The seventh regularisation of undocumented migrants in 40 years exposes the need for greater migratory policy planning More than 500,000 undocumented migrants and asylum seekers in Spain will begin to request legal status under a decree law.

Spain’s seventh process of immigration regularisation, which is expected to grant legal status to at least 500,000 undocumented migrants, contrasts with the anti-migration policies and xenophobic rhetoric seen across Europe.
✍️ William Chislett #InsideSpain
www.realinstitutoelcano.org/en/commentar...

King Juan Carlos, Spain’s extraordinary ambassador The role played by the king in ending Spain’s international isolation and bringing it onto the global stage has received scant attention.

“Juan Carlos’s personal relations at the highest level, many of them established long before he became head of state, stood him in good stead in smoothing away many problems”.
✍️ William Chislett | #InsideSpain
www.realinstitutoelcano.org/en/commentar...

Upsides and downsides as Spain’s population reaches 50 million This year Spain’s population is expected to reach 50 million inhabitants, almost entirely due to net international migration.

Although immigration is helping to mitigate the ageing of the population and secure the sustainability of pensions, Spain’s demographic shift could place growing pressure on public finances.
✍️ William Chislett | #InsideSpain
www.realinstitutoelcano.org/en/commentar...

Spain’s parliamentary monarchy has served the country well In a divided country like Spain, the parliamentary monarchy serves as a unifying force and a symbol of stability.

“Why take an unnecessary leap in the dark when the parliamentary monarchy has proved its worth and is not a problem?”
✍️ William Chislett. #InsideSpain

Spain’s parliamentary monarchy has served the country well In a divided country like Spain, the parliamentary monarchy serves as a unifying force and a symbol of stability.

Of the 25 countries classified as ‘full democracies’ in the 2024 democracy index of the #EIU, including Spain, 11 are parliamentary monarchies. Monarchy acts as a unifying force and a symbol of stability.
✍️ William Chislett. #InsideSpain
www.realinstitutoelcano.org/en/commentar...

Fifty years on from Franco: seemingly surprising support for the dictatorship One in five young adults view the Franco dictatorship as ‘very good’ or ‘good’, although they did not experience it.

Is disaffection with democracy a growing trend among young adults in Spain? A lack of affordable housing and disinformation on social media may be fuelling increasingly unfavourable views of democracy.
✍️ William Chislett | #InsideSpain
www.realinstitutoelcano.org/en/commentar...

Spain and the UK deepen bilateral ties within a strategic framework The UK-EU agreement on Gibraltar has unlocked a road map for greater cooperation between Spain and Britain.

Spain was the only one of the four major EU economies without a bilateral agreement with the UK—until last month, when both countries signed a strategic framework.
✍️ William Chislett #InsideSpain
www.realinstitutoelcano.org/en/commentar...

Climate change takes its toll on Spain Spain’s average daily high temperature has risen nearly 2ºC over the past 50 years, marking a significant shift in climate trends.

Spain is particularly vulnerable to #climatechange. Over the past 30 years Spain has been one of the 20 countries most affected by climate change and average daily high temperature has risen by close to 2ºC since 1975.
✍️ William Chislett | #InsideSpain
www.realinstitutoelcano.org/en/commentar...

Spain under pressure to spend more on defence Spain’s defence expenditure is the lowest among the 32 NATO members. The government is finding it politically difficult to increase it.

Parliamentary approval for increased defence spending in Spain remains uncertain, as the Prime Minister faces domestic opposition.
✍️ William Chislett. #InsideSpain