Sadly, we didn’t have to wait long for my prediction of yesterday to come true. Last night more than 500 Africans besieged Spain’s other enclave in Northern Africa, leaving 2 dead and up to 40 injured. The suspicion is things are being orchestrated by Morocco, which claims both territories, and with whom Spain has a number of ‘issues’.

Ironically, as thousands of Africans are trying to break into Spain, Catalunia is hell bent on breaking out. Yesterday, after much wrangling, the local political parties agreed the draft of a new Statute determining the region’s relationship with the Spanish state. Amongst a number of ‘provocations’ are provisions averring Catalunia is a nation and everyone there has not just a right but also an obligation to speak Catalunian. So, the region is now on full collision course with the government. Perhaps, then, it’s appropriate the Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on the Constitution is called Guerra. Or ‘War’.

And of course there’s another bit of Iberia [apart from Portugal, that is] which is currently out of Spain and is determined to stay out – Gibraltar. At times, things must look very confusing from Madrid. Especially as Spain is the most fervent supporter of a European superstate that seems to be falling apart faster than Spain itself. Who’d be a politician?

The Spanish economy continues to surge ahead, growing by over 3% at the moment. But below the surface there are worrying trends. The current account deficit is growing at an alarming rate and Spain has just been downgraded from 23rd to 29th position in the list of competitive economies, behind countries like Estonia, Chile and Malaysia. Spanish interest rates are far too low in the context of its economic challenges but, of course, as a member of Euroland, there’s nothing the government can do about this. Perhaps we will eventually see the United States of Spain as a member of the United States of Europe.

I would have said the attitude to time [‘What’s that?’] and Spaniards’ aversion to dealing other than face-to-face were major impediments to international competitiveness but I can’t right now as I’ve just had a new satellite box delivered less than 2 days after I ordered it by internet from a UK company. My magazines, on the other hand, take over a week. Though it’s true I don’t pay 23 quid each for these to be couriered to me.