Business News & Financial News

In Spain 22nd January 2026

Train drivers strike after 2 derailments in 48 hours leave 44 casualties

Two derailments in less than 48 hours, resulting in nearly fifty casualties—at least 43 in Adamuz (Córdoba) and another in Gélida (Barcelona)—have prompted the train drivers’ union to call for a strike on February 9, 10, and 11 to demand “infrastructure safety.” Their indignation is immense—derailments have doubled in a decade—and they appear fed up with the Ministry of Transport for disregarding their constant complaints regarding the state of the…

In Europe 21st January 2026

Croatian Boris Vujcic in running to replace de Guindos as ECB Vice-President, leaving Spain’s options for presidency open

Bankinter | Yesterday, the Eurogroup, made up of EU ministers of economy and finance, approved the appointment of Vujcic, current governor of the Croatian central bank, as the next Vice-President of the ECB. Vujcic, who has a distinctly hawkish tone, won enough support over other candidates such as Centeno (Portugal) and Rehn (Finland). De Guindos’ term expires next May, marking the start of a process of renewal of senior positions…

In the World 22nd January 2026

UK CPI rises slightly above expectations (3.4%) with core inflation remaining at 3.2%

Bankinter | December CPI rises slightly above expectations: 3.4% versus 3.3% expected versus 3.2% previously. However, the underlying rate remained unchanged at 3.2% versus 3.3% expected. Services continue to be the biggest contributor to inflation: 4.5% versus 4.4% previously. Bankinter analysis team’s view: Mixed data. Despite the rise in the overall rate, the core rate remains in line with the previous month. Lower wage pressures (weekly wage growth excluding bonuses…

“We need to approach negotiations with the U.S. on terms that are completely different from those currently being proposed”

Says Antonio Bonet, president of the Club of Spanish Exporters and Investors. He points out that “Europe has a single tariff applied by all member states, but the U.S. applies a tariff to each country, meaning it can decide that the tariff applied to Spanish black olives is higher than that for Italian olives, as it did at one point. So there is a part of the negotiation between Europe…

“Fifteen years ago, the European economy was larger than that of the U.S. Today, the U.S. economy is one and a half times that of Europe”

“It is a shame that we are able to mobilize economic resources for large-scale projects abroad, but not in our Spanish market”

In an interview with Consejeros magazine, Sacyr’s coordinating advisor, Elena Jiménez de Andrade, explains that now “We have great capacity to win projects, a capacity that until now contrasted with a series of financial limitations and balance sheet size. However, in this strategic cycle, we are going to eliminate those barriers. That is why we have set an ambitious goal for 2033: to triple the value of our assets. We…

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