The Spanish have been surveyed on their level of confidence in public institutions. With all the usual caveats, here’s how they voted - in declining levels of trust:-
Universities
The National Research Council
Ecological associations
Non-governmental organisations such as Greenpeace
Spanish companies
Medics
Spanish courts
The EU Commission
The United Nations
The Spanish government
Multinational companies
The Roman Catholic Church

And here’s the list of the of their level of trust in various ‘professionals’:-
Doctors
Scientists
Ecologists
Artists
The police
The military
Judges
State prosecutors
Journalists
Business managers
Civil servants
Priests
Politicians

And the subject in which the Spanish have least interest? Why, Politics. But at least it’s consistent with their opinion of their politicians.

Quite why Spanish companies would rate highly [and so much better than multinational companies] is a bit of a mystery to me. Haven’t they heard of Telefonica? And I’d be rather worried if I were a Spanish Cardinal.

Finally on this, it’s worrying to know the Spanish think more of their police than their judges.

I wrote the other day that The Spanish Dream is an un-taxing civil servant job in the place where you were born. The Galician Xunta now offers this prospect to even more people than before. It’s decided to open the ranks of D and E funcionarios to 16 year olds, as against 18 previously. The Voz de Galicia’s take on this was a before-and-after cartoon, showing an idle and bored kid first at his school desk and then at his office desk.

The EU governments are to debate the new Treaty-which-isn’t-a- Constitution between now and September, so that signatures can be applied in October. However, the only text available is in French and all the translations won’t be available until . . . . December. This is because “Normal EU rules stipulating that documents must at least be in German, French and English have been suspended”. Well, what would you expect? At least the English version is promised for August, though the British parliament will be on its summer recess by then. Probably all just an unfortunate coincidence.

I’ve put my name down for next year’s Tour de France. I expect to be pretty much last in the initial stages but, being clean of any type of drug, am confident I’ll be the only one left in the race by the end. Assuming it ever takes place again.

After 2 months of horse-trading, the Socialist and Nationalist parties are close to agreeing a municipal administration for the city of Pontevedra. I’m not sure the electorate thought they were voting for a suspension of urban management but, hey, it’s summer and the roadworks are never finished in time for the influx of tourists. As for Navarra, who knows.

Galician Weather Note: The Atlantic Blanket did disappear by late morning yesterday and we had another lovely day down here in the Rias Baixas. And today’s very promising. Book now to avoid disappointment.