Spain to mark 40th anniversary of entry to the EU, clear skies for most of Spain on New Year’s Eve and more news on Wednesday December 31st.
Spain to mark 40th anniversary of entry to the EU
On January 1st 1986, Spain officially joined what was then known as the European Communities (EC), putting an end to the decades of isolation under the Franco dictatorship and ushering in a period of modernisation and growth for the country.
Over these four decades, EU membership has transformed Spain, and at the same time, Spain has left its mark on the European project.
Since joining la Unión Europea, Spain’s GDP has doubled, as has employment, with 21 million people in work in 2024.
Spain has also held the presidency of Council of the EU five times, there have been nine Spanish European Commissioners, 60 Spanish MEPs, and three Spaniards have been at the head of the European Parliament.
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Good weather for most of Spain on New Year’s Eve
Stable weather will prevail on New Year’s Eve, but will gradually dissipate towards New Year’s Day. This comes after torrential rains experienced over the weekend
A cloud-free sky will mean a New Year’s Eve that’s noticeably colder, with significant frosts in inland areas of mainland Spain.
On New Year’s Day, Storm Francis will arrive, bringing changes to the weather across much of Spain.
300,000 employees miss work every day in Spain without justification
Every day, nearly one and a half million people are absent from their jobs in Spain.
Although most absences are due to sick leave confirmed by doctors, 21.2 percent are unjustified.
This absenteeism has become a structural problem in Spain that directly affects the competitiveness of the Spanish economy.
According to the latest report from Randstad Research, corresponding to the third quarter of 2025, absenteeism has increased by 6.9 percent year-on-year.
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Early tests rule out lab as cause of Spain swine fever outbreak
Preliminary analysis rules out a lab leak as the cause of an African swine fever outbreak that has rocked Spain’s lucrative pork industry, but further tests are needed, authorities said Tuesday.
Spain has deployed dozens of soldiers to help track and contain the outbreak in the northeastern Catalonia region, where 29 cases in wild boars have been detected since November 28.
Authorities are investigating five laboratories within a 20-kilometre (12-mile) radius of the outbreak to determine its source.
Police earlier this month searched the premises of the IRTA-CReSA animal laboratory, close to where the first contaminated dead boars were found in November, as part of the probe.
Genetic sequencing conducted by a Barcelona research institute showed that virus samples taken from wild boars “do not correspond to the ones we have in our labs”, said the regional Catalan government’s agriculture minister, Oscar Ordeig.
“We are awaiting official confirmation” from the national agriculture ministry, he told a news conference.
According to Catalan authorities, the genetic analysis released Tuesday indicates the virus carries “a unique genetic signature” that classifies it as a previously undocumented variant.
The African swine fever outbreak is the first that Spain has experienced since 1994.
Swine fever does not affect humans but is highly contagious and lethal for pigs.
Although the disease has not spread to domestic pig farms, the cases have disrupted exports from Spain, the world’s third-largest producer of pork and its derivatives.
With additional reporting by AFP.
