OLIVE PRESS MALLORCA
WIN! WIN! WIN! Tom Jones competition on p7 EXCLUSIVE
‘I’m never going back’ .. in a brand new column the world’s richest plumber Charlie Mullins insists he’s no tax exile See page 3
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Vol. 8 Issue 203
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Jávea · Moraira
April 11th - April 24th 2025
We need a home!
‘Housing can never be a commodity, it must be a right we protect:’ Hundreds of thousands march across Spain By Samantha Mythen, Walter Finch & Dylan Wagemans
THOUSANDS of people turned out in Palma on Saturday to protest about Spain’s housing crisis. They were joined by hundreds of thousands of people around the country over the weekend demanding urgent changes to property laws. Demonstrators in 40 cities, including Sevilla, Malaga, Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia, united under the slogan ‘Down with the housing business’, calling for an end to housing-for-profit. They called for immediate action to tackle soaring rents, a lack of affordable housing, and the prioritisation of local needs over tourism-driven policies. An estimated 3,000 people protested in Palma, gathering in the city to demand a solution to the lack of affordable housing. They called for
Top award for Olive Press
THE Olive Press has scooped a top UK journalism award: with campaigning young go-getter Yzabelle Bostyn. Yzzy, 25, who joined us from university in 2023, has won the UK’s prestigious NCTJ Trainee of the Year award. She picked up the gong for her ‘hard-hitting’ investigative reporting on a variety of social and health issues in Spain. Her impactful reporting was praised for offering a ‘brilliant public service’ to our readers and ‘bringing important real world issues to light’. Our exact DNA for the last two decades, she beat finalists from the Times and the Midland’s Express & Star. The award recognised the high journalistic standards she demonstrated while learning her trade at the Olive Press, after studying journalism in Sheffield. Here in Spain, the Yorkshire native developed the skills, dedication, and investigative mindset that have propelled her career. The NCTJ (National Council for the Training of Journalists) highlighted her dogmatic pursuit of a holiday rental scammer and a politician, who illegally evicted a British mother-of-three. It also praised her work on our successful Nolotil campaign which exemplified her ability to dig deep into critical issues and present them in a clear, impactful way. Sadly Yzzy is now leaving us for a year’s sabbatical in Canada, no doubt tracking down wrong-doing on the Klondike Trail!
lower rents, an end to evictions, and an increase in public housing. The protest attracted fewer people than the demonstration in May last year, which attracted 12,000 protestors according to authorities. Organisers acknowledged that the numbers were down from last year, saying that it’s because people are ‘demoralised’ from the ever-worsening situation. Mallorcans are being expelled from the island, as they have no choice but to move to other regions of Spain to find a home, according to organisers. “Housing prices are unaffordable for workers, the middle class is being affected in a way that it previously hadn’t been,” said Carme Reynes, the spokesperson of one of the organising groups. The protests come as average rents in Spain have doubled over the past decade while property prices have surged
FACING EVICTION: Yolanda Greta and Jimena Centurion must leave their rented home
MASS PROTEST: Hundreds of thousands marched through the streets of Spanish cities by 44%, far outpacing wage growth. A report from Spain’s central bank revealed that nearly 40% of families spend over 40% of their income on housing costs. Meanwhile, public housing accounts for less than 2% of Spain’s total housing stock - well below the OECD average of 7%. Activists called for measures such as forced rent reductions and increased social housing construction. “In the centre of many cities there are simply no locals any more,” Manuel Gomez told the Olive Press. “Only tourists and businesses that focus on them.” The engineer added: “My first rental price was €200 for a room. Now the normal price is around €500-600, while my partner and I pay €850 between us. “In the past five years, there’s been an increase of around 45% of the cost of living, and salaries simply haven’t matched.” This has meant that most local families have been forced to move to the outskirts of the big cities like Palma or, often, inland villages.
FALSE FLAG OPERATION SPAIN has flown the wrong British flag for the third time running… this time at the high-profile G5+ Summit in Madrid. The botched Union Jack shows all three crosses the same size and in a pale blue - missing the bold design that properly represents England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. The gaff happened again later that day, at a Ukraine meeting with Spain’s Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares, and again with UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy.
In Palma protesters could be heard from miles away with hundreds of whistles and Brazilian batucada drums. Young people are particularly affected by rising housing costs. Mari Sanchez, a 26-year-old lawyer who shares an apartment with four others, explained: “I allocate 30 or 40% of my salary to rent. “That doesn’t allow me to save. That doesn’t allow me to do anything. It doesn’t even allow me to buy a car.” Similarly, Elena Perez, a 22-yearold student working part-time while studying, told the Olive Press: “All of my friends are in the same position.” The crisis is not limited to Palma. In Madrid, more than 150,000 protesters marched through the city’s streets Continues on Page 4
Opinion Page 6
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