying (even the film industry is in crisis and theatres are closing; nobody can afford tickets with IVA so high). It doesn’t have to be 21% on kids’ schoolbooks, which are already too expensive, and 4% on porn and yachts; it can be the other way around. Govs can manipulate this with a great deal of freedom. I still live in hope of a non-PP gov at some point in the next year. The others may be clueless, but no more so than Rajoy’s lot. And the point is that the other outfits are interested in the ordinary person, worker and trader, and will listen to them; THIS will bring about changes that everyone will learn from. The PP’s despotic, closed-minded, closed-doors, blatantly self-serving policies belong in the 1950s, not 2010s.As for joint nationality, that may be decided by the EU-27 and Rajoy may not have a say, so again, I live in hope.
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