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https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/feb/18/how-spains-radically-different-approach-to-migration-helped-its-economy-soar>
"From Madrid to Barcelona, restaurants and bars are brimming with people, and
reservations have become essential for everything from fine dining to high-end
hotels.
It’s a glimpse of how Spain has become Europe’s buzziest economy – named the
world’s best by the
Economist in 2024 – fuelled in part by what analysts have
described as the government’s strikingly different approach to migration.
This difference was laid bare late last year when Spain’s prime minister gave a
stark warning on migration. But unlike his counterparts in Italy, Germany or
France, Pedro Sánchez was intent on rallying the country behind a markedly
different approach.
“Spain needs to choose between being an open and prosperous country or a
closed-off, poor country,” he told parliament in October. “It’s as simple as
that.”
Migration was not only a question of humanity, he said, but – in a country
where the birthrate ranked among the lowest in the EU – it was the only
realistic means of growing the economy and sustaining the welfare state.
Months on, his stance has seemingly been backed by economic data: Spain’s
economy expanded by 3.2% last year. This far outpaced Germany’s 0.2%
contraction, France’s 1.1% growth and Italy’s 0.5%. The figure was also ahead
of Britain, whose total GDP grew by 0.9% last year and the Netherlands’ 0.8%
growth.
Crucial to this growth was the movement of people, said Javier Díaz-Giménez, a
professor of economics at the IESE Business School. “It’s been done with a lot
of tourists and a lot of immigrants.”"
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
