Spain

The two largest travel agencies in Spain fight to sell trips to Disney. This is the business of children’s dreams

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Ávoris has lost the exclusivity it maintained in Spain to market trips to the Disney parks. El Corte Inglés Travel obtained authorization in May to distribute these packages through its Smytravel platform, breaking a monopoly that allowed its great rival to consolidate its leadership in the ranking of Spanish travel agencies. Now both giants compete directly for the same pie: the 500 independent agencies integrated into Traveltool and the thousands of Spanish families who ask about the price of a trip to Disney every year. Why is it important. Disney is not just another product: it is the star product of family tourism in Spain (and increasingly even for adults without children). Its parks received 142 million visitors in 2024, almost doubling its closest competitor, and Disneyland Paris is the loose leader. This trip is sold almost exclusively through physical agencies, generates high margins and attracts families who are especially willing to spend a lot of money to make their children’s dreams come true. Whoever controls Disney controls a substantial part of the family travel business. The background. The exclusivity of Ávoris has never pleased its competitors: For years, agencies that wanted to sell Disney had to resort to the group’s tour operators: LePlan and Touring Club. That made Ávoris the inevitable intermediary of a business with guaranteed demand. This privileged situation used to generate recurring complaints in the sector for what they considered unjustified favorable treatment. Yes, but. Ávoris has not sat idly by. It has launched improvements to the LePlan and Touring Club platforms with a new centralized page that offers training, inspirational content and tools to design personalized Disney experiences. The answer comes weeks after Tourmundial (the brand of El Corte Inglés) announce combined packages to Disneyland Paris with accommodation, transportation, tickets and complementary services. Between the lines. This trade war points to something deeper in Spanish society: the touristification of childhood. Going to Disney has become an almost obligatory milestone, a natural extension of the first communion as a rite of passage and as an experience that “must be lived.” Not taking your children to see Mickey and company can generate a feeling of social exclusion, as if the experience were an essential requirement for a complete childhood. So agencies don’t just sell trips, they sell the feeling of tranquility from meeting social expectations and the fulfillment of the child. In Xataka | The incredible story of the couple who lived at Disneyland for 15 years without the visitors realizing it Featured image | Capricorn song

Silicon Valley doesn’t know what to do with so many unemployed engineers. Spain does not know where to get what it needs

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The global technology sector has been facing a kind of roller coaster very conditioned by AIin which while in some corners of the planet there is a commitment to destroying employment in this sector, in other countries it is created at a frenetic pace and even a scenario of staff shortage skilled. Since mid-2022, Silicon Valley has not stopped destroy technological jobs. On the other hand, in Spain the trend is just the opposite, and this sector has not stopped growing at a notable rate, being the exception among advanced economies. Global downward trends. A recent analysis by economist Brendon Bernard for the employment platform Indeed in Canada confirms that job offers in technology have slowed down in countries like the US and Canada. This change occurs after a crisis caused mainly by the pandemic and the collapse of the metaverse, which caused rounds of massive layoffs in large technology companies and drastic cuts between 2022 and mid-2023. The appearance of ChatGPT and the AI ​​fever managed to stop the downward trend in the sector’s offers, but the initial boost that AI seemed to give has stalled and technological employment in the world has not recovered its 2022 levels. Spain follows its own path. As and how they stand out in The Economistamong all this downward trend in technological employment in advanced economies, one stands out that marks a totally opposite path: Spain. Bernard’s study highlights that, while large advanced economies such as the United States (-34%), the United Kingdom (-41%), France (-38%) and Germany (-29%) reduce the number of technological job offers compared to their pre-pandemic levels, countries such as Singapore, Spain and Australia draw a graph in the opposite direction, creating new job offers at a double-digit rate. Technological employment in Spain. In Spain, technological employment is growing rapidly. According to data According to the Cotec Foundation for Innovation, 494,000 new positions have been created in technological activities since 2013, of which approximately half (about 240,000) have been generated after 2020. The weight of technological employment over total employment is especially high in communities such as Madrid (10.5%), Navarra (10%) and Catalonia (9%). On the other hand, regions such as the Balearic Islands (2.7%) or the Canary Islands (2.2%) have a lower concentration of technological job offers. Lots of supply, but much more demand. In fact, the rebound in the Spanish technology sector faces a serious challenge: staff shortages. According to the report HR Trends 2024‘ prepared by Randstad, more than 30% of companies reported difficulties in finding qualified talent in digital areas, which causes certain positions to take months to fill. This generates tensions in the technological labor market and increases competition by the professionals available. The Cotec Foundation report indicates that the growth in technological employment is based largely on programming, consulting and computing, which account for nearly 80% of the employment generated since 2020. To give a concrete example, Randstad data indicates that, during the third quarter of 2024, employment among programmers in Spain registered an increase of 16.4%. Demand reaches universities. According to the report’The Future of Talent in Artificial Intelligence and Data in Spain‘ prepared by INDESIA, in 2023 5,000 job offers in AI and data science were left unfilled per lack of trained candidates. The education system can only train about 6,000 new professionals annually in these areas, while demand is increasing. Núria Ávalos, general director of INDESIA, explained to The Country that “many grades are now emerging, but until these people are in a position to take on positions such as a data architect there are a few years left”, which exacerbates the gap between supply and demand. In response, companies and universities are exploring joint training models, where companies themselves become training centers to urgently cover this need for qualified talent. What AI gives you, AI takes away. Despite the good figures for technological employment in Spain, it is inevitable to observe the United States labor market as a canary in the mine that reveals where the trends in the futureand has already begun to give the first signs. While it is true that the arrival of AI stopped the decline in employment, as AI gains skills in programming and basic tasks, it is also promoting job automationwhich reduces the number of necessary technological employees, especially among those who just begin their working career. We are seeing a clear example in the latest layoffs from large technology companies, where not only are “accessory” positions for an approach whose objective is the development of AI, but engineers who until now are being fired they were developing that AI. In Xataka | Big Tech doesn’t stop firing its engineers. At the same time, they have stepped on the accelerator in hiring Image | Unsplash (Fatemeh Rezvani)

Spain is a country extremely loyal to its local supermarkets. A chain wants to change that: Action

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He already competitive and highly contested sector of retail Spanish has become complicated with the emergence of a new actor, one whom some already present as a direct competitor of Mercadona or Aldi, although its approach is slightly different. Your name: actiona Dutch chain that is expanding strongly throughout Europe. So much so, in fact, that he boasts of having more than 3,000 stores spread across 13 countries and serve 20.2 million customers every week. And among those countries Spain is included. What exactly is Action? A chain of stores. So far nothing exceptional or out of the ordinary. What has made him stand out is his expansion ratesomething it has achieved largely due to its approach: an aggressive commitment to promotions, prices and an offer in continuous review. To start (and how you can check in your website) the company offers a wide catalog of items that includes everything from household items to stationery, electronics, toys, tools, parapharmacy, clothing or sports. What it differs from, for example, Mercadona (or most supermarkets) is in its power line. While Juan Roig’s firm pays more and more attention to already cooked food and ready to goAction is limited to snacks, cookies, candy, soft drinks and some packaged foods, such as instant noodles or protein bars. Nothing fresh. No butcher or fruit shop sections. Is it their only difference? Its main bet is prices, a discount policy that leads it to launch weekly promotions with products under €15. The company gives it so much importance that it presents itself as “a chain of discount stores for non-food products” and assures that the majority of its products (two thirds) can be purchased for less than two euros. It is nothing exceptional, but it is an effective formula that has allowed other companies to grow before, like Temu. Action ensures that it always has 1,500 products for one euro and renews its catalog with 150 new items every week. And does it work for you? It seems so. At least if we look at your history and figures. Although the company is young (it opened its first store in Enkhuizen, Netherlands, in 1993) it has managed to spread throughout Europe to add more than 3,000 stores in 13 countries. Your last balance shows that its net sales in the first half of the year reached 7.3 billion euros, 17.9% more than in 2024. Regarding commercial expansion, during the same period it opened 125 new stores that now receive, on average, around 20.2 million customers every week. Its main markets are France and Germany, where this year it opened its 600th store. Its presence is also notable in Poland, with around 400 premises. In general, its progression over the last 20 years has been more than notable: in 2003 the chain added 100 storesin 2008 they were already double, in 2014 it added half a thousand and in 2022 it exceeded the 2,000 barrier. This year it has already celebrated a new brand (3,000 stores), with the jump to the Romanian and Swiss markets. And in Spain? The chain debuted in Spain in 2022 and two years later it advanced its peninsular expansion with your first store in Portugal. Here the pioneer was an establishment in Girona, although during its inauguration those responsible for the company already announced that they would continue advancing with a view to the rest of Spain. In fact, during the Girona premiere, Monique Groeneveld, director of the firm, already clarified that in a matter of “weeks” more stores would open in the rest of Catalonia. The passing of the years has confirmed that he was not just talking. Today Action has almost 90 stores spread throughout much of the Spanish geography and a notable footprint in the Community of Madrid, Catalonia, Murcia and the Valencian Community. At the beginning of summer, when it had 74 stores, its workforce already exceeded 1,400 people. Recently its expansion throughout the Spanish geography was expanded with new stores in Royal City, Gijón, Baena and Tárrega. Since June, this vast commercial network has also been completed with its first distribution center in the country, the sixteenth in Europe. A facility of around 59,000 square meters (m2) located in Illescas, in the province of Toledo, designed to supply 210 stores throughout Spain and Portugal. Are they all advantages? No. Although the Dutch chain shares part of the strategy of other firms that have achieved a wide presence in Spain, as a commitment to low costaggressive pricing policy, promotions and own brandswill not have an easy time beating other large chains. Its offer is not comparable to that of Mercadona, Aldi or Lidl (especially due to the differences in food), but Spanish retail is already highly contested and has giants such as Roig’s firm, which has a share of almost 30%. The Spanish customer has also demonstrated notable loyalty towards regional firms. Images | Action and Google Maps In Xataka | For Juan Roig, the key to Mercadona’s future is very simple: “Salaries above the sector average”

It is something more worrying for Spain

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“This is not just an Atlantic storm,” they said in Meteosureste and, despite the skepticism of some, they were right. Although the models had been warning for days of a possible storm with subtropical characteristics, no one seemed to believe it. And, in fact, no agency has decided to name it. However, on the morning of October 29, things have accelerated. What has happened? It is no longer that an organized convection has been transformed into a mesoscale convective system with clear tropical characteristics (signs of internal circulation and bands of precipitation rotating about its center); is that, as MeteoBadajoz has been explaining, the system has started to become in a whole “convective train” with a line of storms in crescendo from the coast AEMET has activated the red notice and, as we speak, a good number of municipalities on the Huelva coast are suffering its impact. Why is it interesting? As explained Adrián Corderocoinciding with the anniversary of DANA in Valencia, “the atmosphere, capricious, leaves us a new convective chimney that, from the satellite, is very reminiscent of the one from a year ago.” Fortunately, as he also explains, “the orography and hydrology of both areas are not comparable.” It is not something comparable to Dana neither in intensity nor in its consequences: however, it is not a minor phenomenon. The ‘tropicalization’ of Andalusia. That area of ​​the Gulf of Cádiz is prone to low convergences that, with adequate shear and sufficient humidity, They organize convectively very easily. That is to say, it is nothing strictly new: but it does represent a warning to sailors. After all, mesoscale convective systems are very efficient rain “factories” that can anchor bands of precipitation over the same territory for hours, multiplying the accumulation and the risk of rapid flooding. As connections with the Gulf of Mexico (the famous ‘rivers of moisture’) become more common, these systems will become more frequent and more intense. And worst of all: it’s a matter of time before a dangerously tropical storm is planted at the gates of Doñana. In Xataka | The threat to Spain brought about by Hurricane Danielle has a name: extratropical transition

It is a gigantic jug of cold water for Spain

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Production of the current Citroën C4 and C4 in The Automotive Tribunewill move to Kenitra, in Morocco. It is a hard blow for automobile production in our country. what has happened. According to “solvent sources” cited in this specialized newspaper, the new generation of these vehicles will begin production in December 2029 at the Stellantis plant in Morocco. The company has not confirmed the date, but has indicated that “the C4, like any other vehicle, has a life and production cycle, but that does not mean that the factory does not have other possible projects on the table that guarantee its viability.” New platform, new strategy. This fourth generation of the C4 and C4 X will be mounted on the platform STLA Small —the last of that family— and will foreseeably start at the end of 2029. This platform has already been awarded to the Vigo and Zaragoza plants, but in a official announcement January 2025, those responsible for Stellantis pointed out that “the Madrid plant will have a future in Villaverde beyond the current Citroën C4, for which the Group is working on several scenarios that will be communicated in due time.” Villaverde’s future is uncertain. The future of the Stellantis plant in Villaverde (Madrid) now seems more uncertain than ever. The company has not given details about that future, but several hypotheses are being considered. On Autoblog they point out that the group plans to transform this plant into a satellite structure of the Figueruelas plant (Zaragoza), as the one in Mangualde (Portugal) is in Vigo. That would see the adoption of the STLA Small platform dedicated to compact electric vehicles. But there are favorable comments. At least if we pay attention to the statements that Carlos Tavares, CEO of Stellantis, made a year ago expanding. He then commented that “Madrid is a very good example of a factory that over the last ten years has made a great transformation to improve costs, quality and performance.” The then CEO of Citroën, Thierry Koslas—relieved this summer by Xavier Chardon—agreed with these assessments, stating that this plant “is taken as a reference in costs and quality.” The same thing already happened in Italy. In summer we already reported how Stellantis had announced an investment of 1.2 billion euros in Morocco to expand the production capacity of its plant in Kenitra. The objective: to be able to produce 535,000 cars a year there, which would place it at the level of Vigo. The company already produces the Citroen AMI either Fiat Topolinoand the latter, by the way, began their journey with controversy. Stellantis, which has historical brands like Fiat or Alfa Romeo, has gone leaving aside car production in the transalpine country. Why Morocco. The transfer of the manufacturing process to Morocco seems to respond to the search for a stronger presence in the Mediterranean region and also in its intention to increase its competitiveness. Or what is the same: rationalize production costs and capacities. The European industry is moving towards countries with lower labor costs, less strict regulations and greater tax advantages, and Stellantis is no exception. Already in 2022 they had invested 300 million euros to update the Kenitra plant and introduce the Smart Car platform. Morocco is positioning itself as a rival to beat when it comes to manufacturing cars at a very low price, and even China is taking note. In Xataka | Europe has been filled with Stellantis cars that are not selling. And Madrid and Zaragoza will pay the consequences

Spain steps on the accelerator in its particular chip race. And it does so with a total commitment to integrated photonics

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The Council of Ministers has approved the award of 4.4 million euros to the IMDEA Networks institute within the european program of Integrated Photonics. It may not seem like a lot of money compared to the fortunes invested by the technology giants, but be careful: it is the last element of an eye-catching strategy. Fifth successful bidder. The IMDEA Networks institute thus joins four other entities that were awarded last July in the same call. The aid granted by the Government is then matched by the European Union, which causes the budget to double in all cases. Thus, we have: Institute of Photonic Sciences (ICFO): 23.1 million euros were awarded, it will receive 46.2 million in total Polytechnic University of Valencia: 16.5 million awarded, will receive 33 million in total National Microelectronics Center (CNM): 15 million awarded, total investment of 30 million University of Vigo: 7.5 million euros awarded, 15 million total investment IMDEA Networks Institute: 4.4 million euros awarded, 8.8 million in total 133 million for integrated photonics. With this new award, the Government and the EU will invest a total of 133 million euros to “promote research and development of faster chips with lower energy consumption, thanks to the use of light (photons) instead of electrons.” Integrated photonics? This technology focuses on using photons (light) instead of electrons to transmit and process information within chips. With this it is possible to obtain higher data transmission speeds and lower consumption and heat dissipation. What integrated photonics seeks is to take advantage of optical components (such as lasers, modulators and detectors) with traditional electronic circuits to combine the advantages of both components. Technological sovereignty. Although the figure may seem modest in the context of global mega-investments, it is part of an ambitious strategy focused on the research and development of disruptive technologies. The ultimate objective is to promote a key sector for Spanish economic and digital sovereignty, and here the commitment is total to integrated photonics, which is seen as the future of data processing. The PERTE is still there. The importance of this investment goes beyond research. It is a fundamental pillar for the PERTE of Microelectronics and Semiconductors (PERTE Chip), the strategic plan endowed with more than 12,000 million euros to try to position Spain as a relevant actor in this value chain. This investment is framed not in chip manufacturing, but in scientific capacity and design strategy. The idea is to ensure that Spain has its own talent and technology to develop new generations of components. Competence centers. To those 4.4 million awarded to IMDEA Networks another 3.9 million euros are added to create two competition centers co-financed by Europe through the JU Chips (Joint Undertaking). The ‘PIXSpain Competence Centre’ will receive one million euros and the MicroNanoSpain Competence Center will receive three million. Both will provide Spanish companies in the sector – especially SMEs – with access to technical knowledge and experimentation spaces. To compete with TSMC or NVIDIA, nothing. This is not about Spain going to start creating chip factories that can compete with TSMC, far from it. The idea is not to try to create a Spanish-style NVIDIA either. In both cases the resources needed would be astronomical. What is sought is a leadership position in a niche with high added value, which is photonic interconnection technologies. Goodbye to copper cable. By focusing on integrated photonics, Spain aligns with the work of giants like Intel, TSMC or Ciscowhich have been investing heavily in this technology for some time to solve the challenge of interconnections in data centers. Everything indicates that integrated photonics could end up replacing copper cables in high-speed communications in the next decade. In Xataka | “They lead and AI follows”: seven Spanish universities tell us how they are implementing AI in class

Spain no longer knows what to do with its surplus of renewables. So he is going to build a huge electric bridge with Ireland

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Spain shines with sun and wind, but is drowning in its own green electricity. Solar and wind farms break generation recordsbut a good part of that energy is wasted due to lack of network, storage and connections with Europe. While the country operates in “reinforced mode”has found a possible solution to dispose of its renewable surplus. An electric bridge. On this path of releasing its excess energy, Spain has found in Ireland the best matches to connect. Irish Minister for Climate, Energy and Environment, Darragh O’Brien, advertisement After a meeting with the Spanish Secretary of State Joan Groizard, both countries are working on the construction of an underwater electrical interconnector between Ireland and Spain. Speaking to RTÉ NewsIrish Minister Darragh O’Brien announced that the project will seek to be co-financed with European funds and be completed in the mid-2030s. It will not be a minor project: the cable, he explained, will allow the buying and selling of electricity between both countries, balancing generation peaks. O’Brien acknowledged that, for now, “Spain is more likely to export energy to Ireland,” because the country usually has a surplus of renewable power that it cannot always take advantage of. We’re going to a wedding. The idea of ​​joining Spain and Ireland with an electric cable may sound eccentric, but it responds to continental logic: countries that produce green energy need to sell it, and those that are isolated need to receive it. In this context, our country is a clear example of the first group. The country has one of the largest renewable capacities in Europe —more than 40GW new since 2019—, but its level of international interconnection it barely reaches 2.8%well below the European target of 15% set for 2030. On the other hand, Ireland belongs to the second group. Its system depends almost entirely on the United Kingdom and France, and the country is, along with Spain and Finland, among the most exposed to blackouts due to lack of interconnections. according to a study by the consulting firm Ember. The analysis warns that 55% of the European electricity system has limits on importing electricity, which increases the risk of supply failures. How will the new cable work? It will be a high-voltage underwater interconnector (HVDC), the same system already used to move clean electricity over long distances between countries. The project is inspired by the Celtic Interconnectorthe Ireland-France link that will open in 2027, and will allow gigawatts of renewable energy to be transported under the Atlantic. There is still no closed route, but the Bay of Biscay appears as the most likely option: there it is already another cable advances between Spain and France, co-financed by the European Investment Bank. The political objective is clear: integrate the networks of the European periphery into an interconnected continental system, less vulnerable to blackouts and more efficient in the use of green energy. Furthermore, both countries recently led a meeting in Luxembourg of the “Friends of Renewables” group, together with 15 Member States and the European Commission. At that meeting, the new European Electricity Grids Package was presented, considered “one of the key pillars to facilitate affordable, safe and clean renewable energy.” Everything starts from the cables. The challenge is not only in producing more, but in transporting and storing energy. Spain invest only 30 cents in the network For every euro allocated to renewables, half of the European average. In this way, the cable with Ireland would fit into a map of projects that aims to break the energy isolation of the Iberian Peninsula. In addition to the Bay of Biscay link, are underway the Navarra–Landes and Aragón–Marsillón connections with France, a third interconnection with Morocco and new links between islands and the continent. If all these cables materialize, Spain will go from being “an energy island” to becoming an energy node between Europe and Africa, capable of exporting its renewable surpluses at competitive prices. The next great leap in European energy could start here: an electrical wire under the sea that connects the Spanish sun with Irish houses. Image | Jules Verne Times Two Xataka | When an undersea cable breaks in Africa, there is only one solution: call the only ship that has been repairing them for more than a decade

Iryo arrived in Spain with a very ambitious plan to tighten the screws on Renfe. It has just asked its Italian parent company for a ransom

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Iryo has a problem in Spain: it can’t get clients. Or, we should say, it does not get enough clients to start making its railway project profitable in our country. Its occupancy rate in each and every one of the corridors is better than that of Renfe or Ouigo. In some cases it is certainly worrying. This is leading it to lose tens of millions of euros. And they have already asked Italy for help. 32 million euros. They are the ones that Iryo has lost in 2024. The losses are added to the 79 million euros that the company already lost in 2023 and the occupancy rates of 2025 are not inviting optimism. Although the company defends that They aim to be profitable this yearthe truth is that they had to pick up the phone and dial a number that begins with +39. Help. The call for help has reached Italy. In November 2024Trenitalia has already increased its participation in the company to go from 45% of the capital to 51%. The objective was clear: to provide the Italian parent company with full control of the company and, in this way, have greater room for maneuver to provide it with funds. However, the process to achieve profitability has become complicated. Air Nostrum and Globalia, which are part of the company’s shareholders, committed to putting up 15 million euros more to face possible losses this year. This economic push is just one more within a package that provides aid which has already had contributions of 44.7 million euros in April of last year and almost 35 million euros in the summer of 2024. The occupation. One of the problems that Iryo has encountered is that it cannot fill its trains. If we go to the CNMC datathe Italian company has the worst occupancy data of all Spanish high speed. Madrid-Barcelona: Occupancy of 96.4% (Renfe 112%, Ouigo 99%) Madrid-Seville: Occupancy of 83.2% (Renfe 93.3%, Ouigo 86.4%) Madrid Málaga-Granada: Occupancy of 82.2% (Renfe 93.3%, Ouigo 93.9%) Madrid-Valencia: Occupancy of 70.2% (Renfe 73.3%, Ouigo 88.8%) Madrid Alicante: Occupancy of 66.6% (Renfe 75.9%, Ouigo 87.8%) Added to this is that its power to attract customers by price is much smaller than that of Ouigo since only in Madrid-Alicante does it offer cheaper tickets than those of the French company and for just a few cents. In the rest of the corridors, Iryo is more expensive than the services of Ouigo and AVLO (Renfe). The plans. Yet, Iryo continues defending who aspire for 2025 to become their turning point. They plan to balance their accounts this year and make the jump to profits in 2026 and 2027. To do this, they trust in the arrival of new trains that will expand their capacity and allow them to play on price, first by lowering the price of the ticket and, second, by amortizing Adif fees more easily. In the words of its CEO, the company hopes that Galicia can be another beta where it can make money. However, it must be taken into account that the line moves between the Iberian width and the international width. S106 trains that can “jump” between both tracks are committed to Renfe and the only way to operate would be with a transshipment, which is more costly in time and less attractive to the customer. But it is not the only case. Perhaps the most worrying thing about Iryo’s situation is that, at the moment, Renfe and Ouigo are also losing money with high speed in our country. Since the market opened, the benefits have been exceptional. In 2024, Ouigo received an additional 25 million from SCNF, its French parent company, to cover losses. The initial investment of 200 million had to be expanded given that the company plost more than 40 million euros only in 2024. It is one of the reasons why the Government alleged that from France they were doping the company economically to weaken rivals. Despite everything, Renfe has also suffered heavy losses with high speed. In 2023 they exceeded 120 million euros in losses although in 2024 profitability has already been closelosing in this case about three million euros. Of course, Renfe Viajeros (the part of the company that competes with Ouigo and Iryo) did achieve just over five million euros in profits. Photo | Trenduck In Xataka | Spain wanted to turn the train into the great alternative for traveling in summer. Renfe has never had so many dissatisfied customers

If you want to know what winter is going to be like in Spain, the best thing you can do is take a look at Siberia right now

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It is not every day that you can write that good news comes from Siberia. But that’s how it is: the world is warming at an unprecedented rate, Arctic ice has reached historic lows in 2025 and the temperature of the Arctic Circle is increasing up to four times faster than that of the rest of the planet. And yet, snow coverage in Siberia has reached an above-average extent. But the important thing is not that. The important thing is not the 15.59 million square kilometers of snow in the northern hemisphere, nor what they mean for the region’s weakened ecosystems. The important thing is that, whether we want it or not, it can be sensational news for Spain. But what does Siberia have to do with Spain? At the end of the 90s, Judah Cohen (MIT climatologist) began to notice the blanket of snow that covered Siberia before November and, almost by chance, realized that its size kept a very close statistical relationship with what was happening in the rest of the continent. At first (and, it must be said, understandably) the international community viewed him with suspicion. But after 20 years of research, the Siberian Snow Advance Index (SAI) is perfectly established. Yes, indeed: what happens in Siberia has a lot to do with what happens here in Spain. How is it possible? The mechanism is very simple, so much so that most meteorologists did not even consider it. But its implications are enormous. The abundant snow in Siberia causes problems in winter in Europe by pure feedback. “More snow” means “more albedo”; that is, more solar reflection, colder soil and, therefore, a ‘push’ to the Siberian anticyclone. AND the stronger that anticyclone isthere is a more upward flow towards the stratosphere, there are more sudden warm-ups and more tropospheric patterns of negative AO. In summary: more air masses are moving towards mid-latitudes and more trains of storms are heading towards our geography. And yes, just take a look at Rutgers Global Snow Lab maps to verify that the extent of snow in mid/late 2025 is more than considerable. What does this mean for Spain? Basically, a negative AO and a weak vortex increase the probability of cold episodes coming from the north and that Atlantic storms move south. That is to say: that there is more rain and colder. Internationally, high snow levels in Siberia are the “sign” that we must begin to prepare: at the energy, agricultural and infrastructure levels. It is a clear statistical sign that, if things go wrong, a very complex situation can arise. Will we have a busy winter then? It’s not that simple. In meteorology, no matter how simple and robust the mechanism is, there is always something more. What happens in Eurasia is importantbut that interacts with the oceanic/arctic context (and with myriad other atmospheric processes). In this sense, a greater snow cover in the great Siberian plain has to coexist with an extremely scarce ice cover (something that conditions ambient humidity) and with seasonal models that point to a greater probability of temperatures above normal. In other words, everything is very open. But the siberian signal is here and, if everything continues like this until November, it will be good news. Some that suit us exceptionally well. Image | Copernicus In Xataka | Ski resorts without snow at the end of the century: the most pessimistic models show what could happen in our high mountains

Although it may not seem like it, meritocracy does exist in Spain. At least among the millionaires

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In Spain, the idea that millionaires are born rich by inheritance It is changing, or at least that is what the various data and analyzes say. Recent figures show that in Spain the number of millionaires has increased “self-made“, scratching space for those who They have inherited their fortune. However, as in so many aspects, the data can tell different realities. Millionaires in Spain according to UBS and Forbes. The report ‘Billionaire Ambitions Report 2024’ prepared by the Swiss bank UBS, reveals that 44% of billionaires in Spain have created their fortune from their own work or investments. However, this figure contrasts with the published data by Forbeswhich show that about 74% of the big millionaires in Spain are rich thanks to inheritances that they have received from their family, leaving only 26% of those who would have obtained it on their own merits. Rich or very very rich: that’s the difference. So, which data is correct, UBS or Forbes? The short answer is both, because the difference is in the type of millionaire analyzed and the sample size. Forbes focuses only on billionaires (with assets in the billions of euros), while UBS includes highest net worth millionairesbut not necessarily at the global peak. According to the study data According to Charles Schwab, it takes $2.3 million to be considered a rich person. But to be considered a UHNWI (Ultra High Net Worth Individuals) or people with a assets available to invest of more than 30 million dollars. Depending on where that threshold is placed, the percentages also change. Heirs and own fortune. If only those who have more than 30 million dollars to invest (the UHNWIs) are taken into account, the percentage of Spanish millionaires who have inherited their fortune drops to the 14% that UBS indicated. This percentage also coincides with that given by the study by Jonathan Wai and David Lincoln which examines the nature of fortunes around the world. According to the data from this study, in Spain 38.4% of millionaires have received an inheritance and have multiplied that money through investments or their own projects, creating a new fortune from a previous financial base, while 47.5% have managed to build their wealth without receiving a significant inheritance. These figures show that meritocracy among millionaires exists, but adds the nuance that, in many cases, this fortune is the result of a combination between inheritance and effort staff. Don’t call it meritocracy: call it environment. When creating a new fortune Not everything is reduced to inheriting money, but it also depends largely on the social environment and the opportunities offered by birth. in a wealthy family. Having access to contacts, preferred education, and financial support increases the chances of success, even for those considered “self-made.” According to a report According to the Social Observatory of the La Caixa Foundation, it takes four generations to rise from a situation of poverty to the middle class. The report ‘To Have and Have Not – How to Bridge the Gap in Opportunities’ prepared by the OECD, points out that the socioeconomic environment of parents contributes up to 75% to the definition of their children’s opportunities. That is to say, a young person born into a wealthy family has more opportunities and economic support to start projects—which may be a failure, but also a resounding success—that a young man with few resources. That family support must also be taken into consideration when labeling “self-made” fortunes. Although this does not detract from the merit. In Xataka | If the question is how much money do you need to be rich, generation Z is clear: more is needed every year Image | Unsplash (Shane)

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