02.05 - Spain Today News 18 March 2025

Spanish government's recent agreement with Junts per Catalunya regarding the distribution of unaccompanied migrant minors, the broader political reactions to this agreement, trends in international passenger arrivals, and internal political dynamics related to budget negotiations and freedom of speech.

I. Government Agreement with Junts on Migrant Minors and Subsequent Political Reactions:

• Central Agreement: The PSOE (Socialist Party) government has reached an agreement with Junts per Catalunya, a Catalan separatist party, to reform Article 35 of the immigration law. In exchange for Junts' support, Catalonia will receive between 20 and 30 unaccompanied migrant minors out of the 4,000 currently in the Canary Islands.

• PP's Disapproval and Regional Opposition: The Partido Popular (PP), the main opposition party, has expressed strong disagreement with this agreement. They argue that their regional governments will refuse to participate in the distribution if there is insufficient capacity and resources to accommodate the minors with "respecto y garantías" (respect and guarantees).

• Government's Defense: The government, through the Minister of Digital Transition and leader of PSOE-M, Óscar López, has defended Madrid as a "tierra de acogida" (land of welcome) and accused Ayuso of choosing "racismo y la xenofobia antes que los derechos humanos" (racism and xenophobia before human rights).
• Canary Islands' Approval: The President of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, has welcomed the agreement as "una magnífica noticia" (magnificent news), as it aligns with their long-standing demand for the redistribution of minors.

• Vox's Strong Opposition: The far-right Vox party has condemned the government's "política de puertas abiertas" (open-door policy) and calls for the repatriation of those who enter Spain illegally. They believe migrants lack the "voluntad de integración" (will to integrate).

II. Increase in International Passenger Arrivals:

• Positive Trend: Spain experienced a 6.4% increase in international passenger arrivals in February compared to the previous year, reaching 6.7 million travelers.
• Low-Cost Carriers: Low-cost airlines accounted for the majority (61%) of arrivals and saw a 10% increase in their presence.

• Important Note: These figures represent all international flight passengers, regardless of residency, and should not be confused with international tourist numbers.

III. ERC's Stance on Budget Negotiations and Agreement Compliance:

• Conditional Budget Support: Oriol Junqueras (ERC) has warned that if the PSOE government does not fulfill the agreements made with ERC, there will be no general budget in 2025, and potentially not in 2026 either.

• Lack of Predisposition: Junqueras accuses the PSOE of lacking the "predisposición" (predisposition) to carry out the agreed-upon terms, stating they only act when they have no other choice.

IV. Legal Action Against Pablo Echenique for Alleged Hate Speech:

• Lawsuit over Tweet: A Madrid court has ordered a trial for Pablo Echenique, former Podemos MP, over a tweet he posted stating that statistically, it is much more probable for a priest to commit child sexual abuse than a migrant to commit a crime.

• Fiscalía's Opposition: The public prosecutor (Fiscalía) had requested the dismissal of the case and is not pressing charges against Echenique.
• Echenique's Defense: Echenique argued that his tweet was not intended to criminalize all priests but to defend migrants against statements made by the Archbishop of Oviedo.
• Abogados Cristianos' Reaction: Abogados Cristianos celebrated the court's decision, stating they will not tolerate public figures promoting hatred towards Christians.

• Echenique's Response: Echenique responded on social media, stating it was an "honor" to be sued by the organization and criticizing their actions in other legal cases.