With sometimes a rich mentality of nouveau

The first proponent of the country (Martinsa Fadesa) in cessation of payments while one of the major giants of the MGB (Sacyr) debate with more debt of EUR 18 billion... The bursting of the bubble, married to the international crisis, made serious damage in Spain. Finish the easy money. Companies such as individuals are now forced to tighten their belts. This is felt in investment and consumer spending. This year, auto sales should fall by more than 30...

The Spanish flu won all sectors. Like "The animals sick of the plague", of Jean de la Fontaine, "all does not die but all were affected." The Spain, which has registered negative growth ( 0.2), between July and September, for the first time for 15 years, is called to a severe recession. The OECD figure 0.9 decline in its gross domestic product (GDP) next year. More catastrophic economic service of savings (Funcas) table on a fall of 1.5, with a number of unemployed which will affect 4 million people (18 of the active population), in 2010, against 2.8 million today. Public accounts deficit represents, according to Funcas, 4.3 of GDP year next and 5.4 the following year.

To these forecasts, challenged only on the margin, two compete. As of the optimists, according to which the Spain has already experienced a real estate crisis in the past and that the banking system is better prepared than ever to deal with this type of situation. They add that the Spanish economy lives most of the construction and tourism but also renewable energy, biotechnology, telecoms and finance with international champions such as Iberdrola, Telefonica and Santander. Pessimists argue for their part that the Spanish real estate is finished with the golden age and that the solvency of the Spanish banking system will be seriously damaged by the current crisis. The relief asked, according to them, years of effort.

The OECD, which is concerned about the loss of competitiveness of the country, turn in this sense. Evidenced by the magnitude of the reforms that it advocates: it market of labour, considered too rigid; education and training, which are not standards, or the system of competition, where are still too many obstacles... Taking advantage of a favourable tax system, Spanish firms were able to start the conquest of Europe, doing low hand, in recent years, a number of companies (Scottish Power, O2, Abbey National, etc.). But reciprocity is not necessarily the rule. The melodrama surrounding the recent speculation capitalistic Endesa, Iberdrola, Bankinter and other Repsol evidenced.

Business is still not cut cord with power, regardless of its colour. In the matter, the Spain, who is deeply "liberal" since the "revolution" Aznar, is similar to the France of the 1980s. The "hard cores" and more or less disguised State interventionism. It is still his family business. Regulators have little power. Apart from the Bank of Spain, who managed to impose his voice, others fail to be heard. The Constable of the stock market is disarmed and the place of Madrid sometimes takes place speeds "exotic" open to rumours and manipulation of course.

The Zapatero government is far from sharing the assertions of the OECD as the market flexibility of labour, insured, according to him, by 30 of the workforce working with contracts to term. Satisfied for the rest of the need to fight against bureaucracy, to review its educational system, to promote R & D and increase competition does it in applying the directive on services, has however free hand to act. Today, most of these areas fall within the prerogatives of the 17 autonomous communities that make up the country. Transfers made in recent years is that the world of the distribution is now facing as many standards as there are regions. And that education and economic development, each draws on his side. In Catalonia, the study of the Castilian has thus been relegated to second, both primary as secondary...

In 15 years of uninterrupted growth, the Spain has changed profoundly. It welcomed more than 4.5 million immigrants will have to manage in a time of soaring unemployment. It is a completely shadowed problem previously. The country has also become more individualistic. With sometimes a rich mentality of "nouveau". Solidarity has become blurred. The water war, between the communities, is a fine example. And, in this context, the crisis looms as a great meet challenge.