The New York Times piece in particular has widespread coverage in the Spanish press.
An editorial in the New York Times on Friday, entitled ‘An Overdose of Pain’, in which the paper considered Spain could be the next European economy brought down by ‘German-led mismanagement of the Euro-zone crisis'.
The paper says it need not turn out that way but it surely will unless Chancellor Angela Merkel and her political allies inside and outside Germany acknowledge that no country can pay off its debts by suffocating economic growth.
The NYT says that austerity, the one-size-fits-all cure prescribed by Ms. Merkel is not working anywhere.
The editorial has obtained wide coverage across the Spanish media this weekend.
Now comes a second article, this time written by Giles Tremlett who is the Guardian’s correspondent in Madrid. He concentrates his gaze on Andalucía with the title, ‘Eurozone crisis focuses on Andalucía, home to sun, sand and soaring deficits’, and says that senior Spanish officials have admitted they are clueless to the real size of the debt in the biggest region of all.
Tremlett claims Andalucía sells itself to British tourists as a holiday haven but it has now become the focus of worries about the Euro.
Indeed he reports that the EU inspectors from Brussels who were in Madrid on Friday have been demanding answers on how the Government intends to bring the regions under control. Antonio Beteta, the junior minister for the regions, claimed that Andalucía is cooking its books and hiding unpaid bills to cover up the debt.
Giles Tremlett notes that the Government passed a law last Thursday which would allow it take over the control of the finances in the regions which fail to stick to the austerity plan. He names the PP controlled Valencia and Castilla-La Mancha, and Cataluña as well as Andalucía as being out front with deficit and considers Rajoy may even enjoy intervening in Socialist controlled Andalucia.
The New York Times editorial is here.
The Guardian piece by Giles Tremlett is here
