21/12/2012 00:00
TW
0

Palma.—The documentary by the award-winning economics editor of the BBC's Newsnight was first broadcast on Sunday night on BBC2 and yesterday, it was revealed that the Spanish Ambassador to London, Ignacio Moreno, has written to the BBC to complain about the biased manner in which the documentary was put together and that Mason decided to use the region of Valencia as the example for Spain's financial and social problems.

Paul Mason investigated how this once thriving economy has become the latest casualty of the Eurozone crisis and interviewed key players, including former prime minister Felipe Gonzalez and European commissioner Joaquin Almunia. Mason revealed how Spain's extraordinary credit and construction boom has collapsed, leaving millions facing poverty and the politicians still bickering about a massive potential bail out.

And, the Spanish government does not approve.
Federico Trillo, head of Spain's diplomatic body in the UK has also got involved.
He claimed that Mason's report “only reflected the weakness of the country's economy but not its strengths.” What has also angered the government, in particular the authorities in Valencia is that the transmission of the documentary coincided with the launch of a major tourism promotion campaign in the UK, Valencia's largest market.

Apparently, in October, the number of British visitors dropped for the first time by 4.7 percent hence why the Government of Valencia, in association with the Spanish Tourist Board in London has mounted the publicity campaign because, until October, 15 of every 100 British visitors to Spain went to the region of Valencia spending some 1'300 million euros per year.

The documentary, which also addressed the region's problems of alleged corrupt politicians misappropriating public funds also angered the region's business community who fear that the programme with damage the region's image and not only deter holiday makers but also investors from heading to Valencia.

Apparently, the Ambassador has also advised the BBC that its reporters should respect other country's politics more.