25/12/2013 00:00
TW
0
By Jason Moore I find it amazing but I am not exactly surprised that Spaniards still have a problem with the euro. The Spanish minister for the Economy, Pedro Solbes, has even called for people to tip less because Spaniards were allegedly leaving far too much money because they simply didn´t understand the value of the coins involved. But the problem is even more serious; on Spanish television quiz shows the actual prizes are always described in pesetas because they suspect that their viewers will not understand it in euros! I thought that by now the peseta would have all but disappeared with the euro being king. I´m afraid not. While in Spain the euro is not blamed for everything (like in Italy!) it is still a controversial subject. The single currency is blamed for the all the price increases and also for higher mortgage rates. As Spain prepares to celebrate another anniversary of the single currency, there is plenty of food for thought. While the overall introduction has been a big success many people don´t understand it s value. This is a dangerous state of affairs at the best of times but when you are dealing with money it is even more serious.

THANKFULLY, the local authorities have understood the so-called gang culture which has moved into Palma. The stabbing of a 16-year-old youth is a clear example of how serious this problem is. The time has come for a far greater visible presence of officers on the streets of Palma especially in some of the main city squares which have allegedly been taken over by South American gangs. This is certainly a wake-up call.