To the Polls! (¡a las urnas!)...

This week Europeans are being called to the polls to elect a new European Parliament. It’s already started in some countries like the UK, Ireland and Holland. Spain’s turn is this Sunday, and I’ll definitely be off to place my vote.

I’m afraid I’m not going to be in the majority, however. Here they’re predicting a turnout of only about 40-45% (probably even less in Madrid where I suspect many will be too busy recovering from celebrating or commiserating the results of the other big thing happening in Europe this weekend - the final of the European Champions League - to get around to voting. You see, quite amazingly, it is being fought out by two Madrid teams: Real Madrid and Atlético de Madrid).

Football aside, people either don’t understand how the European Parliament and Commission effects them (according to recent media reports, 7 out of 10 Spaniards can’t tell you who the President of the European Commission is), are too tired to be bothered after all these years of crisis, or just don’t have any faith in politicians any more. I imagine it’s probably it’s a mix of all three.

And it’d be no wonder if the Spanish don’t quite understand the importance of these elections - there has been very little about Europe in local campaigning at all, at least from the two main parties.

The Socialists have spent most of the time complaining about some (very) machista (chauvinistic) comments made by the head of the conservative ticket and the conservatives (the Partido Popular) have spent almost all of their time rattling on about the herencia recibida (the shocking state of the economy that they inherited from the Socialists at the last Spanish general election) two years ago!

"Change Europe, Stop Rajoy."
The Catalan Socialist's very local slogan (Rajoy is Spain´s Prime Minister). 

The polls suggest that the conservatives will win Europe again. This is pretty interesting as it goes against what has been happening in most of the general elections in member states over the last few years. Not in that the conservatives are going to win – much of Europe has gone to conservative parties in recent elections - but in the sense that in general elections during this long and crippling economic crisis, most incumbent governments have been kicked out. But in Europe the conservatives have been in power for the last ten years – throughout the entire length of the crisis.

"What's at risk is the future" from the Patrido Popular. In the context of their campaign,
a clear reference to the Socialist's performance in the previous Spanish government. 

Whoever wins Spain’s share of the 751 escaños (seats) in the European chamber, you can be guaranteed they’ll be pro-European. Despite the savagery of the government’s spending cuts, most of which have been dictated by Europe, Spain is still pro-Europe.

The same can’t be said for other countries in Europe. In the UK, Holland and France, the polls are predicting some big wins for anti immigration, anti-European, anti-just-about-everything parties who have hidden none of their desire to be in the European Parliament with the sole intention of destroying the EU from within.

I’m a huge fan of the European Union as an institution – although, I have to say, not the policies and direction that those currently in power are taking the continent (I’ve probably just given away who I’ll NOT be voting for this Sunday).

I’d be a massive hypocrite if I wasn’t pro EU. I’m living here thanks to it: my dad’s Italian citizenship gave me a European passport and hence the right to live and work in the UK and now here in Spain.

But for me it goes further than this selfish perspective. The European Union has brought together counties that only last century all but destroyed the continent TWICE through war, to work for a common good and a common goal and with that has come a peace not previously known here. To me, if you’ll allow me the indulgence, it’s an earth-bound uber-prelude to Star Trek’s United Federation of Planets.

That doesn’t mean that the EU is perfect, there is plenty wrong with it - you just have to look at its inept (and arguably quite undemocratic) response to the current financial crisis to see that. But I think it’s much better to have something there to improve than nothing at all (or something whittled down to irrelevance). That’s what makes the popularity of the anti-Europe parties such a worry to me. Not to mention their unconstrained nationalism and vitriolic rhetoric, which all feels very 1930s.

Three key faces from, in my opinion, the scary side of European politics:

(L to R) Marine Le Penn of France´s National Front, Nigel Farange of the UK Independence Party & Geert Wilders of Holland's Party for Freedom.

But now, to finish, back to selfish reasons for why I’m voting this year: I’m itching to play my part in the democratic process again. I haven’t been able to vote for a government in Australia for years now (I missed the deadline to re-register one year and that cost me my right to vote there until I return) and here in Spain, unlike in the UK, as an extranjero, I can’t vote in a general election. So voting in these, probably more important than ever, European elections is just the ticket. 

¡A las urnas!

The season kicks-off (Arranca la temporada)...

Well it seems that the season has kicked-off here in Barcelona and even though it’s early days, it is looking like our first verano (summer) here is going to be a good one.

Up 'till now, I wasn't so sure. Now I know it could almost be considered a sacrilege to say so, but I’ve got to admit to finding Barcelona a little dull our first months here. Friends reminded me that it was “winter after all”, but I suppose I had become accustomed to Madrid, whose streets are teeming (with locals) even during the cold months. I was starting to get a little worried.

It seems I needn’t have. With arrival of the first weekends of sun and warmth, Barcelona has started to fill with the air of excitement and expectation that comes with a summer by the sea.

It’s been so long since I have lived by the beach – 15 years for goodness sake – that I’d forgotten what a costal city was like. Really, it’s very similar to Sydney. Despite how good the winter weather actually is, compared to say London or even Madrid, winter is a time of hibernation for the locals. Then, as the days get longer and the sun starts to not only shine, but actually radiate heat, the winter dens are abandoned and all hell breaks loose.

Well, OK, I’m not as young as I used to be, so “all hell” is probably not going to “break loose” for me, but certainly the sangria, mojitos and caipirinhas have started to flow and helped to wash down some plentiful servings of paella and seafood at some of the fabulous chiringuitos (beachside restaurants and bars) here in Barcelona.

We’ve found ourselves at the Barceloneta a lot these last few weeks. This is downtown Barcelona’s beachside barrio (neighbourhood) that also gives its name to the beach there - although I’m not sure if many locals actually go there to swim as there are nicer beaches just a little further up and down the coast. 

The beach at the Barcelona is actually what’s left of a series of islands once off the coast, and the barrio built on land reclaimed from the sea that used to separate the two. On one side there is the old port and on the other the sea, so you actually feel like you’re surrounded by water.

Both the barrio and the beachfront are packed with bars and restaurants that fill up with tourists and locals alike. Some of the restaurants, especially on the main drag, look a little touristy to me (photo menu boards and over-eager waiters standing outside trying to hustle you in), so I’ve steered clear of them.  But we’ve found some good and fun places, and already whiled away some lovely long afternoons with friends there.

And it’s only May. Bring it on…

Holy police merit medal, Batman!

In the news this week there was a story that perfectly illustrates how interesting a place Spain can be at times… in a bonkers kind-of-way.

Spain’s Audencia Nacional (National Court), a high Spanish court that usually tries cases of terrorism, corruption, money laundering, organized crime, genocide and other serious matters, will decide whether the recent awarding of the National Police’s highest award, la medalla de oro al mérito policial (the Police Gold Order of Merit) to a certain recipient will stand or need to be withdrawn.

La medalla de oro al mérito policial. 
By Heralder [CC-BY-SA-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0 
or GFDL], via Wikimedia Commons] 

Not so bonkers so far, although perhaps a little odd that such an important court has been charged with the decision.

The case is before this court because a complaint was made by two secularist organisations against the awarding of the medal to the particular recipient, and the State Attorney, representing the government (it is the Minister of the Interior decides Police awards) refused to answer it.

Getting interesting, but still not bonkers yet.

So why is the award being questioned by the secularists? Well, the recipient is Nuestra Señora María Santísima del Amor (Our Lady Mary Most Holy of Love). A religious statue.

There you go. Bonkers.

According to the police and the Ministery, the Virgen (Virgin Mary) was awarded the medal because she shares with them values like dedication, alertness, solidarity and sacrifice.

In all fairness, the award is also for the cofradía (brotherhood) who looks after Nuestra Señora María Santísima del Amor and arranges her processions during the Semana Santa (Holy Week): La Real Excelentísima, Muy Ilustre y Venerable Cofradía de Culto y Procesión de NuestroPadre Jesús 'El Rico' y María Santísima del Amor  (The Royal, Highly Excellent, Very Illustrious and Venerable Brotherhood of Worship and Procession of Our Father Jesus “The Rich” and Our Lady Mary Most Holy of Love).

But it is she who is named as the actual recipient of the award.

Nuestra Señora María Santísima del Amor. Yes, she's a statue

To me, an extranjero from a predominately Anglican country, it does seem rather bonkers that in the 21^st the government would award such a high Police honour (or any honour for that matter) to a statue – religious or not.  But for some here, it moves beyond bonkers and towards the realms of the scary.

To start with the Interior Minister, Jorge Fernandez Diaz, is a man well known for his devout Catholic faith (he is a member of the powerful Catholic sect Opus Dei) and so here could be accused of allowing those beliefs to sway his Ministerial decision-making.

But it’s more that it could be seen as a further example of how Spain’s current government has seemingly been bringing Catholicism back to the fore in the two years it has been in power.

As part of the its education reforms, religious (Catholic) studies have been brought back to state schools as a subject creditable to a students final grades and the Bishops have been given full control over the syllabus and even selection of teachers (even though those teachers are still paid for by the state). Also, the government’s planned reform to the abortion law will turn what is now a free choice for all women up to 14 weeks of pregnancy to an option that is more restricted than it was 30 years ago; something many see as both the Justice Minister forcing his religious views (he’s another very religious man) onto everyone else and also as a pay-back to the Bishops for their support of the political party of the now government during the last elections.

Whether this is the Church clawing back some of the power it wielded so widely in Spain just 40 years ago, with the help of its political allies now in government, or just a very conservative government doing their very conservative best (with a few Ministers bonkers for their faith), will depend on who you speak to.

Regardless, on June 11, Nuestra Señora María Santísima del Amor will have her day in one of the most powerful courts in the land, to find out whether she gets to keep her Police Gold Order of Merit medal after all.