1) FOREIGNERS SEE DOOM & GLOOM COMING TO SPAIN: “IMF forecasts that Spain will not comply with deficit, which will double in 2013” (Cinco Días: http://matbe.net/z40RJV). Meanwhile, over on the English-speaking financial blogs, it doesn’t get any better: “Desperate Spain Wants European Rescue Fund To Be "The Bigger The Better"” (Zero Hedge: http://matbe.net/wB9975).

2) GOVERNMENT TRIES TO MAKE IT FLY ANYWAY: “Spanish government manoeuvres to get deficit limits reset throughout Europe” (Público: http://matbe.net/xpr5Vx). They insist that Spain will be able to make its deficit targets, despite the IMF: “Rajoy: “Spain is going to meet the target, and today that target is 4.4%” (El País: http://matbe.net/yYRKNm).

3) NO-ONE WANTS SPANISH ELECTRICITY DEBT: “Treasury fails to sell electricity debt” (Cinco Días: http://matbe.net/Ak4VNT). They mention the maturity date—4 years—of the paper and the glut of public debt lying around at the moment in the market as reasons for the failure, although they were only trying to hock a small amount. Can you think of any other explanation?

Let’s talk about laws and justice in Spain, because that appears to be important today…

4) SPAIN SUPPORTS MARTA: “Thousands of people in 40 cities demand justice for Marta del Castillo and a change in the law” (Yahoo!: http://matbe.net/wL3nJl). It doesn’t seem like the recent judicial decisions regarding the accused have convinced anybody, three years after the young girl went missing and was murdered, and after the whole country has watched how—in those three years—the accused played with the justice system, the police and the courts.

Clearly many Spanish people think that justice in this country isn’t what it should be, and not only criminal justice…

5) WILL SPAIN’S CONSTITUTIONAL COURT SPRING BACK TO LIFE? “Santamaría announces the immediate renovation of the Constitutional Court” (ABC: http://matbe.net/x7UCqr). It seems ‘unexemplary’ is the political word of the moment here in Spain. The government wishes to take a step backwards towards greater judicial independence, and has once again proposed that the country’s top judges be elected by other judges.

There is no mention of the government having mentioned the 432 new courts Spain needs to make it all work, but that must be because of the recession or something.

Nevertheless, a greater separation of powers in Spain would be very welcome although given that the statesmanlike measure has been proposed by the conservative government,…

6) SPANISH SOCIALISTS DON’T LIKE THE IDEA: “The PSOE thinks the proposal for choosing top judges breaks parliament’s sovereignty” (Yahoo! http://matbe.net/wkqlam). They think that the PP’s proposal breaks parliamentary ‘consensus’ on how judicial power in Spain should function. Which consensus would that be then…?

While we’re on the topic of different national narratives about the idea of justice in Spain…

7) PUBLIC PROSECUTOR DEFENDS GARZÓN, ACCUSES JUDGE: “Public prosecutor defends Garzón and asks that ‘historical memory’ be decided on out of court” (ABC: http://matbe.net/wpCxEx).. Not only has he called the case ‘unheard of and unsustainable’, he has also accused the judge of working with Manos Limpias, which has brought the private prosecution.

Spanish justice doesn’t appear to be working very well etiher over in Tarragona, where they have managed to mix the recession with justice and, of course, Catalan nationalism…

8) CATALAN TAX DISOBEDIENCE: “Two businessmen refuse to pay taxes to Spain” (ABC: http://matbe.net/zSk7xA). “The Catalan and Spanish governments should come to an agreement to stop Spanish plundering.” What does the Catalan government say? It understands them perfectly. This is the fault of the “fiscal abuse we suffer in Catalonia thanks to Spain.”

Still on the Mediterranean coast, and to keep going with mixing national narratives with the idea of justice, let’s look at the day’s best headline…

9) BEST HEADLINE OF THE DAY: “Valencia subsidises nuns accused of stealing babies” (Público: http://matbe.net/vZkxsp). We must at least congratulate them for their linguistic efficiency. In one short headline, they have managed to squeeze in up to five important areas of national life—politics, money, religion, justice and healthcare—whilst at the same time clearly alluding to the historic split between “the two Spains”.

And, just so it’s clear that it’s not only Público’s journalists who are good at making use of national stereotypes to tell you about ‘reality in Spain’…

10) CHACÓN WANTS TO DEFEND SPAIN AGAINST THE PP AND THE CHURCH: “We shall not retreat when faced with the PP and the church” (Público: http://matbe.net/wJolqd). A very skillful spinner, Chacón managed to turn what the Archbishop of Valladolid had said about the female conservative deputy primer minister and Easter week into a feminist defense of the rights and independence of women.

Is Spain capable of moving beyond its stereotypes in the middle of a huge recession and with more than 5 million people out of work? Doesn’t look like it…

11) MARGALLO WASN’T JOKING ABOUT GIBRALTAR: “Margallo, to the British: “No more jokes about Gibraltar” (ABC: http://matbe.net/yYqubT). The British government, of course, defends the right of Gibraltar residents to decide for themselves to whom they wish to owe their loyalty. This sound just like the political conversation between the UK and Argentina over the Falklands…