Free Republic

Turnout in Spain's referendum on the European Constitution yesterday was 42.34%, the lowest in a vote in Spain since democracy was restored. Only four of ten voters came to the polls. 76.67% voted yes and 17.29% voted no. Despite the very low participation, prime minister Rodriguez Zapatero announced that Spaniards had "made European history" with a "clear firm yes". Oppostion leader Mariano Rajoy said that Zapatero "wanted to be first into Europe" but "he went too fast", since the low turnout "is a failure" for Zapatero. BBC: The BBC's Katya Adler, in Madrid, says the turnout was embarrassingly low for...

Spain is much more important to Americans than most of us realize. Aside from its importance to Europe, where its rising economic might is being felt, the cultural and historic ties of Spain to the Western Hemisphere make it a cultural superpower, far more important than the French pretend to be. Only Britain had a mightier empire, and that was a chancy thing. Writing from California, the importance of Spain is obvious from all the Spanish place names. The English language blogosphere is lucky to have Franco Aleman, writing as Barcepundit, to keep us up to date on the eimportant...

Franco Aleman, of Barcepundit.com, provides us shocking suggestive evidence that the massive fire which destroyed a thirty-two story skyscraper in Madrid may have been the result of foul play. A videotaper caught what appears to be people with flashlights on lower floors of the building as the fire burned above. While far from conclusive evidence, this would be consistent with arsonists doing their work. The building housed the biggest accounting firm in Spain and a prestigeous law firm, so it might be a target for anti-capitalist thugs.