Foreigners make up half of property buyers in Barceloneta neighbourhood, doctors in Spain begin four-day strike and more news on Monday February 16th.
Spanish government considers tax penalties for landlords who raise rent
The Spanish government is considering tax penalties as a way of slowing skyrocketing housing prices in the country.
In addition to the tax rebate system for landlords who lower their rent, a measure already in place in stressed rental areas and something the government wants to extend to the whole of Spain, it is now also reportedly considering tax penalties for landlords who raise the price of their tenants’ rental contracts.
According to information published by Spanish daily El País and SER, the proposal, which is still in its initial stages and being studied by the Ministry of Housing together with the Ministry of Finance, aims to gradually reduce the general 50 percent reduction in net rental income for landlords who lower the price of their apartments.
Sánchez defends his position on defence spending
Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has argued that European investment in defence is of great importance but outlined clear limits in this regard.
Sánchez stressed that in the face of threats such as those posed by Russia, Europeans “must strengthen their defence capabilities to protect their freedoms and way of life and offer guarantees to their international allies.”
However, Sánchez insisted that the way forward is not to promote nuclear rearmament. “I believe that nuclear rearmament is not the right way to go,” he said at the Munich Security Conference.
Regarding Spain’s defence spending, Sánchez defended the current level of investment and the decision not to increase investment in this area to 5 percent of GDP.
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Doctors in Spain begin four-day strike
Monday marks the start of a new round of protests by doctors in Spain against the government’s Framework Statute for healthcare workers.
More than 210,000 doctors have been called to support an indefinite national strike in Spain, beginning this February 16th at noon, with work stoppages that will continue for the coming months.
The first strike begins on Monday and will last at least one week each month until June.
The strikes are scheduled for the weeks of February 16th-20th, March 16th-20th, April 27th-30th, May 18th-22nd, and June 15th-19th.
Minimum services covering emergency services will still be available to patients at public hospitals across the country.
Foreigners make up half of property buyers in Barceloneta neighbourhood
Foreigners made up half (49,6 percent) of all apartment buyers in Barceloneta in 2025, the Barcelona neighbourhood popular with tourists and which contains the Catalan capital’s most famous beach.
The proportion of foreign buyers was also particularly high in Ciutat Vella – the old town just next to Barceloneta – accounting for 42 percent of transactions in 2025, according to City Council data.
Central neighbourhoods and those near the sea stand out, with percentages exceeding 35 percent.
On average, foreigners purchased 23 percent of apartments in Barcelona and 15 percent across Catalonia. The province with the highest proportion of these buyers is Girona (27.1 percent).
