Buenos días! Here is your news update for Monday. Have a good start to your week!
Politics in Valencia
Mayor María José Catalá has restructured and stabilized her administration after recent political fallout between her party, the Partido Popular, and its far-right coalition partner, Vox. Two previously ousted officials, Badenas and Herrero, have been reinstated following negotiations with Vox.
Valencia Plaza has the full story
Housing Crisis
Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets in Valencia on Saturday to protest skyrocketing house prices, part of a coordinated national movement.
More from Valencia Plaza
In response, local and national governments are cracking down on tourist rentals. New rules allow homeowners’ associations to impose conditions and higher community fees—up to 20% more—on properties with tourist licenses.
Details from Spanish News Today
Valencia Plaza reports that foreign buyers—mainly from the U.S., France, Germany, and Italy—now dominate the high-end real estate market, especially in Ciutat Vella.
Read more
Flood Recovery
The Paiporta metro bridge, destroyed in last October’s torrential floods, has finally been restored. The bridge served 12 million passengers annually.
More from El País
Meanwhile, the Generalitat has billed the central government €917,000 for the cost of cleaning beach debris left behind by the flooding.
Read more at Valencia Plaza
Crime & Corruption
Police are investigating a suspected serial attacker in Valencia after multiple women reported being sexually assaulted late at night or early in the morning outside their homes.
Full story at Las Provincias
Authorities have also dismantled a major drug-smuggling ring at the Port of Valencia, seizing over a thousand kilos of cocaine. The suspects include dock workers and a well-known MMA fighter.
Levante has the details. The gang reportedly used “spidermen” to climb stacked shipping containers and retrieve the drugs. More from Las Provincias
Semana Santa Marinera
Valencia’s Holy Week (Semana Santa Marinera) processions begin this week in the Cabanyal neighborhood, leading up to Easter.
See the full schedule from the Ayuntamiento
Valencia’s Burger Makes Global List
Hundred Burgers, a local favorite, has been ranked among the world’s best burgers by the so-called “Michelin guide for hamburgers.”
Story from Las Provincias