I'm not sure I believe this but it was reported yesterday that a survey of Spanish young people showed they were averse to working with the following groups of people, in the cited percentages:-
Gypsies - 67%
Moroccans - 64%
Jews - 57%
East Europeans 49%
Latin Americans - 44%
Asians - 43%
North Americans - 29%
Western Europeans - 23%
I mean, do as many as 23% of young Spaniards really object to working with Western Europeans? And as few as 29% to sharing an office with an American?

I wonder if it would be possible to pick a worse moment to try to discuss and modify the system for financing the regions than when both central and local administrations are suffering a catastrophic fall in tax revenue. It's certainly true that Madrid has shown once again that, while it's not possible to please all the people all the time, you can surely displease them all at the same time.

El País tells us today that the government - harshly criticised by even this left-of-centre paper for doing little in the face of the economic downturn/crisis - has decided on the bold step of calling a congress of economic experts so they can discuss things in the round and come up with some good advice. I can think of no greater recipe for doubt and indecision. Not to mention analysis paralysis. On the one hand . . . . . But on the other . . .

Galicia Facts

All three political parties have reacted badly both to the government's publication of 'national solidarity' balances and to the Finance Minister's proposal for a new system of financing the regions. The President of the Galician Nationalist Party has gone so far as to claim it's all a fabrication to try to show that Galicia is a region of malingering beggars. Of course, the real problem is that everyone wants what Cataluña wants. And Cataluña wants more.


Finally - and boringly - I'm still having problems with my computer. A corrupt registry, apparently. The machine functions and I appear to have all my files but several programs have ceased to function and won't re-install. Any advice very welcome.