Bon dia. Here’s your weekly round-up of news.
Valencia starts the week with a Plaza del Ayuntamiento full of tents. The housing protest movement that began with the eviction of a Madrid pensioner took root in the city after Saturday’s clashes at Les Arts, where nine police officers were injured and five people were arrested. Aemet, meanwhile, says the Mediterranean is running 3 to 4 degrees above normal, raising the odds of violent downpours this autumn.
Here’s a quick explainer of this week’s protests: Why Valencia’s Plaza del Ayuntamiento is full of tents: the housing protests, explained.
And a reminder: Friday, October 9 (Valencia Day) and Monday, October 12 (National Day of Spain) are public holidays. Schools and markets will be closed.
City & Politics
On Saturday, protesters broke through fencing at the Palau de les Arts, where a real estate investment forum was under way, and police responded with charges and tear gas. Nine officers were reported injured and five people arrested. By Sunday night, close to 200 tents filled Plaza del Ayuntamiento, with some protesters traveling from outside the city to join organized committees drafting a manifesto of demands, including a call, echoing Madrid, for a general strike. Members of the Catholic Church have also joined the camp, and the Valencian Church publicly called for rent regulation and an end to the speculation pushing families out of their neighborhoods. It’s not clear how this will affect festival events scheduled in the plaza for Valencia Day on Friday.
Sources: Así ha empezado la tensión en la protesta por la vivienda en Valencia – Las Provincias; Más de 20 kilómetros para unirse a la acampada en Valencia: «Todos somos víctimas, tenemos que apoyarnos» — Las Provincias; La iglesia valenciana pide “la regulación del alquiler y el fin de la especulación que expulsa a las familias” de los barrios — El País Valencia; ¿Afectará la acampada a los actos del Nou d’Octubre? – Levante-EMV
The pressure comes as PM Pedro Sánchez’s housing agenda hit a wall in Madrid. On Friday, Congress rejected both of his housing decrees, one extending eviction protections and the other automatically renewing rental contracts, after Catalonia’s Junts joined the PP, Vox and UPN in voting no. The defeat has reopened questions about whether Sánchez can govern with a stable majority. El País analyst Kiko Llaneras’s polling model shows a PP–Vox government as the most likely outcome, but with a slim path for PSOE and the left to pull together, especially if undecided voters are galvanised by housing. A separate 40dB poll found that support for government intervention to lower rents extends to PP and Vox voters. Now, all eyes are on the Prime Minister to see whether he calls snap elections.
Sources: ¿Elecciones anticipadas? El ‘no’ de Junts deja a Sánchez ante una derrota en vivienda — Democrata; La intervención para bajar el alquiler arrasa en la izquierda y se impone también entre los votantes del PP y Vox — Las Provincias; ¿Qué dicen las encuestas si hay elecciones? — El País
In Valencia, real estate firms tell Las Provincias that landlords, spooked by the decree fights, are pulling flats off the rental market or delaying new contracts until the picture is clearer. Meanwhile, the regional Plan Vive, meant to deliver 10,000 social housing units, remains delayed by disputes over its bidding process. Valencia Plaza reports that one in five of its swap homes will join the public stock.
Sources: El fallido decreto Maricarmen hace temblar el mercado del alquiler en Valencia: 200 casas menos en un día — Las Provincias; Una de cada cinco viviendas de las permutas del Plan Vive del Consell se incorporará al parque público — Valencia Plaza
City & Climate
Valencia’s rain-alert system came under fresh scrutiny after last week’s storm, which was not classed as a DANA. The head of Aemet told Las Provincias that the same storm 20 years ago would have been rated yellow rather than red. The reason is that the Mediterranean, now 3 to 4 degrees above normal, has raised the risk of torrential downpours even in ordinary storms, making forecasts very tricky. Aemet describes the warm sea as a “thermal bomb”: warmer water puts more moisture into the air, which collides with cooler air from northern Europe and raises the risk of devastating storms. A climate scientist told Levante that each degree of warming lets the atmosphere absorb roughly 7% more water vapour, so storms may be less frequent but hit harder when they come.
Sources: El cambio climático dispara el potencial de las lluvias en la Comunitat: «Hace 20 años, este aviso rojo habría sido amarillo» – Las Provincias; La ‘bomba térmica del Mediterráneo’: Un mar a 26 °C aboca a la Comunitat Valenciana a un otoño de supertormentas — Levante-EMV; La ‘paradoja mediterránea’: menos lluvias, pero más extremas y con mayor variabilidad — Levante-EMV
City & Safety
New traffic rules took effect on 1 October, with the biggest changes aimed at electric scooter riders. Riders must now be at least 15 years old and wear a helmet. They must also wear a high-visibility vest at night or in low visibility such as rain or fog, and delivery riders must wear one at all times. Breaking any of the rules can bring a €200 fine, reduced to €100 for prompt payment. Mandatory lights for scooters don’t arrive until October 2027.
Sources: Nuevos requisitos para ciclistas y patinetes en Valencia — Las Provincias; Estos son los cambios de la DGT que entran en vigor este 1 de octubre — Valencia Extra
City & Economy
International tourism to the Valencia region hit a record in August, with more than 9 million visitors so far this year, nearly 3 million more than before the pandemic. Daily spending per tourist has stagnated, and together with inflation the rise is putting pressure on public spaces and resources, Valencia Plaza reports. The National Statistics Institute (INE) points to the expansion of Valencia airport, with nearly double the arrivals since 2016, as the main driver.
Sources: El turismo internacional sigue en auge en la Comunitat con un agosto récord — Valencia Plaza; La inversión extranjera en la Comunitat se quintuplica con la industria alimentaria como líder — Valencia Plaza
City & Culture
As extreme weather becomes more frequent, Valencia’s cultural venues say they need rules of their own: industry figures are calling for a general protocol for cancelling shows and events under the new rain-alert system.
For sports fan, the press got a first look at the Nou Mestalla stadium, on track for completion by August next year, with a steeper stand and a 70-metre cantilevered roof.
In the fields outside the city, farmers are swapping oranges for pistachios to meet demand fueled by the Dubai chocolate craze — still a minor crop, but one some growers are betting will have a bright future here.
Sources: La cultura ante el nuevo escenario meteorológico: “Necesitamos un protocolo general” — Valencia Plaza; Así será el Nou Mestalla — Levante-EMV; El nuevo oro verde se extiende por los campos valencianos… gracias al chocolate de Dubái — Las Provincias
