Spains

Spain’s main problem is not weapons, fighters or drones. It is the number of hands you need to use them.

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In recent years, the defense debate in Europe has revolved almost exclusively around money and technology. It talks about percentages of GDPmodernization and new systems capable of changing the battlefield. However, there is a much less visible factor that ends up being decisive when it comes time to turn plans into reality. A decade of losing muscle. The news Europa Press gave it. Since 2010, the Spanish Armed Forces They have lost 13,300 troops and they carry a structural deficit that the Military Life Observatory describes as chronic. As of January 1, 2025 there were 116,739 soldiers in active service, very far from the legal minimum of 130,000 established by the Military Career Law. The gap ranges between 13,000 and 23,000 uniformed personnel, a figure that is practically equivalent to an entire army within the system itself. Objectives that are not met. Several weeks ago another news item put the target on an enlightening fact: the regulatory framework establishes a maximum of 50,000 officers and non-commissioned officers, but there are only 40,656 dashboardsincluding 227 generals, leaving a wide margin unfilled. In the troops and Navy, the budget ceiling has limited staff numbers to 79,000 for years, although it is barely exceed 76,000 troops. The distance between what is provided for in the law and what is available in the barracks is not temporary, but sustained over time. More budget on weapons, fewer hands to operate them. The strategic debate in Europe has turned towards the modernization of systems and increased spending up to 2.1% of GDPbut the emphasis has not been transferred with the same intensity to the staff. Weapons programs and technological capabilities are expanding, but the number of military personnel is barely growing or even go back. Hence all this leads us to another reality very different from what we usually think: Spain’s main problem is not fighters, drones or new systems, but rather the great number of staff missing to use them and keep them operational. A 2025 that closed in negative. Despite the government’s commitment to increase staff by 7,500 personnel in four years, 2025 ended with 832 fewer soldiers than the previous year. The drop was especially pronounced at the officer level, where a thousand professionals they abandoned or passed to the reserve without sufficient replacement. Although non-commissioned officers and troops registered slight increases, the global balance was once again negative at a time when the international environment demands just the opposite. Lack of interest. The interpretation of these data leaves little room for doubt. The number of places offered has increased, but the proportion of applicants per vacancy has decreased worryingly. In the troop area the ratio has fallen to 4.2 applicants per placefar from the levels of a decade ago. In officers and non-commissioned officers, the descent is even more pronouncedwith fewer candidates and a worse selection margin, which limits the quality of replacement and anticipates problems of generational change. Salaries, mobility and little incentive for promotion. There is much more, as the report points to lower salaries to other bodies of the State and to an accumulated loss of purchasing power that discourages a military career. Constant mobility can imply a higher cost of living and low salary compensationleading many to give up promotions. The result is that “little interest” in progressing within the institution and a structure that ages without sufficient renewal. Stressed and aged. The other elephant in the room: more than a third of the dashboards exceeds 50 years and the troops also show progressive aging, while the reservists have decreased steadily since 2014. For its part, female participation grows slightly up to 13.1%above the NATO average, but it does not compensate for the overall loss of troops. I remembered the newspaper El Mundo that the system is also facing an increase in harassment complaints that adds reputational pressure at a time of low recruitment. Material capacity without critical mass. All this leaves a more or less illuminating map. Spain is investing in capabilities and is committed to increasingly demanding international missions, but it does so with less staff that fifteen years ago. The organizational structures and operational commitments have not diminished, rather the oppositewhile the human base it doesn’t stop shrinking. From that perspective, everything indicates that, if the trend is not reversed, the country may find itself with a future where the Armed Forces are modernized in equipment, but without the critical mass necessary to sustain them over time and respond reliably to an increasingly demanding strategic environment. Image | Air and Space Army Ministry of Defense Spain, Spanish Army In Xataka | Spain has a dilemma that is difficult to solve: call the US or be the last with a fighter jet in danger of extinction In Xataka | Spain has built a laser that shields the backbone of its Navy: the A400M is now ready for combat

We have so much water in Spain’s reservoirs right now that it has become a problem for someone: nuclear power.

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What just a few months ago seemed like a chimera—seeing overflowing reservoirs in the middle of winter—has become an overwhelming reality after the passage of successive Atlantic fronts. But the water that has fallen on the peninsula has not only alleviated the drought; has generated such an excess of energy supply that the electrical system has had to do without its traditional “base load”: nuclear energy. The data confirms that, faced with the push of water and wind, the atom has lost its place in the market. A change of scenery. According to data from the Peninsular Hydrological Bulletinthe water reserve in Spain has skyrocketed to 77.3% of its total capacity, storing 43,341 hm³ of water. This represents an increase of 10.1% in a single week, a figure that illustrates the volume of rainfall. To understand the magnitude of this data, just look back: in this same week in 2025, the reserve was at 58.13%. Even more impressive is the comparison with the average of the last 10 years, which stands at 53.6%. That is, today we have 13,000 cubic hectometers more water than the historical average for the decade. The situation is such that the focus has shifted from scarcity to security. In Andalusia, where red notices have been activated, reservoirs are functioning as the last line of defense. The system has been doing “flood lamination” work (water retention to avoid floods), especially in the Guadalquivir and Genil basin, where dams such as Iznájar or El Tranco are crucial to contain the flow before it reaches cities like Seville. The great battery of Spain is full. The impact goes far beyond the visible. Reservoirs are not just liquid stores, they are giant batteries, and right now they are more charged than ever. As detailed in the Hydrological Bulletin in your energy sectionSpain currently stores 16,184 GWh of hydroelectric energy, the largest amount ever recorded at this time. If we compare this figure with the same week of the previous year (13,825 GWh), the jump is notable: today we have 117.1% of the energy we had a year ago. This massive injection of cheap electricity has saturated the seams of the Iberian market. The supply of renewable energy has been so high that interconnections have not been able to cope. According to expert Joaquín Coronado on your LinkedIn profilethe combination of rain and high wind production in Portugal caused the saturation of the interconnection between both countries. With electricity unable to flow freely, the market disengaged: while in Spain prices were sinking due to the sun and water, in Portugal they skyrocketed during peak hours due to technical restrictions. The physical network is suffering to manage such an avalanche of green electrons. The nuclear “no home”. The direct consequence of this renewable surplus is that nuclear energy is no longer competitive in this scenario. The thesis is clear: there is plenty of installed power when the weather is favorable. According to market datathe pressure from renewables has expelled 1.5 GW of nuclear power. On the one hand, Almaraz unit II had to reduce load. On the other hand, the Trillo Nuclear Power Plant was completely disconnected from the grid on Sunday, February 8. The confirmation comes from the headquarters itself. In his informative noteTrillo managers acknowledge that the plant stopped on a scheduled basis because “it was not compatible with the electricity market nor was it required by the System Operator.” Although they assure that the plant is technically perfect, they point to an economic reason: with prices sunk by storms and “high taxation”, operating the nuclear plant costs them. The underlying debate: why keep what is left over? This episode of “nuclear blackout” comes in the middle of the debate over the extension of the Almaraz plant, whose owners are requesting to extend its useful life beyond 2027. A new report from Greenpeaceprepared by the Rey Juan Carlos University and the UPC, warns that artificially keeping nuclear operational is a stopper for the ecological transition. What happened this week in Trillo reinforces his conclusions: Technical feasibility: The study ensures that in the period 2028-2029, Almaraz’s energy could be replaced by 96.4% by renewables. Economic cost: According to The Jumpextending Almaraz would cost consumers an additional 3,831 million euros and would stop green investments worth 26,129 million. Emissions: The report indicates that the extension would generate millions of tons of extra CO2 by discouraging the installation of new clean power. The market ruling. This episode is not a meteorological anecdote, it is confirmation of a change in structural cycle. The February storm has functioned as a stress test for the electrical system and the result is clear: in a marginalist market, water and wind physically displace nuclear power. The data supports that this is already a trend, not an exception. According to closing figures for 2025 published by Five Daysin Iberdrola’s generation mix in Spain, hydroelectric energy (33.3%) already surpassed nuclear energy (33.2%) in total production last year. What happened this week in Trillo is the real-time demonstration of that statistic. With Spain’s “battery” charged to 77% and the wind turbines spinning, the rigidity of the nuclear park becomes an economic barrier. The market’s conclusion is, today, unappealable: we have so much water that nuclear power is no longer essential. Image | freepik and freepik Xataka | When Spain embraced wind energy, it did not have a problem: it would be too windy.

Spain’s secret weapon in the Olympic Games is a skater dressed as a Minion. Universal almost prevented it

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Tomàs-Llorenç Guarino Sabaté had been preparing for months for the most important moment of his sporting career. The 26-year-old Catalan skater, six-time Spanish champion, was clear about how he wanted to make his debut in the Olympic Games: dressed as a Minion, on the ice of Milan-Cortina 2026performing a medley of songs from the Universal Pictures animated saga. He had used that program throughout the season in international competitions, with the characteristic costume of blue jumpsuit and yellow t-shirt. I thought I had all the permits in order. Drama at Universal. On February 3, just four days before the opening ceremony of the Games, Guarino received devastating news: Universal Pictures was denying him permission to use the Minions’ music and costume in the Olympic event. “I was informed that I no longer have permission, due to copyright issues,” the skater explained in a statement published by the Royal Spanish Ice Sports Federation. Their competition was scheduled for Tuesday, February 11. Changing programs at that point seemed impossible. Permits? What permissions? In August 2024, before starting the season, he had processed the necessary permits through ClicknClearthe official system that the International Skating Union (ISU) makes available to athletes to manage music rights. His intervention included four pieces: Universal Pictures’ characteristic fanfare in the Minions version, ‘Freedom’ by Pharrell Williams (which appears in ‘Despicable Me’), and two other compositions related to the franchise. Negotiations begin. The week before the Games, Universal Studios requested additional information about the music and costumes that Guarino had been using for months. A race against time then began: the skater and his team had to negotiate simultaneously with Universal Pictures, Pharrell Williams, Sony Music and Juan Alcaraz, each owner of different rights of the songs. But as the news spread on social media, the massive support for Guarino convinced Universal to reconsider its position. All good. The skater quickly got approval for two of the songs, and got permission for a third by contacting the composer, also Spanish, directly. The fourth and final piece, Pharrell’s, was resolved at the last moment. On Friday, February 7, just two hours before the figure skating competition at the Games began with the team event, final confirmation came. The Royal Spanish Ice Sports Federation (RFEDH) announced that Guarino had obtained all the necessary licensesand managed to participate as planned last night. The laws. Guarino’s case is not an isolated incident. For decades, the International Skating Union (ISU) strictly prohibited the use of music with lyrics in competitions. Skaters could only choose instrumental pieces, usually classical music, that were in the public domain and did not raise copyright conflicts. In 2014the ISU decided to allow vocal music to attract a younger audience and modernize the image of the sport. The first time was in PyeongChang 2018. More cases. This artistic opening brought unforeseen consequences: skaters began to use copyrighted music, and artists began to claim compensation for its use. Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier used a version of ‘House of the Rising Sun’ performed by the duo Heavy Young Heathens in Beijing 2022, who sued them. This year, Russian Petr Gumennik They denied permission to use the music from the soundtrack of ‘The Perfume’. Belgian Loena Hendrickx changed one Celine Dion song for another at the last minute due to legal complications. Canadian artist CLANN expressed his displeasure upon discovering that the American Amber Glenn had used one of her songs, even though she had won the team gold medal with it. Mea Culpa. ISU President Jae Youl Kim has openly acknowledged the extent of the problem during these Games. The organization continues to seek solutions, but the complexity of the music rights ecosystem (involving songwriters, performers, production companies, record labels and distribution platforms) makes any licensing system vulnerable to errors or misunderstandings. The 2014 decision to modernize the sport by allowing vocal music was intended to revitalize it and bring it closer to new audiences, but has generated an unforeseen side effect. In Xataka | Surya Bonaly, the unattainable skater who ended up being banned from “dancing with death”

“Tourismphobia” threatens to thwart Spain’s tourism boom. In Andalusia they have decided to nip it in the bud

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That tourism is a millionaire business It doesn’t have much discussion. Which is a sensitive sector in which it is terribly easy die of successneither. We are seeing it in Japan, where the avalanche of foreigners is encouraging a growing tourismphobia that already permeates the political sphere. In Spain the situation is somewhat different, but the record of travelers is also encouraging demonstrations against overcrowding, some as high-profile as the one that killed residents of Barcelona shooting with water guns to the vacationers on the terraces. In Andalusia they have decided to tackle the problem at its roots. “The Andalusian Treatment”. The Government of Andalusia just launched a tourist campaign, “The Andalusian Treatment”. The person in charge of presenting it was the advisor of the branch, Arturo Bernal, who explained its key points to representatives of the sector and the media. So far exceptional. The curious thing is that in this case the campaign does not seek to attract more visitors or open new markets. Its objective is to give certain guidelines to tourists and “raise awareness” about the sector. In the words of Bernalestablish “a contract of coexistence between the Andalusian and the visitor.” What does that mean? That the Andalusian Government wants to eliminate any hint of tourismphobia and insist on the importance of locals and tourists “coexisting” in the same territory. The statement launched by the Board leaves little doubt in this regard: although it is not excessively long, that word (“coexistence”) is repeated over and over again along with others such as “respect” or “responsibility.” Hence, during his presentation on Tuesday, Bernal asked his countrymen to join the “Andalusian Treaty” to achieve “tourism that reflects the best of our land and projects a future of opportunities for all.” He also spoke of “responsible tourism” and even turning the community into “an example of how a territory can welcome the world without losing its essence.” From theory to practice. The Board’s intention is to deploy the campaign through media and “innovative media” (it does not specify which ones) that allow it to be brought to visitors in the busiest points of the region. Its key piece is a video of two minutes in which tourists are encouraged to bet on local businesses and products, get to know the region beyond its large cities or respect the rest of locals and their right to enjoy spaces such as beaches. In total, the pact is articulated in eight points, including one that asks tourists to use water responsibly. Click on the image to go to the tweet. Tourism: side A and B. It is no coincidence that the Andalusian Government launches a campaign with that focus now, just when Spain registers a record flow of foreign tourists and aspires to become the most visited country of the planet, even ahead of France. The problem is that as the influx of tourists grows, so does the tension it exerts on commerce, transportation or (above all) housing, where the appearance of tourists is encouraged. vacation rentals. One word: tourismphobia. The result of this tension is a feeling of rejection towards mass tourism, a phenomenon that the Board knows well. In 2023 he published a report in which he already recognized that, although the majority of Andalusians agree that tourism is an economic engine, the sector must think about how it wants to grow in the future. “The excessive influx, especially of the most disruptive visitors, causes problems of coexistence, noise, dirt and incidents.” The report It goes further and leaves two warnings. First, the risk that the avalanche of tourists will saturate municipal infrastructure and resources. Second, an excess of visitors can end up degrading the quality of the destination. It’s nothing new. I warned about a similar risk not long ago a study from the Malaga City Council and in fact there are guides that they are already advising against visit certain saturated destinations in Spain, such as Mallorca or Barcelona. Beyond paper. Beyond the reports, the tensions generated by mass tourism can also be seen in the streets. Over the last few months, cities like Malaga, Seville, Palm, San Sebastian either Barcelona They have registered demonstrations by residents who are crying out against the saturation of their cities and the effect that this has (especially) on the residential rental market. Of all of them, perhaps the most media-worthy is the one that was held last year in Barcelona, ​​where a group of neighbors shot tourists in the street with water guns, an image captured by media around the world. There are billions of euros at stake. According to data managed by the Ministry of Industry and Tourism, only during the first ten months of the year have international visitors spent their time in Spain more than 118,000 million of euros, 7% more than in 2024. If we talk about Andalusia, during the same period the community received a record of 12.9 million of foreign tourists who accumulated an expenditure of approximately 18,000 million euros. Images | Chris Boland (Unsplash) In Xataka | There is a reason why Vigo is announcing its Christmas in Japan. And it has little to do with Japanese tourists

For the first time, 100% of Spain’s energy has been covered with renewables. The question is whether we can repeat it

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If a couple of years ago It was a utopia Talking to produce 100% renewable energy in Spain, last year, showed, together with Portugal, how to lead the energy transition with 82% clean electricity. But in a display of energy ambition, last Holy Thursday, April 17, Spain managed to produce 100% renewable energy. Short. At the end of 2024, Spain closed with an installed power of 132,343 MW in its electrical system, being 64.3% of the total renewables. Last Thursday, wind and solar energy covered with more than 100% of demand in Spain, According to the Spanish Electricity (Ree). Specifically, at 2:45 pm he reached the maximum peak at 114.42%. In data. According to the statistics of the Spanish Electricity (Ree)the maximum energy of that day was 114.52% renewable and wind along with the plot reached 100.29%; while, nuclear did not exceed 12%. For its part, like He explained The Xavier Cugat energy analyst, the minimum clean energy data were 55.89%, and the plot together with the wind reached 25.88%; On the other hand, nuclear energy did not reach 7%. Temporary nuclear closure. On Holy Thursday it was a fairly moved day, not only because of the steps of Holy Week, but because in terms of energy matter, the co -chip nuclear power was temporarily closed, leaving only two active nuclear, according to the middle the country. In total, five nuclear were stopped, which raised renewable prominence to more than 77% of the generation. And even with that scenario, According to Energy Analyst Pedro Frescothe situation was export and storage to the maximum, and even renewable energy was waste that was not generated. This context reopens the debate on the nuclear closure calendar. Faced with those who argue that turning off centrals implies more emissions, energy expert Xavier Cugat has sustained otherwise: “Eliminating nuclear does not imply more emissions; it is the only way to continue expanding renewables, which are the only ones that are reducing emissions here and worldwide.” In 2023, According to Irena data The world added 585 GW of renewables, compared to just 3.9 GW of nuclear. So is energy left over? With so many green gigawatts, the big question is what to do with energy when it is left over. Storage has become the great technical challenge and Spain has found a solution in its reservoirs. This system has doubled Its activity in the last 15 years and is key in network management, the last battery megaproject It is located in Gran Canaria. What if there is no sun or wind? In Germany they call it Dunkelflautea word that describes that perfect storm in which there are cloudy days without wind, so the renewable generation plummeted. However, in Spain, this scenario is less frequent. In addition to having a greater solar irradiation and strong wind gusts according to which areas of the country, the system has the support of hydroelectric energy acting as a great stabilizer. Although we still partially depend on gas at times of low generation, the truth is that there is no “Mr. Burns” willing to cover the sun. The problem is not the lack of light, but how to take advantage of it when it is left over. Symptom of something more or a day flower? More and more cases of countries are using 100% of their electrical demand with renewable, there are potential cases such as Denmark that wind production exceeds the total demand of the country or Portugal which managed to supply exclusively with clean energy for six days in a row. In the case of Spain, reaching this milestone does not seem a coincidence since it occurs in a context of strong renewable growth, reinforced infrastructure and improvements in network management. Everything indicates that it is not an anecdote, but a clear indication of a structural change that advances firmly. A historic day. And now what? 100% renewable energy production in Spain marks a milestone and the final destination projected for nuclear. Although it has been a stable source, its high cost, the waste it generates and the thrust of new renewable technologies question their continuity in the energy mix. The key to the future will be to build a more flexible electrical system, capable of adapting to renewable variability and backed by modern storage and network infrastructures. Image | Pexels Xataka | Almost a year working only with renewables. Thus Uruguay has managed to arm the rest of the world

Spain’s attack gets stuck against Norway and the Hispanics are left with no margin for error to qualify for the quarterfinals

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Spain Qualification for the quarterfinals of the World Cup has been complicated after losing to a Norwegian team that, despite not reaching its best moment, punished the irregularity of the national team. Those of Jordi Ribera They had a good first half, but ran out of steam in the second half. In the second phase, the ‘Hispanics’ They no longer have any margin for error. The defeat against Norway has been like a shot in the foot and each game for Spain will be a match ball. Portugal will be the first obstacle, while if they win, the pass will be decided against Brazil. The defeat took place in the second half when the Spanish players failed to be successful in front of goal. Spain, which led by four, conceded a 4-9 partial in the final minutes that caused the first defeat in the World Cup. A result that few could have predicted with twenty minutes remaining with the five goals advantage (14-19) that the Spanish team had, whose attack was choked with seven field players that the Nordic team proposed in the final stretch. Quite a setback for Spain, which, aware of the delicate situation in which the hosts arrived at the event, who had zero points in their locker, seemed willing to exploit the nervousness of the Norwegian team with a forceful start to the game. Spain, from more to less To do this, Jordi Ribera did not hesitate to bet on the presence of the brothers. Dujshebaev who responded to the coach’s confidence with three consecutive goals from Dani, the youngest of the saga. An offensive efficiency that allowed the Hispanics to take a two-goal lead (1-3) that seemed like it could make Norway falter, very touched after its bad first phase. But it was the Spanish team itself that was in charge of rescuing the Nordic from his doubts with several untimely losses of the ball that allowed Norway to run. A circumstance that condemned Spain to see how those of Jonas Wille Not only did they erase their disadvantage, but they turned the score around 4-3 in just two minutes. It was enough, however, for those from Ribera to minimize their offensive mistakes led by a spectacular Alex Dujshebaev, who took over the scoring from his little brother, so that the ghosts would appear again to the Norwegian team. Forced to attack statically, the local players began to get more and more entangled in the defensive framework of the Spanish team, which with legs and more legs took the Nordics to the brink of passiveness in each of their offensives. The ideal breeding ground for Norway’s mistakes to emerge, which Spain did not forgive and punished with several consecutive counterattacks to lead by two goals (9-11) with just over ten minutes to go before half-time. Sagosen, the key to the match But the goalkeeper’s emergence Andre Kristensenwhich made three consecutive stops, prevented the escape of the Spanish team, which increasingly firm in defense managed, despite everything, to go into the break with a lead of three goals (10-13) on the scoreboard. The Hispanics managed to extend that difference to five (13-18) thanks to a sensational defensive work, in which the young man shone again, as happened against Sweden. Ian Barrufetand the goals of Imanol Garciandia which, with its cannon shots, unblocked the Spanish attack. However, there was still a lot for those from Ribera to suffer, as he was responsible for remembering. Norwegian star Sander Sagosenwhich seemed to be resurrected with the move to attack with seven field players proposed by the Nordic coach. A change that stuck for Spain, which saw its advantage reduced to just one point (21-22) with just over ten minutes remaining, forcing Ribera to urgently request a time-out. Petar Cikusa tries to escape the pressure of the Norwegian players. EFE

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