TUE PM FEB 05

2019 Budget
Catalan pro-independence parties said yesterday they would file parliamentary amendments opposing the Spanish government’s 2019 budget proposal, potentially putting at risk the budget and the administration of Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.
His minority Socialist government came to power last June and holds just a quarter of the seats in parliament and it relies on the backing of anti-austerity Podemos, Catalan nationalists and other small parties to pass laws.
The two Catalan parties, ERC and PDeCAT, said they would file full parliamentary amendments against the budget proposal, which faces its first vote next week, unless Sanchez is open to some of their political demands.
Under Spanish parliamentary procedure, such amendments can block the entire budget bill.
Failure by parliament to approve the government’s budget could prompt a snap election before the next scheduled vote in 2020.

Burst Pipe
A Burst pipe flooded a Malaga town to a depth of 1.5 metres overnight.
A 90-year-old woman was rescued as water cascaded down the main street in El Trapiche after a break in the pipeline from the Viñuela reservoir.
More than 60 houses were flooded and a dozen vehicles were trapped in the fast-rising water.
Emergency services were called at 10.15pm and clean up efforts have been going on all night.
The water supply company said that work had begun to safeguard water supplies to the 14 municipalities that rely on reservoir.

Airline Insolvency

Holidaymakers heading to Tenerife might not be jetting off after all, after the airline providing the direct flights from Jersey went bust.
The airline Germania was due to operate FlyDirect’s routes from this Saturday until the end of April, however it’s just filed for insolvency and will stop flying.
Travel agents are trying to find an alternative charter airline and will let customers know as soon as possible.

Spanish Mortgages
NEW mortgages in Spain are more expensive than elsewhere in Europe, according to a report.
A professor at the University of Valencia .. the report’s author says the average interest rate charged on mortgages in Spain is 2.02 per cent, compared to 1.83 per cent across Europe.
He explained interest rates had risen over the last three months in Spain, owing either to uncertainty over a recent Supreme Court ruling on mortgage tax changes, or in response to recent government legislation over the same tax.
He explained current figures showed Spain is only responsible for granting 5 per cent of all mortgages in Europe, compared to 20 per cent before the financial crash.