With the Spanish economy teetering on a precipice, the ruling government of conservative Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy announced new austerity measures—a move that triggered mass protests in the country’s capital.
Spain
Why Catalonia Isn’t Likely to Leave Spain Anytime Soon
Immense legal and economic roadblocks lie in the way of any move toward independence. And then of course, there are the politicians.
Barcelona Warns Madrid: Pay Up, or Catalonia Leaves Spain
Hundreds of thousands march for Catalan independence as economic pressure boosts secessionist sentiment
The Ecce Homo Dilemma: Spain Puzzles over an Art Disaster Gone Viral
After a failed restoration job made international front pages, conservationists, art critics and tourism officials all have their opinion on what to do with the fresco
Must-Reads from Around the World
In today’s offerings: Live bullfighting returns to Spanish television after a six year absence, Hong Kong’s top official attempts to find more affordable housing in one the world’s most expensive cities, and Quebec’s newly …
In Autumn’s Challenges, a Series of Existential Crises for the Euro
The fate of the euro will be repeatedly tested in coming weeks, as the European Central Bank, markets, legal experts and politicians all weigh in from opposing sides in the struggle to preserve the tormented common currency
French President Hollande Embarks on His Own Mission Impossible
Under fire for not moving faster to mend France’s economy, Socialist President François Hollande is both pushing for further stimulus spending while also trying to slash budgets.
How France Is a Microcosm for the Euro-Zone Crisis
Renewed urban violence in France and continuing instability of the euro offer reminders that economic disparities and widening divisions can only be remedied through the difficult work of integration
Spain’s Creative Protests: Flamenco Flash Mobs and Supermarket Robin Hoods
Angry demonstrations are one thing, but the irate in Spain are stomping their flamenco heels at banks and robbing supermarkets to give to the poor
Europe’s Good News: Economic Decline Is Bad, but Could Be Worse
A flurry of new economic data in Europe indicates that the slide of the euro zone toward recession isn’t as rapid as some had expected — though it is still steady enough to represent a major threat to the global economy
Why France’s Socialists Won’t Kill Sarkozy’s Internet Piracy Law
Underfunding enforcement may be preferable to reversing the law for a Socialist Party that needs the support of a left-leaning entertainment industry
A Continent on Fire
As countries across Europe’s Mediterranean rim reel from a crippling debt crisis, a summer of harsh weather has added on the woes and the heat, sparking wildfires from Portugal to Greece
Austerity May Begin to Toll for France As Well
A big French carmaker makes painful cuts even as it grows increasingly clear that Hollande may have to inflict austerity on France.