Cristina Mateo-Yanguas

Cristina Mateo-Yanguas covers social, economic and political issues in Spain for GlobalPost. As a freelance journalist during the past 12 years, she has contributed to stories about Spain for the...

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Cristina Mateo-Yanguas's Notebook:

February 13, 2009 11:27 ET | Updated: February 13, 2009 11:30 ET

Police raid Heaven

Heaven, the Madrid downtown club that recently saw the murder of a doorman and a promoter, was raided by the police last weekend. Police report seizing more than 200 doses of various drugs — including cocaine, ecstasy, popper, speed, hashish and marijuana. Drug possession in small quantities for individual consumption is not a crime in Spain, though dealing is. The police intervention was part of an ongoing operation to eradicate drug consumption in public places, the police explained. Thirty-six people were arrested, but their detention was not for violence, carrying weapons, or selling drugs: Police arrested one person carrying forged documents and 35 illegal immigrants.

January 28, 2009 19:08 ET

Supreme Court rules on "Education for Citizenship"

Spain’s Supreme Court decided today against the petition of conscious objection by parents who don't want their children to take an "Education for Citizenship" course. The conclusion was reached, after two-and-a-half days of deliberation, with favorable votes of 22 magistrates out of 30.

The Court’s pronouncement says the decrees regulating this class “by themselves do not infringe on the parents’ fundamental right to have their children receive religious and moral education according to their own convictions.”

Fabian Fernandez de Alarcon, an objecting father of six, told me the parents are waiting to read the text of the decision, which will be available in a few days, but that they remain determined to bring the case before the Constitutional Court. He stressed the fact that some regional courts decided in favor of objecting parents and that those rulings are firm, “unless the district attorney’s office appeals and requests for the Supreme Court’s verdict to be applied.”

Profesionales por la Etica, a civic movement against the class, distributed a press release saying, “Parents’ efforts to defend their freedom and their children’s are unstoppable. Beyond the compulsory nature of any law or sentence, a democratic government cannot be insensitive to a reality that has brought more than 52,000 objections and almost 2,000 appeals.”

Mercedes Cabrera, Minister of Education, said in a video broadcast by her department: “There is nothing in this class to invade students’ fundamental rights; on the contrary, Education for Citizenship teaches them their rights and duties in a democratic and tolerant society.” Cabrera welcomed the Court’s conclusion: “The Supreme Court has put an end to the attempts to make this class and schools a political battlefield. Some political and social groups did not hesitate to create an artificial and sterile controversy with political ends, without caring about the quality of our youth’s education.” “I ask those parents who have prevented their children from attending the class to act responsibly and allow them back to the classroom,” she added.

It is not yet clear whether the children who have declined to attend the Education for Citizenship class will be required to start attending classes or whether they will be able to sit out until a final decision is reached.

 

January 20, 2009 10:00 ET | Updated: January 20, 2009 11:11 ET

View from Madrid: Viva Obama

Admiration for Barack Obama’s charisma and unprecedented enthusiasm at this historical moment of seeing an African-American President of the United States brought rare agreement among political analysts and columnists commenting in Spanish media on today’s inauguration. “Images move the world today and the icon of a black family in the White House contains so much positive energy that the history of humanity will never be able to escape it,” wrote novelist Manuel Vicent in El País.

Miguel Deya, a 69-year-old lawyer elaborated when he told GlobalPost that “his being black will be a confidence booster across the world for less fortunate people.”

“At Last” read the headline spanning the front page of left-leaning daily Público as it chimed in with the chorus of optimism surrounding the departure of George Bush and the arrival of Barack Obama. “Obama has already gained some ground, not only for his own merits, the way he manages citizens’ emotions, but also for succeeding George Bush,” said Cristina de la Hoz from the conservative daily ABC during a Telecinco TV debate.

“At least we’ll get along better with him than with Bush,” 51-year-old state employee Luisa Cabrera García told Global Post. “Our Prime Minister Zapatero had a sour relation with Bush, but Obama seems to be much more favorable towards Spain.”

Relations between Mr. Zapatero and George Bush have been non-existent since the Spanish prime minister decided to pull Spanish troops out of Iraq. The prospects of a better rapport with the new U.S. president are encouraging, as is the possibility of Spain’s acting as a mediator to facilitate relations between the United States and Latin America, particularly with Cuba.

In a radio interview yesterday Spain Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero said, “The world is hoping Obama will help solve its problems, and Spain is going to help Obama help everyone.”

While opinion-makers and folks we spoke to in Madrid concur that Mr. Obama’s first priority is the U.S. economy, anticipation is high on what his international relations policies and style will be. Alberto Pozas, director of Interviú magazine, ventured in a TVE debate, “Obama will put an end to the thumbs up-thumbs down unilateral decision making style of a Roman emperor and count on the help of friendly countries.”

Click here for more reaction from around the world.  

January 14, 2009 23:38 ET

A GQ prince

The January issue of GQ magazine in Spain features Felipe de Borbon, crown prince, on the cover, with the title “The XXI Century King.” In a black-and-white portrait, he frowns, with his hand on his jaw, in a gesture of deep reflection — or preoccupation.
 
Surveys show that a large majority of the people in this country believe the transition to democracy would not have been possible without the King, Felipe’s father, who was the designated successor to dictator Francisco Franco. Now that democracy is consolidated, some Spaniards are questioning the need for a Monarch people never voted for, while others defend the continuity of the King’s role as a symbol of unity.
 
Pilar Rahola is a journalist and politician who favors government by a republic. “I think it is an outdated institution, an amusement park where the interest is in finding out how to dress or how to act but that it makes no sense these days. To me, it’s something like a Jurassic Park.”
 
David Gistau, author and journalist, told GQ, “The monarchy will survive as long as it sticks to its institutional script, and the excesses, luxury, hunts, yachts, etc. go unnoticed.” 
 
Fashion designer Robert Verino said, “We have an excellent King that makes our monarchy unquestionable. For three reasons: Moral leadership, capacity for mediation, and extraordinary international prestige. As long as these continue, Monarchy has a long life assured in Spain.” 
 
Philosopher Fernando Savater said, “I would like [...] for don Felipe to be able to run as a candidate in an election held by a republic. I would probably vote for him.”