Spain Today – Friday 3 May 2024

In our last Spanish news of the week, 63.5 million to acquire more than 1,500 new ultrasound machines, Golden Visa withdrawal will have hardly any impact on sales by foreigners, and self-employed must allocate half their monthly income to taxes and contributions.

The special traffic operation continues through the weekend in Castilla la Mancha, Madrid and Valencia in connection with the Labour Day holiday on Wednesday.

Caravaca de la Cruz in Murcia celebrates their second local holiday, and today there are lots of similar holidays around the country, far too many to list, but one of note, particularly for tourists, is on the island of Tenerife.

As the fallout of yesterday’s local elections comes to light, today also marks 45 years to the day that Margaret Thatcher secured an election victory, thus making her own mark on history. The 1979 general election was held on Thursday 3 May, where the Conservative Party, led by Thatcher, ousted the incumbent Labour government of James Callaghan, gaining a parliamentary majority of 44 seats.

As things are not going well in the USA for the company behind one of the biggest social communities on the planet, TikTok, the parent company faces the deadline to provide information in EU proceedings.

Reporters Without Borders will publish the Press Freedom Index.

I almost forgot to give you the answer to my question earlier in the week. If you listened to The Week Ahead this week you will know that on Saturday it’s World Naked Gardening Day, and I gave you a picture of some naked people in a garden, statues in fact, asking if you could guess where it was. The answer is Oslo. How close did you get? Let me know by email.

Contents (click to jump ahead)

Spanish News Headlines

The Council of Ministers has authorised a framework agreement of the Ministry of Health for the selection of suppliers for the environmentally friendly supply of 1,579 ultrasound equipment for several autonomous communities, centres of the National Institute of Health Management (INGESA) in Ceuta and Melilla and State Administration bodies, with an estimated value of 63,459,959 euro.

This agreement is part of the High Health Technology Plan (Plan AMAT-I), which provides continuity to the INVEAT Plan and with which the Ministry of Health seeks to reduce the obsolescence of the technological park of high-tech equipment of the National Health System (SNS), increase the diagnostic capabilities of the centres by improving the technological range of the equipment to be renewed and expanding the technological park.

The Government has taken a step forward to modify the law that allows any foreigner who buys a home in Spain valued at more than 500,000 euro to obtain a residence permit. The end of the Golden Real Estate Visa puts an end to a measure approved on a temporary basis in 2013. Throughout the decade in which it has been in force, between 6,200 and 14,500 of these visas have been granted, in depending on the source consulted.

“The citizens of Eastern Europe, Russia and Belarus.” According to official data, Chinese and Russians have been the non-EU citizens who have taken the most advantage of the Golden Visa.bTherefore, despite the speculation and in some UK press, the impact on British buyers will be barely noticeable, partly because Brits in general buy properties well below the half a million euro threshold to qualify.

The General Council of Economists (CGE) has published its latest report on the tax bill of Spanish households. Taking into account the average income declared by the self-employed, the cost of taxes and social contributions is, on average, between 45% and 60% of their turnover.

A self-employed person with a gross income of 3,100 euro per month must allocate between 45% and 60% on average to the Treasury and Social Security for taxes and social contributions. This is extracted from the latest data published by the General Council of Economists (CGE) and the returns declared to the Tax Agency by the self-employed last year.

To read these articles in full, visit SpainToday.news

Things to Do

What’s On This Week

On Saturday, a kickboxing tournament takes place in Torrevieja.

The San Javier Airshow takes place from Friday to Sunday – Festival Aéreo San Javier – over the playas de Santiago de la Ribera, San Javier, Murcia.

The ninth edition ‘Elx Street Food Market’ will offer national and international food, a market with twenty craft and jewellery stalls, and six concerts, taking place in Elche from Friday to Sunday.

Cartagena will celebrate its “Cruzes de Mayo” from Friday to Sunday, with a program that includes concerts, the installation of more than 40 bars in the centre and activities in more than 20 neighbourhoods and councils.

Sunday is Mother’s Day in Spain, so there will be events themed around that. Guardamar del Segura has a shopping initiative taking place right now.

On Sunday, Totally Tina takes place in Torrevieja Municipal Theatre, a tribute to Tina Turner from the 2008 winner of TV’s Stars in Their Eyes.

From Monday a new swimming class course starts in the Torrevieja municipal swimming pool.

Future Events

Theatre, Culture and Music

Between the 10 and 12 May, Torrevieja will go back to the 80’s and 90’s with a musical spectacle at the Torrevieja Municipal Theatre.

A fantastic Europe Day concert will take place in Torrevieja soon with free tickets available shortly.

Big Name Music

• Jonas Brothers – 25 May in Barcelona.
• Taylor Swift – 29 and 30 May in Madrid.
• Calvin Harris – 31 May and 9 and 14 June on Ibiza.
• AC/DC – 1 June in Seville.
• Olivia Rodrigo – 18 June in Barcelona, 20 June in Madrid.
• Tom Jones – 23 June in Valencia, 23 July in Marbella, Alicante on 25 July, Chiclana de la Frontera on 28 July, Almeria on 4 August.
• Alice Cooper – 28 June in Barcelona.
• Pearl Jam – 6 and 8 July in Barcelona.
• Garbage – 9 July in Barcelona.
• Metallica – 12 and 14 July in Madrid.
• James Blunt – Barcelona on 17 July, Alicante on 19 July, Chiclana de la Frontera on 20 July
• Simple Minds – 26 July in Granada.

Special Events

Torrevieja May Fair will take place from 9 to 12 May 2024, once again at the Station Park (full details next week).

Airshows

The DIFAS 2024, taking place in Oviedo on 1 June, and on 15th June, the 50º Aniversario del ALA 14, in Albacete, where a competition is open to design a Eurofighter livery.

The Gijon Airshow is on 27 and 28 July.

Sport and Fitness

On 18 May both a 10k run and walk is taking place between San Miguel de Salinas and Los Montesinos, with a focus on raising funds for charity.

On 19 May, a race will take place in the streets of Formentera de Segura.

From 31 May to 2 June, the YOGAMAR conference takes place in Guardamar del Segura.

From 22 June to 14 July the Torrevieja International Cup will take place bringing together a variety of international competitors in various disciplines, including football and rugby.

Other Events

RBF Torrevieja 2024 – Reggaeton Beach Festival – 3 and 4 August.

Brilla Torrevieja – 27 July to 12 August.

Check with your Local Tourist Information Office

As you might expect, this is not a complete list of events, as there are far too many to put in brief, but they are a hand-picked selection of the most popular or interesting.

For more events in your area, check with your local tourist information office.

For more local events, pick up The Leader newspaper every Monday, and This is Torrevieja for Torrevieja events.

Traffic and Travel

The roads will be busier than normal due to the holidays this week, Wednesday being a national holiday, and Thursday a significant day for Madrid. A special traffic operation will take place in various areas from Tuesday and through the weekend.

Remember to check the traffic and weather conditions before you set off, and plan your journey in advance.

One for the weekend to watch, Heathrow refuelling staff have planned strike action.

For information and updates about driving in Spain, visit N332.es

Official Websites for Travel Information

• For live traffic reports, visit the DGT traffic map
• For weather warnings, consult AEMET
• DGT Twitter account
• AEMET weather related road information
• Aemet Twitter account
• For flight information, check the AENA airport operator’s website

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