All the Galician political parties have buried their differences to reject in unison the government's new model for financing the regions. If they were a lone voice, I guess they'd count for little but, as it is, there are much more powerful common-interest groups screaming rejection from the rooftops. Cataluña and Valencia, for example. Oh, and everybody else. I guess it helps distract us all from the dire economic news of every morning.

All of which tends to highlight the validity of this comment in one of today's papers - The axis around which the political dialectic now revolves here is no longer that of Left and the Right but of the Centre and the Periphery. The big loser being solidarity, of course. No wonder they're worried in Galicia. And doubtless in Estremadura and Andalucia.

80% of voters in Germany are said to favour Obama for US president. This is part of the great European anti-Bush love-in with this candidate and I'm left wondering how many of them know how much his policies differ from those of the domestic party they favour. On Spanish radio this morning, a [female] commentator included 'handsome' in her list of his qualities. My initial reaction was to reject this as equivalent to a male Argentinean suggesting Mrs Kirchner was fit to rule because she was, well . . . fit. But I concluded that, if handsome really just meant televisual, then this was fair comment in our times. Not so Mr Brown in the UK.

The Spanish government has held out a branch to those most deserving of drowning souls - the property developers. As of September, the state will be buying up land upon which to build more protected properties. Let's hope these, at least, are subsequently sold at the right price and to the right people. But who'd bet on it?

Galicia Facts

I guess it's inevitable that the EU Commissioner for Transport would be interested in the development of Spain's railways and, for what it's worth, his/her view is that it won't reach Ourense in Galicia until 2013. The date in the Galicia Plan is 2010; the politicians insist on 2102; and an independent panel of engineer recently suggested 2016. I can't remember what my last bet was but I think I might revise it - outwards.

I can't say I've seen any evidence that anyone will be penalised for delays of up to 10 years in getting the AVE high-speed link up and running here in Galicia. The attitude seems to be a lesson in the 3 Rs - Retrasos, Resignación and Retranca.

According to El País, more than a third of Galicia's estate agents [realtors] have gone bust in the last year. One can only hope so but the figure came from their trade association, which has something of a vested interest in publishing sob stories. Not that I don't believe them, of course.

A local Nationalist organisation is to set up a rival manifesto to the El Mundo one calling for the equal treatment of Spanish throughout the country. This will demand equal treatment for Gallego. Chance would be a fine thing. I'd be very happy if I could choose what language the Xunta wrote to me in. Maybe it's Galician retranca again.