It’s official – Britain’s crime rate is the highest in the EU – only bested/worsted in some categories by Ireland. Spain’s, on the other hand, is among the lowest. Interestingly, the report from the UN says the only factor correlating with high crime is excessive alcohol consumption. Which rather endorses the decision of the Spanish government to do something about ballooning teenage boozing before it’s too late.

Ahead of a friendly soccer match tomorrow between Spain and England, a black ex-England player [Ian Wright] has criticised UEFA for not sufficiently punishing the Spanish coach for racist comments he made a year or so ago. Wright suggested the Spanish were surely ashamed of him. Hmmm . . ‘fraid not, Ian. Here he’s just seen as a good bloke who speaks his mind and who can’t be a racist because his comments are not intended to hurt anyone. It’s just you being over-sensitive. . . But things could well change after the dialogue which follows the about-to escalate urban violence between local and South American gangs. Which, of course, won’t do much for Spain’s low crime figures.

After a large anti-ETA demonstration in Madrid last weekend, the government has accused the opposition of arrogating to itself the national flag and anthem. It turns out the latter was introduced during the Franco dictatorship and was not replaced by a new anthem during the Transition. Right now, this is possibly contributing to the increasingly fractious nature of Spanish national and local politics, where ‘traditional’ extreme stances appear to be the order of the day. So, probably a mistake, in retrospect. Incidentally, the words of the anthem were penned by one of the few intellectuals to stay in Spain during Franco’s regime but the Spanish prefer not to sing them. Which possibly proves my point.

As someone has said, it’s one of life’s great ironies that a people as talkative as the Spanish choose to stay silent at a time when most people sing their hearts out.

Galicia Facts

The Xunta has said it’s planning huge fines for those who dump mattresses and the like in the street. It would be nice to know the revenue would go towards a municipal dump for household rubbish. Failing this, I fear this development bodes badly for the forest tracks behind my house.

I’m a little confused by statements from the President of the Galician right-of-centre PP party. While confirming his opposition to references to ‘nationalist sentiment’ or the like in the new Constitution, he’s also said that there’s no need to go so far as Andalucia and confirm the ‘indissolubility of the Spanish state’. I wonder why not? Perhaps saying both would break the logjam.


This blog received 250 hits yesterday but I’m not letting it go to my head. It has less to do with a burning interest in Galician nationalism than a prurient interest in seeing pictures – preferably nude – of the ex-squeeze of the ex-coach of the English football team. It appears she’s been prostituting herself in London for 4,000 quid an hour. Frankly, I’d do it myself for that. But I was a lawyer.

Finally, I’m about to start my blog for El Reportero Digital, a national newspaper with local variants. This has got me wondering why – after 3 years of writing about Galicia – I’ve not been contacted by any of the 5 or 6 local papers. Does this amount to arrogance? Actually, I’ve no wish to be interviewed or featured. I have to beat off enough women as it is.