Is former Jimena Mayor a close advisor to Fabian Picardo?

José Carracao
(Photo: europasur.es)

GIBRALTAR According to El Confidencial Digital (EDC), Former Jimena Mayor José Carracao has admitted that he is advising his fellow Socialist Fabian Picardo, Chief Minister of Gibraltar, and has been  for some time. Still according to  EDC, among Carracao's functions is advice about, and as an intermediary with, businesses in Andalucía and the political structure of Melilla and Ceuta, Carracao's home province (and where his son heads the PSOE party). However, a source very close to Picardo told us last night that this is not so, that there is no official appointment, although Carracao and the Chief Minister 'talk often'.>>>

PP awaits Pineda's recovery with patience

Francisco 'Paco' Pineda

JIMENA (TioJimeno) The Jimena branch of the Partido Popular (PP) waits patiently for the recovery of the man who headed its electoral list. Francisco Pineda had a stroke during the campaign for local elections on May 22. He has been in hospital ever since but is said to be recovering quickly and well; Family sources said he could well be leaving hospital in the next few weeks, to continue rehabilitation treatment at home in Jimena. The party is hoping he will be willing to take up his place as a Councillor as soon as, and if, he feels up to the task. He cannot become Mayor, as the period for that possibility ended 48 hours after the Council held its first investiture session early last June. "The only way his place could become vacant," according to Councillor Pedro Corbacho, "is that he resigns from it expressly, or he is declared incompetent, neither of which will happen."

Valencian President to stand trial for accepting suits

"A nice piece o' shmatter"

VALENCIA (El Pais) The Valencian premier, Francisco Camps, will stand trial. After a two-year investigation and preliminary hearings, a court has decided that there is enough evidence to try Camps over "la causa de los trajes," roughly translated as "SuitGate." Camps, who is also head of the regional branch of the Popular Party (PP), is accused of accepting expensive articles of clothing worth over 14,000 euros from a corrupt business network that operated nationwide and bribed numerous PP officials in exchange for government contracts. If Camps - who was re-elected for office in May despite the shadow of corruption charges - does not step down before, he will be the second regional premier in Spanish history to stand trial after Cantabria leader Juan Hormaechea in 1994. This setback for Camps comes after the Valencian High Court initially closed the case for lack of evidence. The Supreme Court later decided to reopen it.

Unusual post-electoral situation in Jimena

JIMENA (EFE/Photo: TioJimeno)  Jimena de la Frontera is facing an unusual post-electoral situation. The Mayor-elect, Francisco Pineda, suffered a cerebral ictus during the campaign and has been in hospital since then, without any possibility of taking up his post. A retired Army man, this was the first time Pineda had ever stood for election, heading the PP list that won an unprecedented 7 seats on the Council, the same number as the PSOE who have been in power in the municipality since the advent of democracy in 1985. Pineda remains in his room at the Puerta del Mar Hospital in Cadiz, where his health is improving very slowly. He still needs assisted breathing and feeding but is conscious and responding to stimuli with smiles and facial expressions. His motor functions remain paralized, however. According to family sources, he was told that he had won the elections as soon as it was confirmed that he had regained consciousness - two tears rolled down his cheeks at the news. As to the political situation, there appears to be a grey area in the law.>

Councillor-elect arrested for insurance fraud

(Photo: LaLineaDigital)

LA LINEA (Agencies) The Guardia Civil yesterday detained Antonio Torres, a local businessman and number 2 on the PP electoral list, for alleged insurance fraud and, according to sources, other charges. He is out on police bail. Torres has resigned his post on the Council without having yet taken possession of it. In a statement, the PP said it had planned to ask for his resignation "in accordance with the commitment to transparency and honesty taken by the party during the campaign." The same sources said that Torres had resigned "by his own initiative" in order "not to damage the party's image." Another eight people have been arrested in Operation Menkaura.

No repercussion except by 'mutual agreement'

SPAIN (Agencies) This photo was taken just prior to the national elections in 2009. It shows the leader of the opposition, i.e. Partido Popular, Mariano Rajoy, aboard a tuna fishing boat Moropa belonging to Daniel Baúlo Carballo, who at the time was serving 17 years in prison for drug trafficking and had been called 'the most important traficker in the country' by the police, as head of the Galician cartel called Os Caneos. The photo was taken by a photographer from the Xornal de Galicia newspaper, whose Editor, José Luis Gómez, lost his job last month as a result. It turns out that, after the article appeared, and was followed up by Público and Galicia Confidencial, both of whom delved deeper into the subject, an irate Rajoy called Jacinto Rey, who owns one of that region's largest construction/development empires as well as the Xornal de Galicia. The leader of the PP is reported to have suggested that he was about to become the new President of the Government, which would give him the power to approve public construction tenders, or not. As a result of that call -or a mere coincidence of dates- the Editor left his position 'by mutual agreement'. Coincidentally, the photo journalist who took the photo was relieved of his job very soon after the exclusive by a similar 'mutual agreement'. As one (socialist) wag put it: the country did not vote for Rajoy or the PP in sufficient numbers by 'mutual agreement'.

Sony ATV Music sues PP for plagiarising Lady Gaga

SPAIN (Agencies) If you follow politics in Tarragona -and we admit we don't as we're interested in things somewhat South of there- you might have seen it coming: Sony ATV Music has sent an official demand to the Partido Popular to immediately remove 'Alejandro' by Lady Gaga, which has been used with changed lyrics by the party's candidate for mayor, Alejandro Fernández. We're not so vigilant on the subject but have seen the videos side by side, and admit there is a similarity, although why exactly a supposedly serious mayoral candidate wants to be associated with Lady Gaga is beyond us. (Note: And we thought our very own Alejandro (Sánchez) in La Línea was pushing things...)

'Socialists want to raise electricity costs by up to 12.5%'

SPAIN (Press release) The Socialist government has proposed raising electricity bills by 12.5% on the part that it fixes prices for most homes, and by 9% for the rest of consumers. "Zapatero's anti-social measures are taking it out on families, who, while becoming increasingly empoverished, see their bills for VAT, electricity and other things rise beyond their possibilities," says the Partido Popular (PP). The cost of electricity has already risen by 60% since the PSOE is in power, whereas the PP lowered that cost by 15% in its time in government. Meanwhile the government is manouvering to avoid announcing that rise until after the local elections on May 22.

Talks on airport land are either 'a significant advance' or 'going nowhere'

LA LÍNEA Mayor Alejandro Sánchez (PP) held talks last week with AENA, the state airport authority on the kind of work the agency needs to carry out to see building of the Spanish side of the shared airport with Gibraltar get under way. According to a communiqué from the town hall, the talks were "a significant and substantial advance on the negotiations about the airport land." Sánchez added "the municipal government's sense of responsibility  has lead us to study and develop plans in order to attain synergy with AENA." No financial or administrative details were offered. On the other side of the political fence, mayoral candidate Gemma Araujo's party (PSOE) described the talks as 'disappointing', adding that>