Welcome to the tuSPAIN weekly review of the Spanish media. Cristina Marquez Arroyo de Camihort has selected a wide range of articles covering general news about Spain, politics, business and culture. We also invite you to view the latest news from Spain (in Spanish) at the web sites of El Pais, El Mundo, ABC and El Periodico

NEWS REVIEW
10 - 17 November, 1996

• EUROPEAN UNION AND CUBA
• SPAIN and NATO
• THE THIRTEEN SPANISH SINS
• EU FINES SPAIN OVER FUNDS MYSTERY
• STUDENTS DEMONSTRATE
• CASTRO TO MEET POPE

EUROPEAN UNION AND CUBA

The European Union has accepted the terms of a proposal presented by Spain, making their co-operation with Cuba conditional on their process of democratisation.
The Spanish initiative to propose a stronger financial and humanitarian support to encourage Cuba to democratise Fidel Castro´s regime has received a favourable acceptance by the Group of the Fifteen. The complete membership agreed on the need of the European Union to present a common platform, promoting the respect for human rights, a political pluralism and the channelling of help through the Catholic Church and other private organisations. France was the only country to object, but did not reject the content of the proposal.
The Spanish proposal neither mentions nor limits the present economical relationship between the Group of the Fifteen with the Caribbean Island, but emphasises the fact that democratisation of the country must be the principal objective in the relations between the EU and Cuba. Therefore, greater commercial co-operation or the negotiation of a possible agreement of support with Havana must be encouraged to respect human rights and the political opening of the regime.
This initiative has been presented just before November 20th, when the official complaint from the EU against the Helms-Burton Law will be enforced at the International Commerce Organisation (OMC), after the expiration of the suspension period granted to the US. The European Union is determined to keep the litigious argument, even when it could be suspended temporarily if there is any indication of changes from Washington. The proposal, with an strong accent on the importance of centring the focus of the relations with Cuba in respect of human rights, is also clearly oriented to show Washington the commitment from the EU to the establishment of democracy in Cuba, and to the need for a common agreement on the Helms Burton Law.

SPAIN and NATO

By an overwhelming majority of votes, the Government of Jose Maria Aznar obtained the approval from the Congress to act on the procedures leading to a full integration of Spain in the renovated Atlantic Alliance, constituting 91 per cent of the Parliamentary members present at the session yesterday. With the only exception of the United Left (IU) and four members of the Mixed Group, the resolution agreed on by the Popular Party (PP) with the support of Socialist and the Basque and Catalonian Nationalists groups was approved.
The Canarian Coalition, which insisted up to the last minute on having the compromise to keep the Islands under Spanish rule included in the text, did not agree with the Executive Government and decided to abstain.
Among the representatives of the Spanish Workers Socialist Party (PSOE) who did not attend the session to vote "Yes" to the full integration of Spain in NATO, Antonio Garcia Santesmases who opposed the decision of his party, as he had already stated earlier. Joaquin Leguina and Jose Borrell were also absent. In total, the support of the Executive Chamber was 293 votes in favour, 23 against and 4 abstentions.
Representing the Socialist Group, Joaquin Almunia outlined that the support from the Spanish Workers Socialist Party (PSOE) was not a "blank check", but a mandate to negotiate at the headquarters of the Alliance and to go back to the Congress as deemed necessary to reconfirm the vast parliamentary support obtained yesterday.
Pablo Castellano, representative from the IU who voted against the proposal, reaffirmed that it is essential for his coalition to have a new referendum on the full integration of Spain into NATO, and also mentioned that it´s almost a fact that the North American forces will return to the bases left in Spain.
The Basque and Catalonian Nationalist Group, through their representatives Joaquin Nadal and Jose Juan Gonzales, insisted on the fact that Spain will keep their status as "non nuclear country", and on the benefits that the Armed Forces will obtain from entering into the new NATO.
Luis Mardones, representing the Canarian Coalition, made a last attempt with the aim of getting the following phrase incorporated into the text: "Consequently, Canarias will continue under Spanish military rule, as a warranty or defence of the peace status that the Canary Archipelago has sustained through history". Even when Aznar had expressed their commitment to keeping the Islands under Spanish rule in the future, Mardones insisted that it was indispensable to include the paragraph in the text.
The following are the five clauses of the resolution as approved:

1. To continue promoting the configuration of a new hierarchical structure that should be unique, as well as smaller and more flexible.
2. To confer to Spain hierarchical and operational responsibilities according to the country´s military contribution and political weight, especially in the areas of their strategic interests in the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean.
3. To reflect in the hierarchical structure of the Alliance the European standing on Security and Defence in a highly visible manner. 4. To take into consideration the legitimate security interests of each country in Central and East Europe, respecting their sovereign rights to participate, if they so decide, in the Atlantic Alliance under the same conditions than present members do.
5. To support the negotiations between NATO and Russia held to procure an stable Euro-Atlantic security framework.

THE THIRTEEN SPANISH SINS

Music, chocolate, cigarettes, shopping (not necessarily buying), coffee, sweets, candy, wine, dining out, beef, television and most of all, sex. David Warburton, a British researcher has developed an interesting research in the little things that puts some happiness in the life of Spaniards compared with their European counterparts.
He found some outstanding facts, such as while the majority of Europeans prefer to listen to their favourite music rather than having an evening full of passion, in Spain, the love affair takes always takes precedence, and the music, no matter how good, only takes second place.
The study, undertaken by means of 4000 interviews in eight different countries, shows that although there are only a few people in Spain who abstain from these pleasures of life, there are many Spaniards who feel remorse for doing so. "Forty seven percent of Spaniards interviewed stated that guilt prevents their enjoyment of pleasure", states the report of Arise, an organisation dedicated to the new "Science of Pleasure".
This is guilt factor causes depression, ulcer, heart disease and cerebral damage, according to Professor David Warburton, Director of the Department of Human Psyco-Pharmacology in the University of Reading, Great Britain.
According to Warburton, who held a press conference in Madrid last week, enjoying a cup of coffee, a glass of wine, a piece of chocolate or having sex, are relaxing activities which prevent stress. However, these are all pleasures that, in his opinion, sometimes "make people find themselves in a blind alley because of an unnecessary feeling of guilt which sabotages their healthy wellbeing".
Based on his data, collected in telephonic conversations, women manifested more remorse than men, but, when they get rid of this feeling and enjoy life more thoroughly. Taking both genders into consideration, only the Belgian and Dutch people are more conscious than the Spaniards about committing a "light sin".
Over 55% of Spanish tobacco addicts do not feel comfortable with their addiction. As 42% of those who procrastinate on exercising, 27% of those who drink too much alcohol or 27% of those who cannot resist cakes and other fattening foods, only half of those interviewed were attempting to control their desires.
The report places Spain and Germany amongst the lowest figures in the enjoyment of pleasure.
Not everyone was in agreement with the findings, and last week, the Spanish sociologist Malo de Molina reaffirmed his belief on the fact that "Spain is a country where people know how to enjoy life". Is it a coincidence? He stated that "No one has to feel guilty of falling for the good things in life".

EU FINES SPAIN OVER FUNDS MYSTERY

Spain, although with the highest rate of unemployment in the European Union is not taking sufficient care with EU funds earmarked to fight the problem, and will be penalised with a fine of 4,644 millions of pesetas from the European Social Fund (FSE). The European Commissioner for the Social Pact, Padrayg Flynn, travelled last week to Madrid to announce this punishment and to agree with Javier Arenas, Minister of Labour, on a more transparent system.
After long negotiations, the INEM (National Institute of Employment), has been unable to justify the use of 9,288 millions of pesetas, originally destined to improve the training of unemployed people during 1991. As a consequence of this failure, Arenas will accept a 50% reduction of the initial amount, which results in 4,644 millions pesetas, the part that was to be financed by the European Social Fund (FSE).
Both the previous Administration as the present Government have assured the Commission that the 9,288 millions has not been taken illegally, and that correspond to "real expenses coming from the INEM". They affirm that the money was used to "improve the quality of the training" and for "the education of beneficiaries". This is an euphemism that refers to the real task accomplished by the INEM in order to locate unemployed people who were unwilling to participate in further education after the remuneration to attend courses stopped.
The European Commission has stated that "It is not enough to explain why, from one year to the next, the cost per student increased by 60%, as the Spanish authorities want us to believe". They have not even provided lists with any detail of increased remuneration or conditions in the contracts of the teachers and professors.
Flynn considers that the cut in the European funding is "satisfactory to both parties". In reality, it could have been much worse, as the European Commission had blocked 195 millions of ecus (31,200 millions of pesetas), until the Spanish Government could provide an explanation of the irregularities. This amount, with the exception of the 4,644 millions already mentioned, will be now released after the agreement between Flynn and Arenas. Additionally, the Commission has decided not to audit the suspicious accounts from 1993, requesting from Arenas only a compromise to present more open and detailed accounts.
The fine is symbolic if compared, for example, to the 1,500 millions of ecus (240,000 millions of pesetas) that Spain will receive during this year from the FSE, but it is still startling in a country where only 37.2% of working age adults has some type of employment, according to the Eurostat statistics published last week.
Spain is the country that offers more problems to the FSE, with almost 543,7 millions of ecus (87,000 millions of pesetas) blocked for "INEM and the Foundation for Continuing Education (Forcem)". This Organisation, which is managed by Social Workers, has also presented some problems, but to date no irregularities have been found such as the illegal financing of unions or other organisations.

STUDENTS DEMO

Tens of thousands of Secondary School, BUP, COU and Professional Training students demonstrated against budget reductions responding to a strike call by the Students Union (Sindicato de Estudiantes), the Progressive Students (Estudiantes Progresistas) and a dozen other associations.
The demonstration, which took place in Madrid, ended with a 15 years old student being injored and another one arrested. Another four students were arrested in a similar demonstration held in Vigo. Eugenio Nasarre, General Secretary of Education, assessed the strike as a "failure". His Department estimated the success of the strike at 48.1% throughout the territory under their jurisdiction, while the organisers talk about more than 2 million students on the streets.
The students in the Middle School, who are between 13 and 19 years old, occupied the streets of the principal cities in the country, carrying banners with denunciations of the "policies of the PP which are an attack to Public Education" and calling for "more resources for the Institutes, more professors and teachers, and a higher quality Public Education".
Estimates of numbers participating in the Madrid demonstration varied widely, Police forces estimated 10,000, the Organisers 50,000 and the Department of Education 5,000. The demonstration marched through the Paseo de la Castellana to the Ministry of Education and Culture on the Alcala Street. There, they threw eggs, tomatoes and artichokes, as well as beer cans and stones.
"Less Ministers and more Teachers", "This is happening to us because of our reactionary government" and "Let´s have military budgets for education" were among the most popular chants heard. After an hour and a half of demonstration, the protesters confronted the Police forces, who restrained them with some violence in several instances.

Several representatives from some of the Unions attended the demonstrations in support of the students. The Spanish Workers Socialist Party (the Spanish Workers Socialist Party (PSOE), the United Left Party (IU) and the Confederation of Students Parents Organisations (CEAPA) have also stated their support for the students and have requested some action from the Government. The Students Union affirmed that, after the "success of the strike", they are considering a similar 48 hour demonstration

CASTRO TO MEET POPE

Next Tuesday, the 19 of November at 11 AM. The audience granted by the Pope to the Cuban dictator Fidel Castro has a time and date already inscribed in History. A brief official note, signed by Joaquin Navarro-Valls, the spokesman for the Holy See, confirmed the meeting to be held between the Pope who is responsible for the fall of the Berlin Wall and one of the last Communist dictators still in power. The meeting reinforces the possibility of a future trip of the Holy Father to Cuba.

The confirmation of the audience was announced fourteen hours after the arrival of the Pope to Rome, where he was to give a speech at the Summit of FAO. Up to last Friday, the Holy See had not confirmed that an audience had been requested for Mr. Castro, thus leading to speculation and rumours about the feasibility of such a meeting. The fact that Cardinal Jaime Ortega, Archbishop of Havana, left Rome, was considered an indication of the failure of the discussions.
However, the announcement by the Vatican has not cleared up the subject of privacy and secrecy of the audience, which will probably be held in the normal scenario for this type of events, which is the private Office of the Pope in the Apostolic Palace, whose window is used by His Holiness to recite the Angelus each Sunday morning.
The note from Navarro-Valls adds also that Mr. Castro will be received by the Secretary of State of the Vatican, Mr. Angel Sodano, after his meeting with Juan Pablo II. This is a routine procedure.
During his speech at the FAO Summit, the Pope has reaffirmed his position against the use of economical embargoes as political weapons, in an implicit reference to the Cuban case.