Spain Today News - 18th November 2025

Alberto Núñez Feijóo presented proposals focused on combating the "precariedad vital" (vital precarity) and "precariedad emocional" (emotional precarity) affecting young people. To address the housing crisis, where prices have more than doubled salaries in seven years, he proposes a massive construction plan to build hundreds of thousands of homes annually, noting that 650,000 were built yearly in 2006-2008. Housing measures include recovering the "cuenta ahorro vivienda" (housing savings account) with an IRPF deduction, and suggesting a reduction in housing VAT from 10% to 4% for those under 35, deferred over 15 to 20 years. He also highlighted the high incidence of youth temporary employment (66%) and part-time work (39%).

Regarding "precariedad emocional," he noted that 6.5% of young people (12 to 20 years old) have attempted suicide. His digital plan proposes mandatory age verification, absolute nightly blocks on application use, prohibiting access to social media for minors under 16, and limiting addictive scrolling.

In judicial news, the Supreme Court judge Leopoldo Puente lifted the partial secrecy surrounding the investigation into the alleged public works rigging (amaños de obra pública) led by Cerdán. The judge indicted three directors linked to Acciona, including former director Justo Vicente Pelegrini. The investigation focuses on alleged illegal commissions received in exchange for public works contracts during the time José Luis Ábalos was Minister of Transport, and Acciona is close to being indicted as a legal entity.

Ukrainian President Volodímir Zelenski visited the Congress of Deputies in his third trip to Spain to seek additional military support. He met with King Felipe VI and will meet with Pedro Sánchez. Spain confirmed its "long-term" commitment, having previously committed $1 billion in 2024, potentially reaching $5 billion by 2027. The visit occurs as Russia advances on the southeastern front and amid a domestic corruption scandal (Case Midas) in Ukraine.

Finally, the Spanish Council of Ministers approved a new economic framework ("cuadro económico"). A key novelty is the inclusion of variables like inequality and poverty reduction, aiming to translate macro growth into improvements for citizens. The Government forecasts sustained GDP growth above 2% until 2028, revising the 2025 forecast upward to 2.9%. This sustained growth, driven by domestic demand, is expected to reduce the unemployment rate (tasa de paro) to 9% by 2028, nearing levels prior to the financial crisis. The Council also approved a 2026 spending ceiling of 212,026 million euros.