The Spanish prefer to describe themselves as picaresque or roguish, but the arrogance of the rich and endemic corruption in post-Franco Spain is changing attitudes.  Liz Cooper says that volcanic change is on the way 

The extraordinary bounce-back of the banks reveals the most disturbing, but least obvious, largely invisible, feature of the unfinished European crisis: the transformation of democratic taxation states into post-democratic banking states.

A scandal related to women’s rights and the socialist party in Spain, PSOE, broke out last month on International Women’s Day. Liz Cooper looks at a case of sexual harassment by politicians at work that is at the heart of the current row in the PSOE.

More widely, what the M5S’ success represents is a challenge to the approach to economic reform which has too often rewarded the rich responsible for the problems, while making the working classes pay for Europe’s economic mess.

Beyond indignation and in the wake of a housing market crash, a series of daily battles are taking place on the streets of Barcelona over the use and purpose of urban space.

Accusations of corruption against members of the “Partido Popular” far outstrip previous corruption scandals involving Government members. Liz Cooper asks whether the technically independent Judiciary will keep faith with the people, hold its nerve and bring the cases to court without delay to be tried free of political interference 

Is national citizenship still a valid organizational factor in the context of the crisis? A radical re-thinking of political citizenship, based on smaller entities such as Catalonia, Scotland or Flanders, may emerge as a reaction to growing imbalances.