Episode Details

🇪🇸 Spain Today brings you the key national and international news headlines:

Prime Minister Sánchez Addresses UN General Assembly

At the United Nations General Assembly, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez issued a stark warning against “selfish, ignorant, and cruel” world leaders, delivering a veiled critique of Donald Trump and directly confronting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over Gaza. Sánchez reiterated Spain’s refusal to raise military spending to 5%, highlighting the country's arms embargo on Israel and sanctions against Russia. To strengthen global governance, he advocated for reforming the UN Security Council to end member vetoes, regulating artificial intelligence, and nominating a Latin American woman as the next UN Secretary-General. Addressing the situation in Ceuta following the arrival of 80,000 irregular migrants, Sánchez affirmed that Spain will respect human rights rather than turning migrants into enemies.

Parliamentary Disruption Over Pepper Spray Incident

Spain's Congress of Deputies experienced intense debate after PP MP Ana Belén Vázquez displayed a canister of pepper spray to recriminate Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska over Ceuta's security situation. Congress President Francina Armengol ordered Vázquez to leave the plenary floor, enforcing parliamentary rules against displaying unauthorized weapons. Police subsequently cordoned off three parliamentary bathrooms where pepper spray content was discharged, causing 12 people to be treated and leaving one staff member on sick leave. A PP advisor later admitted to activating the canister in a bathroom while attempting to clean it.

Constitutional Court Endorses Franco-Spanish Friendship Treaty

Spain’s Constitutional Court unanimously validated the Bilateral Friendship and Cooperation Treaty with France, signed in January 2023. The court dismissed a challenge brought by the Senate, ruling that provisions allowing ministerial participation in government meetings occur “on the margins” in separate sessions and comply with the Constitution. Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares praised the ruling, stressing the treaty's strategic value for bilateral trade and the 330,000 Spanish residents living in France.

OECD Upgrades Spain’s Economic Growth Outlook

The OECD’s latest economic report has revised Spain’s 2026 GDP growth forecast upward to 2.6%, almost tripling the 1% growth projected for the broader Eurozone. Despite strong economic performance, the report raised Spain's projected inflation rate to 3.7% for 2026 and 3.4% for 2027. The OECD highlighted key global risk factors—including Middle East conflicts, a 95% probability of a strong El Niño climate event, and potential bottlenecks in artificial intelligence investments—and advised central banks to keep rate increases on the table if inflation persists.