Blog #European Union

From the end of the Civil War in 1939 through to the demise of Franco's fascist dictatorship on his death in 1975, Spain was most definitely a 3rd-world country. Following Spain's return to being a monarchy in 1975 and, from 1977, a constitutional democracy, there was hope that things would improve. The borders opened and from 1986 Spain became a member of the European Union.

According to the highly regarded British newspaper, The Guardian, Spain is “a progressive beacon in dark times”. In an editorial published on Wednesday 26 February 2025, the paper claimed that Pedro Sánchez’s Socialist-led government has welcomed immigration and boosted public spending, with stellar results. Read on to find out more.

The Olive Press has recently published an article about five less well-known places away from the popular big cities, like Barcelona, Granada, Madrid, Málaga, Sevilla, and Valencia. The choices are good ‘uns. I’ve been to all five. Here’s what I think: