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Our guest this week is William Chislett, who first came to Spain as a correspondent for The Times in the 1970s and who now works with the Elcano Royal Institute. (Full version for patrons pledging more than $10/month here) We talk about: Andalusia elections, 12 seats for Vox “from nowhere”, PSOE losses, demise of Susana Díaz, change of power after 40 years of socialist rule, coalition horse trading (PP-Cs-Vox, Cs-PP-PSOE), Spain’s lack of coalition governments at the national level, labels for Vox (far-right, fascist, alt-right, national populist), should Sánchez call an early general election now or wait?   Spain since the Transition, “another planet”, “completely unrecognisable”, 40-year cycles, the Constitution, dictatorship to democracy, economic underpinnings, autarky to an open market economy, historical memory, population, health and well-being, institutional stability, what worked in the 1970s that is missing today, what would happen if King Felipe were run over by a bus? Economic factors, the creation of the middle class, income inequality, the Spanish economic miracle, Spanish middle class created in Franco era, aspirations vs. reality, political gridlock, rise of populist parties and economics, life expectancy, population improvements, ageing, dependency and future pension problems, unemployment, education levels and school drop-out rates, temporary contracts, construction vs. tourism, tourism risks as North Africa ticks up again, ideas for change, lack of political consensus,  Gibraltar, sovereignty, co-sovereignty, Gibraltar and Brexit Catalan separatist propaganda and the image of Spain abroad, Catalan crisis, possible solutions, recentralisation Differences between Spain in 1936 and Spain now …if you are already a patron at or above the $10 a month level, please click through to the extra section just for you now, to enjoy the rest of this conversation with William, as he answers your questions about how Spain is changing. If you’re not, please become a patron now or increase your pledge a little bit. Thank you very much for listening and for guaranteeing independent Spain journalism with your . Every reader counts.

Our guest this week is Charles Powell (@CharlesTPowell), who is the director of the Royal Elcano Institute. We talk about all of this: The “Age of Perplexity”, long-term global trends, populism, technology, economy, inequality, US vs. China, Trump, the world that Spain exists within, Spain vs. other countries, other countries’ vision of Spain Italy and Europe, Macron, Merkel, the eurozone, Spain’s role in Europe, (the lack of) Spanish leadership in Europe, Spaniards and the European dream, political ambition in Spain, Rajoy vs. Sánchez in Europe, Brexit, would Europe survive the re-election of Trump? Transition Spain, 1980s, 1990s Spain vs. 2018 Spain, long-term economic and political problems and trends in Spain, trying to explain Spain to the world, the “obsolete” 1978 Constitution, inequalities among Spanish regions, recentralisation.  Domestic challenges, Catalonia, last year’s Catalan crisis, the trial of Catalan separatists, unemployment, the financial crisis, constitutional crisis, “almost impossible” constitutional reform, regional finance, federalism, nation of nations, national identity, immigration, two-party vs. four-party politics, what to do with two million Catalan separatist voters?  Liberal democracy, illiberal or authoritarian democracy, national populism, global structures and alliances, supranational governance, nation states, member states, sovereignty, a new international order, Dani Rodrik’s trilemma (economic globalisation, national sovereignty, democracy), pooling sovereignty,  Thank you for listening: please become a patron now. Your guarantees the future of independent journalism and helps tell the world the truth about how Spain is really changing.

Our guest this week is Graham Keeley (@grahamkeeley), who is the correspondent in Spain for The Times of London. We talk about: The plot to kill the Prime Minister The social and political situation in Catalonia, where Graham lives Graham’s experience interviewing Raul Romeva in Lledoners prison As well as…Brexit and Spain, and the mortgage tax mess at the Supreme Court If you have any comments or questions, just leave them on here or on Twitter or send me an e-mail. Enjoy the podcast, and thank you very much for your , however much you contribute. Every reader really does count.

at $10/month or more to listen to the full version.Our guest this week is Graham Keeley (@grahamkeeley), who is the correspondent in Spain for The Times of London. We talk about: The plot to kill the Prime Minister The social and political situation in Catalonia, where Graham lives Graham’s experience interviewing Raul Romeva in Lledoners prison As well as…Brexit and Spain, and the mortgage tax mess at the Supreme Court If you have any comments or questions, just leave them on here or on Twitter or send me an e-mail. Enjoy the podcast, and thank you very much for your , however much you contribute. Every reader really does count. at $10/month or more to listen to the full version.

at $10/month or more to listen to the full version.A good, long conversation on Spain for you today with James Badcock (@jpfbadcock), who writes for the BBC, The Telegraph and the LA Times. We talk about: Reporting on Spain for British and American audiences Trying to explain the complexities of the Catalan crisis to the world Political stories vs. legal stories, different legal systems Rebellion and 25-year jail sentences, rebellion vs. sedition Separatist "sophistry", propaganda, lack of realism, bluff, expectations The separation of powers and political options for the future What will the Catalan independence movement do next? Will there be another declaration of independence? Why has the focus shifted to the prisoners? Franco, Franco's tomb, the red bird, Valley of the Fallen, Almudena Cathedral The Vatican, family negotiations. Sánchez bogged down, will the PSOE lose patience? Elections in Andalusia, "bitchy" regional politics, elections in 2019, political stagnation Will Podemos overtake the PSOE, or Ciudadanos the PP, next year? The rise, or not, of Vox and the fight for the Spanish right, European elections Princess Leonor, the future of the monarchy, the abdication and the constitution Is the monarchy in Spain a strong institution or would another republic still be possible? Reader Questions at $10/month or more to listen to the full version. I put your questions to our guest directly. This week, James answers: Are English-speaking media biased or anti-Spain in their reporting? Is there always a lack of time to explain complex situations properly? Will the imprisonment of Catalan separatists weaken or strengthen for independence? When will the EU react against Spain's "violations of human rights"? The issues of jail on remand, jury trials and media reporting in Spain What would happen if a region of the UK suddenly became separatist? Are Spain's symbols and institutions (flag, anthem, monarchy, constitution) too brittle or rigid? Did that rigidity condition Rajoy's response to the Catalan separatist crisis? Previous Podcast Conversations on Spain Chris Dottie, British Chamber of Commerce in Spain  Fiona Govan, editor of The Local Spain  Simon Hunter, editor of El País in English  Thank you for listening, for your comments and questions, and for your . You guarantee independent journalism. Every reader counts.

A good, long conversation on Spain for you today with James Badcock (@jpfbadcock), who writes for the BBC, The Telegraph and the LA Times. We talk about: Reporting on Spain for British and American audiences Trying to explain the complexities of the Catalan crisis to the world Political stories vs. legal stories, different legal systems Rebellion and 25-year jail sentences, rebellion vs. sedition Separatist "sophistry", propaganda, lack of realism, bluff, expectations The separation of powers and political options for the future What will the Catalan independence movement do next? Will there be another declaration of independence? Why has the focus shifted to the prisoners? Franco, Franco's tomb, the red bird, Valley of the Fallen, Almudena Cathedral The Vatican, family negotiations. Sánchez bogged down, will the PSOE lose patience? Elections in Andalusia, "bitchy" regional politics, elections in 2019, political stagnation Will Podemos overtake the PSOE, or Ciudadanos the PP, next year? The rise, or not, of Vox and the fight for the Spanish right, European elections Princess Leonor, the future of the monarchy, the abdication and the constitution Is the monarchy in Spain a strong institution or would another republic still be possible? Reader Questions I put your questions to our guest directly. This week, James answers: Are English-speaking media biased or anti-Spain in their reporting? Is there always a lack of time to explain complex situations properly? Will the imprisonment of Catalan separatists weaken or strengthen for independence? When will the EU react against Spain's "violations of human rights"? The issues of jail on remand, jury trials and media reporting in Spain What would happen if a region of the UK suddenly became separatist? Are Spain's symbols and institutions (flag, anthem, monarchy, constitution) too brittle or rigid? Did that rigidity condition Rajoy's response to the Catalan separatist crisis? Previous Podcast Conversations on Spain Chris Dottie, British Chamber of Commerce in Spain  Fiona Govan, editor of The Local Spain  Simon Hunter, editor of El País in English  Thank you for listening, for your comments and questions, and for your . You guarantee independent journalism. Every reader counts.

Chris Dottie (@ChrisDottieHays) is the president of the British Chamber of Commerce in Spain and the Managing Director of Hays España. In this week's conversation on Spain, we talk about:  €66 billion in UK investment in Spain over the last 10 years €6 billion/year in taxes for Spanish government from British companies 200,000 non-tourist jobs in Spain depend on those companies Companies must prepare for a Brexit without knowing if it will happen or what to do No-deal Brexit: Spanish companies might be exporting to UK outside of EU in April Food, fruit, car manufacturing, tourism, flights, English teaching Human resources, migration, nationality, visa uncertainty, personal links, life plans “I do think that no-deal unfortunately is quite a likely scenario” Flights, holidays and no-deal Brexit impact on tourism and the Spanish economy Personal and family worries over lack of specific guidance and Catalonia, Brexit, Europe, tribes, nations, states, failures, lack of solutions, parallels Consensus, confrontation, polarisation, loss of nuance, media, lack of listening Constitutional and structural straitjackets and barriers to exit, centres and peripheries Thank you for listening: please become a patron now. Your guarantees the future of independent journalism and helps tell the world the truth about how Spain is really changing.

Welcome, patron, to this special section of the podcast, just for you each week, with extra thoughts and comments from our guest.Listen to the first part of the podcast with Fiona here. Thank you very much for listening to this conversation on Spain podcast here and thank you very much for your of independent Spain journalism. Every reader, and every listener, counts.

Fiona Govan (@fifimadrid) is the editor of The Local, and also reports on events in Spain in English. This week we talk about: Podemos leader Pablo Iglesias meeting a Catalan separatist leader in jail on remand; The minority socialist government's dependence on Catalan separatist parties; The Prime Minister and King Felipe at the palace; The rise of Spain's alt-right party Vox; Thank you for reading, thank you for listening and thank you for your of independent journalism here on the Patreon. You guarantee my reporting and analysis. Every reader counts.  Become a patron now The extra section of this conversation with Fiona, just for patrons, will be available in a few hours.

Welcome, patron, to this extra special section of the podcast, just for you, each week, with EXTRA thoughts and comments from our guest. Make sure to listen to the first part of the podcast here. Enjoy the rest of the show! Today we talk about: Brexit and Spain The PSOE trying to dig up Franco Thank you very much for listening to this first conversation on Spain podcast here on the Patreon and thank you very much for your of independent Spain journalism. Every reader, and every listener, counts. You make this possible.

Welcome to the first podcast on Patreon! You told me you wanted one, and I promised I would do one for you. After we reached the Patreon goal last month, I spent a few weeks listening to lots of different podcasts…Today's first guest, for these Conversations on Spain, is Simon Hunter, the editor of El País in English. We talk about: Spain; Spanish identity; Spanish symbols; Monarchies and republics; Catalonia; And in the extra special section for patrons, we also talk about: Spain and Brexit The PSOE trying to dig up Franco Thank you for you listening, thank you for your on the Patreon—do become a patron now if you haven’t already done so, so that you can enjoy the extra section—and enjoy the podcast!

The Justice Ministry has now issued five consecutive corrections on the matter of whether or not the minister, Dolores Delgado, said or did not say ten years ago that the current Home Secretary, her colleague Fernando Grande Marlaska, was "a faggot".The latest version is that she did, in a conversation with a star judge and a dodgy policeman. Podemos and the PP are calling on her to resign, which, if it happens in the next few hours, would be the third ministerial resignation in three months for Spain's new socialist government. Thank you for listening: please become a patron now. Your guarantees the future of independent journalism and helps tell the world the truth about how Spain is really changing. Every reader counts, every contribution adds up.

¿Dónde estamos con la tesis del Presidente del Gobierno? ¿Por qué no desaparece la noticia? Gracias por leer, gracias por escuchar y muchas gracias por apoyar y garantizar el periodismo independiente sobre España aquí en el Patreon. Cada lector cuenta, y cada aportación suma.

After 10 days, is the story going away, as the PM's office would like, or has the mud stuck? Does Pedro Sánchez have an ongoing problem with his doctoral thesis?Thank you for listening: please become a patron now. Your guarantees the future of independent journalism and helps tell the world the truth about how Spain is really changing. Every reader counts, every contribution adds up.

Spain’s Foreign Secretary, Josep Borrell, was interviewed by the BBC for Diada Day. He said two things that immediately angered Spanish loyalists.Asked if he regarded Catalonia as a region or a nation, Mr. Borrell said quickly and clearly that he thought it was a nation, reaffirming his answer when asked to clarify. Then, asked about separatist leaders and political show trials, the Foreign Secretary said he personally thought they should be released on bail while they wait for the trial to begin. The damage was done… Thank you for listening: please become a patron now. Your guarantees the future of independent journalism and helps tell the world the truth about how Spain is really changing. Patreon also allows you to increase your pledge.

Well done to El Diario, again. We see a new clash between a government minister and Spain’s digital media. El Diario is acquiring a reputation for these fact-based hit jobs. It is mostly successful, because they do their journalistic homework and further probes normally prove them right. This time, the Health Minister, Carmen Montón, is in trouble over her master's degree in "interdisciplinary gender studies", whatever that is. Thank you for listening: please become a patron now. Your guarantees the future of independent journalism and helps tell the world the truth about how Spain is really changing. No fake news. You can choose whichever level of you prefer. Every reader counts.

The First Minister of Catalonia, Quim Torra, was interviewed on TV last night. He insisted he wants to “make the Catalan republic effective” after a “political” declaration of independence last October.Given the events of last year, and the new Catalan leader's intentions, should the new Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez (PSOE) get on with the process of suspending home rule again? Thank you for listening: please become a patron now. Your guarantees the future of independent journalism and helps tell the world the truth about how Spain is really changing. No fake news. You can choose whichever level of you prefer. Every reader counts.

How is it possible, one year after the Catalan crisis began and 10 months after the declaration of independence and the suspension of home rule, that Spain is again listening to separatist demands for a referendum on secession?Thank you for listening: please become a patron now. Your guarantees the future of independent journalism and helps tell the world the truth about how Spain is really changing. No fake news. You can choose whichever level of you prefer. Every reader counts.

The public prosecutor is getting involved in the yellow ribbon issue. The Home Secretary and the regional interior minister in Catalonia are bickering over who is responsible for public safety. Mr. Torra is wondering how the prosecutor "dare[s] to investigate Catalan Police doing their job?”. Mr. Puigdemont says he can see "black clouds" on the horizon. The Prime Minister is chiming in from Chile. The PP wants the resignation of the Justice Minister. And there's a new separatist song encouraging people to " forces", "rebel", "fight for freedom" and “break the chains of repression”.Thank you for listening: please become a patron now. Your guarantees the future of independent journalism and helps tell the world the truth about how Spain is really changing. No fake news. You can choose whichever level of you prefer. Every reader counts.

After a woman is assaulted in Parliament Park in Barcelona while taking down yellow ribbons with her children, what should Spain do about the symbols? How delicate a moment might this be, nearly one year after the separatist crisis?Thank you for reading: please become a patron now. Your guarantees the future of independent journalism and helps tell the world the truth about how Spain is really changing. No fake news here. You can choose whichever level of you prefer. Every reader counts.