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| Spain's cultural fabric tearing apart as austerity takes its toll | Spain's cultural fabric tearing apart as austerity takes its toll |
| (3 days later) | |
| When Lisha Yan, a young London-based media executive, left her business dinner at the rooftop restaurant of Madrid's elegant Palacio de Cibeles on Wednesday night, she expected to enjoy walking through the elegant streets of a sophisticated European capital at night. | When Lisha Yan, a young London-based media executive, left her business dinner at the rooftop restaurant of Madrid's elegant Palacio de Cibeles on Wednesday night, she expected to enjoy walking through the elegant streets of a sophisticated European capital at night. |
| Instead Yan, 26, was hit by a rubber bullet. "We were walking to our taxis and all of a sudden people were running towards us and these big vans appeared," she said, still indignant two days later. "We heard loud shots. Then I felt something hit my knee and I realised that it was police firing rubber bullets at civilians in a public place." | Instead Yan, 26, was hit by a rubber bullet. "We were walking to our taxis and all of a sudden people were running towards us and these big vans appeared," she said, still indignant two days later. "We heard loud shots. Then I felt something hit my knee and I realised that it was police firing rubber bullets at civilians in a public place." |
| Armed and helmeted riot police rushed by, shouting at the shocked group of Asian executives she was with. "The police didn't care who they shot at. It was just outrageous," she said by phone from her wheelchair as she flew home with bad bruising on Thursday. "How can that happen?" | Armed and helmeted riot police rushed by, shouting at the shocked group of Asian executives she was with. "The police didn't care who they shot at. It was just outrageous," she said by phone from her wheelchair as she flew home with bad bruising on Thursday. "How can that happen?" |
| Riot police had been chasing demonstrators, some of them violent, who have protested outside the parliament buildings for the several days this week. But the response has often been heavy-handed and indiscriminate. | Riot police had been chasing demonstrators, some of them violent, who have protested outside the parliament buildings for the several days this week. But the response has often been heavy-handed and indiscriminate. |
| Yan's taste of the turmoil the economic crisis has brought to Spain is matched by the experience of many ordinary Spaniards. As unemployment hits 25% and keeps rising, parts of the country's fabric are beginning to tear. Half a million homes have no breadwinner. More than half of the under-25s and half of immigrants are jobless. And with one-third of them not qualifying for unemployment benefit, desperation is setting in. | Yan's taste of the turmoil the economic crisis has brought to Spain is matched by the experience of many ordinary Spaniards. As unemployment hits 25% and keeps rising, parts of the country's fabric are beginning to tear. Half a million homes have no breadwinner. More than half of the under-25s and half of immigrants are jobless. And with one-third of them not qualifying for unemployment benefit, desperation is setting in. |
| One of the alarming tendencies is the removal of old people from care homes, with families either unable to pay or simply desperate to have the stable, if meagre, income provided by a pension back in the house. Some 8,000-10,000 of the 240,000 people in private residential homes have returned to their families this year alone, according to the FED association of private care homes, which account for about 75% of private beds. | One of the alarming tendencies is the removal of old people from care homes, with families either unable to pay or simply desperate to have the stable, if meagre, income provided by a pension back in the house. Some 8,000-10,000 of the 240,000 people in private residential homes have returned to their families this year alone, according to the FED association of private care homes, which account for about 75% of private beds. |
| "We have particularly noticed people leaving since the beginning of the year, because even though they need the care we provide, their families have lost jobs, they can't afford their part of the payment or they simply need their grandparent's pension to live on," FED president José Alberto Echeverría said. | "We have particularly noticed people leaving since the beginning of the year, because even though they need the care we provide, their families have lost jobs, they can't afford their part of the payment or they simply need their grandparent's pension to live on," FED president José Alberto Echeverría said. |
| Government cuts to allowances and other support to carers in July as part of a fresh wave of social spending cuts have made life even harder – while public authorities that outsourced to private care homes were failing to pay their bills, with some €800m outstanding. "They are choking us," Echevarría said. | Government cuts to allowances and other support to carers in July as part of a fresh wave of social spending cuts have made life even harder – while public authorities that outsourced to private care homes were failing to pay their bills, with some €800m outstanding. "They are choking us," Echevarría said. |
| Almost all welfare sectors can tell similar stories. Hospital wards are being closed in Catalonia. Madrid's state schools have started the term with fewer teachers and some secondary schools have closed their science laboratories. | Almost all welfare sectors can tell similar stories. Hospital wards are being closed in Catalonia. Madrid's state schools have started the term with fewer teachers and some secondary schools have closed their science laboratories. |
| The Roman Catholic church's Caritas charity, which hands out food packages and other help from parish offices around the country, says it now looks after one million people, or one in fifty Spaniards. | The Roman Catholic church's Caritas charity, which hands out food packages and other help from parish offices around the country, says it now looks after one million people, or one in fifty Spaniards. |
| "People need us for longer and longer and our resources are stretched to breaking point," said Caritas boss Sebastian Mora. "We are deeply shocked by a crisis that keeps on growing and by the speed and extent to which things are getting worse." | "People need us for longer and longer and our resources are stretched to breaking point," said Caritas boss Sebastian Mora. "We are deeply shocked by a crisis that keeps on growing and by the speed and extent to which things are getting worse." |
| In some neighbourhoods of Madrid, nervous men now scuttle from bin to bin at night looking for food. A legion of unemployed tries to make extra money by fishing through recycling bins in cities across the country. And as Spain becomes poorer, squabbling over increasingly scarce resources becomes ever more bitter. | In some neighbourhoods of Madrid, nervous men now scuttle from bin to bin at night looking for food. A legion of unemployed tries to make extra money by fishing through recycling bins in cities across the country. And as Spain becomes poorer, squabbling over increasingly scarce resources becomes ever more bitter. |
| Spain's 17 regional governments, which are charged with delivering health, education and other welfare services, are struggling to cut their deficits – afraid of the impact on local populations. "They treat us like subjects, not partners," complains Andreu Mas-Colell, finance boss for the regional government of Catalonia. | Spain's 17 regional governments, which are charged with delivering health, education and other welfare services, are struggling to cut their deficits – afraid of the impact on local populations. "They treat us like subjects, not partners," complains Andreu Mas-Colell, finance boss for the regional government of Catalonia. |
| In relatively wealthy Catalonia, age-old tensions are being revealed again by the crisis. As Catalans become increasingly convinced that they pay too much to poorer regions while seeing cuts applied at home, a surge in separatist sentiment is driving the region into a head-on collision with central government. | In relatively wealthy Catalonia, age-old tensions are being revealed again by the crisis. As Catalans become increasingly convinced that they pay too much to poorer regions while seeing cuts applied at home, a surge in separatist sentiment is driving the region into a head-on collision with central government. |
| "Look at this – in Catalonia it would be twice the price," said Carlos Heras, a Barcelona bus driver who travelled to Madrid to protest against cuts recently, as he pointed at one of he capital's parking meters. "Catalonia pays too much for what it gets back. We would be much better off if we were on our own." | "Look at this – in Catalonia it would be twice the price," said Carlos Heras, a Barcelona bus driver who travelled to Madrid to protest against cuts recently, as he pointed at one of he capital's parking meters. "Catalonia pays too much for what it gets back. We would be much better off if we were on our own." |
| But Maria Eugenia Ruy, an unemployment office worker from the Catalan industrial town of Sabadell, complained: "I don't like nationalists of any kind, whether they are in Catalonia or Madrid. They wrap themselves up in the flag. Just like Hitler." | But Maria Eugenia Ruy, an unemployment office worker from the Catalan industrial town of Sabadell, complained: "I don't like nationalists of any kind, whether they are in Catalonia or Madrid. They wrap themselves up in the flag. Just like Hitler." |
| Flag-wrapping reached a new peak this week as Catalan nationalists vowed to hold a referendum on independence or the other options for changing the region's relationship with the rest of Spain – and central government vowed to stop them. | Flag-wrapping reached a new peak this week as Catalan nationalists vowed to hold a referendum on independence or the other options for changing the region's relationship with the rest of Spain – and central government vowed to stop them. |
| "There are legal instruments to stop this," said deputy prime minister Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría, of the conservative People's party (PP) government, pointing out that the government could apply to the constitutional court for a ban. "And there is a government that is prepare to use them." | "There are legal instruments to stop this," said deputy prime minister Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría, of the conservative People's party (PP) government, pointing out that the government could apply to the constitutional court for a ban. "And there is a government that is prepare to use them." |
| But the row over Catalan separatism supplies both the government in Madrid and the regional government in Barcelona with an excuse not to talk about the real problem – Spain's inability to grow its economy . | But the row over Catalan separatism supplies both the government in Madrid and the regional government in Barcelona with an excuse not to talk about the real problem – Spain's inability to grow its economy . |
| Cuts are tearing through Spain's cultural fabric, too. Public museums such as Madrid's El Prado gallery have had budgets slashed by two-thirds in just four years. | Cuts are tearing through Spain's cultural fabric, too. Public museums such as Madrid's El Prado gallery have had budgets slashed by two-thirds in just four years. |
| Spain's caja savings banks, whose profits once funded everything from museums to daycare centres, have now also largely disappeared, victims of politically appointed management boards that indulged in a frenzy of lending before the country's housing bubble burst, leaving them overwhelmed by toxic real estate loans. | Spain's caja savings banks, whose profits once funded everything from museums to daycare centres, have now also largely disappeared, victims of politically appointed management boards that indulged in a frenzy of lending before the country's housing bubble burst, leaving them overwhelmed by toxic real estate loans. |
| A report on Friday was expected to reveal that the cajas, now transformed into ordinary banks, and other banks would need up to ¤60bn from the eurozone rescue funds to plug the hole. | A report on Friday was expected to reveal that the cajas, now transformed into ordinary banks, and other banks would need up to ¤60bn from the eurozone rescue funds to plug the hole. |
| The economy is set to shrink this year and next. Yet on Thursday the government announced a budget that includes another round of spending cuts – which will do nothing to aid growth. | The economy is set to shrink this year and next. Yet on Thursday the government announced a budget that includes another round of spending cuts – which will do nothing to aid growth. |
| As this week's protests and moves towards Catalan secession have shown, Spain's social and political fabric cannot cope with much more pain. | As this week's protests and moves towards Catalan secession have shown, Spain's social and political fabric cannot cope with much more pain. |
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