The results: Canary Islands local elections 2015

Click above to enlarge (Source: Gobierno de Canarias)

Above are the results of the elections to the Canary Islands parliament (2015 poll on left, 2011 results on the right). The outcome means that no party will be able to form a government on its own and soundings to produce a coalition government have already begun. 

The biggest loser in Sunday's poll were Spanish prime minister Rajoy's Partido Popular and the biggest winners were the Podemos movement who didn't even exist when voters went to cast their votes in the last local elections. They did well all across Spain and now won 15% of the votes in the Canaries. Also new in the Canary Islands' parliament is the party of long-time Gomeran president Casimiro Curbelo, who after failing to win a nomination from his former PSOE party, quickly founded a new one called ASG (Gomera Socialist Group) and won 3 of the 4 seats that will represent La Gomera in the Canarian parliament, and these three seats his former PSOE would have needed now.

More about the ASG and their landslide victory in La Gomera soon...

King of Spain abdicates. Demonstrations planned all over Spain (+ in Dublin, Brussels, Berlin, London & Paris) by many organisations and parties at 8pm tonight to demand referendum for abolition of monarchy.

Spain‘s King Juan Carlos is abdicating after almost 40 years on the throne the country's  Prime Minister Rajoy said today in a surprise announcement.

“His majesty, King Juan Carlos, has just communicated to me his will to give up the throne,“ Mr Rajoy said. “I‘m convinced this is the best moment for change.“ Juan Carlos has lost public support in recent years due to corruption scandals and gaffes.

The 76-year-old king stepping down for personal reasons, Mr Rajoy said.

King Juan Carlos (Source: Wikipedia)

Spain does not have a precise law regulating abdication and succession. Mr Rajoy said his cabinet would meet very soon to set out the steps for Prince Felipe to take over as Felipe VI.

The country is just pulling out of a difficult and long recession that has seen faith in politicians, the royal family all and other institutions dwindle. The Catalan region is planning a referendum on becoming an independent Catalan Republic and there is great unrest in that region after the central government's statement that they will not accept such a referendum.

After the sudden abdiction announcement by the king, republicans and many other organisations today have called for massive demonstrations nationwide at 8pm to demand a national referendum to decide on the abolition of the monarchy and the introduction of a Spanish republic. Spain's authorities however maintain that they have not yet received any requests for permission to hold such demonstrations, while social networks and media are buzzing with further calls for demonstrations. Disruption and unrest may be expected at least in several regions, and all over Catalonia protesters have been rioting over the eviction from  occupied houses for several days now.

Sixty-two percent of the Spanish population were in favour of the king stepping down, according to a national poll held earlier this year, compared with 45 percent a year before. 
However, the support for the royals is even lower in  many regions such as Catalonia and here in the Canary Islands. When prince Felipe, the likely successor to J. Carlos, came to La Gomera in a show of solidarity after the devastating fire here a couple of years ago, only a few old ladies and a some children turned up to great him.

The following demonstrations had been planned (incl. in Berlin, Brussels and Paris)  by lunchtime and many more are to follow according to eldiario.es :

- Alicante. 20:00. Mercado Central.

- Almeria. 20:00. Puerta Purchena.

- Aranda de Duero (Burgos). 20:00. Plaza Mayor.

- Badajoz. 20:00 Delegación del Gobierno, Avenida de Huelva.

- Badalona. 20:00 Plaza de la Villa

- Barcelona. 20:00. Plaza Catalunya

- Berlin (Alemania). 20.00 Puerta de Brandenburgo

- Bilbao. 20:00. Plaza Arriaga.

- Bruselas (Bélgica). 20:00 la Bolsa

- Burgos. 20:00. Plaza del Cid.

- Cáceres. 20:00 Subdelegación del Gobierno.

- Cadiz. 20:00. Plaza Palilleros.

- Castellon. 20:00. Plaza Maria Agustina.

- Ciudad Real. 20:00. Plaza Mayor

- Córdoba. 20:00. Plaza de las Tendillas

- A Coruña. 20:00. Obelisco.

- Donostia/San Sebastián. 19:00. Bulevar.

- Elche (Alicante). 20:30. Plaça de Baix.

- Ferrol (A Coruña), 20:00. Praza de Armas

- Gandía (Valencia). 20:00. Plaça Major

- Gijón/Xixón (Asturias/Asturies). 20:00. Plaza del Ayuntamiento.

- Granada. 20:00. Plaza del Carmen.

- Huesca/Uesca, 20:00. Plaza de Navarra (o de Zaragoza. Es la misma)

- Jerez (Cadiz). 20:00. Plaza del Arenal.

- Leon. 20:00. Plaza Botines.

- Logroño (La Rioja). 20:00. Delegación del Gobierno (C/ Muro de Francisco de la Mata, 3).

- Madrid. 20:00. Puerta de Sol.

- Málaga. 20:00. Plaza de la Constitución.

- Oviedo/Uviéu. 20:00. Plaza de La Escandalera (frente a la Xunta Xeneral)

- Palencia. 20:00. Plaza Mayor.

- Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. 20:00. Parque de San Telmo.

- Pamplona 20:00. Plaza de las Merindades.

- Paris (Francia). 20:00. Pl. de la République

- Puerto del Rosario (Fuerteventura). 18.00. Puerto del Rosario.

- Salamanca. 20:00. Plaza Mayor.

- Santander. 20:00. Plaza Porticada.

- Santiago de Compostela (A Coruña). 20:00. Para do Toural.

- Sevilla. 20:00. Plaza Nueva.

- Soria 21:00. Plaza San Esteban

- Toledo. 20:00. Plaza Zocodover.

- Valencia. 20:00. Plaza del Ayuntamiento.

- Valladolid 20:00. Plaza Fuente Dorada

- Vigo. 20:00. Farola de Urzaiz.

- Zaragoza. 20:00. Plaza de España.

International Cities added later:

Amsterdam 
Bruselas (Bégica)
Berlín (Alemania)
Cluj-Napoca (Rumanía)
Dublín (Irlanda) (19.00 h at GPO
Edimburgo (Escocia)
Fráncfort (Alemania)
Gotemburgo (Suecia)
Helsinki (Finlandia)
Jerusalén (Israel) (21.00 h)
Leipzig (Alemania)
Lisboa (Portugal)
Londres (19.00 h) (Inglaterra)
Luxemburgo (Luxemburgo)
Marsella (Francia)
Metz (Francia) (19.30 h)
México DF (México)
Milán (Italia)
Montevideo
Montpellier (Francia) (19.00 h)
Múnich (Alemania)
Nantes (Francia)
Nueva York (Estados Unidos) (17.30 h) NEW YORK, USA
Porto (Portugal)
Padova (Italia)
París (Francia)
Praga (República Checha) (20.30 h)
Roma (Italia)
Stuttgart (Alemania)
Toulouse (Francia)
Viena (Austria) (Martes 3 de junio a las 20.00 h)

Yesterday's protests well attended

The protests against oil exploration between the Canary islands and Morocco were well attended on all the islands yesterday. The largest protest was on Gran Canaria with over 5.000 people forming a chain. Here on La Gomera about 150 people joined hands against oil drilling and for renewable energies, first along the beach of the island's capital San Sebastian. Later on a huge circle was formed around the town's historic Torre del Conde, a symbol of the Spanish conquest of the Canaries:

Yesterday's human chain circle in protest against oil exploration (Image: gomeranoticias.com)

Human chains against oil prospecting today

All over the Canary Islands human chains will be formed to protest against oil prospecting today. On La Gomera the event will take place at the town's beach from 12 noon today. The initiative will also stress the abundance of alternative energy available here and will demand a new sustainable clean energy model for the Canaries.

Oil plans for Canaries to be put on hold?

The president of the Canaries believes he has secured a promise from the Spanish government to review the authorisation given to a major oil company to drill off the islands after the summer, although the news has still to be formally confirmed.

© Expansión.com

Paulino Rivero’s meeting with Spanish PM Mariano Rajoy in Madrid covered a wide range of issues including taxation matters and the Canaries  freeze on the building of all but 5-star hotels. However, media coverage has been dominated by the major hint given by Rivero that Rajoy has had a change of heart over the exploratory oil drilling, which is due to take place 60 km off the coast of Lanzarote and Fuerteventura. According to Rivero, the prime minister has agreed to consider suspending the licences granted to Repsol to undertake drilling at several sites until an understanding can be reached between the two administrations. “An oil industry brings benefits only for the private sector and causes many problems” the Canarian president argued, while urging Rajoy to allow the islands to hold a binding referendum on whether they want the drilling. (Above report   by  queeniesdailysnippets)