Covid – a mixed blessing for Spanish politics, economy & society? With Alan McGuire

Madrid-based British writer and podcaster, Alan McGuire joins the When in Spain podcast to talk about Spanish politics, society and the economy since the 2008 financial crisis and the struggles that Spain has faced since then.

Alan also talks about how Covid-19 has affected Spain and highlights the problems the pandemic has exposed. We also look at how Spain could or should use the vast pandemic recovery fund that is being made available from the EU. Where should Spain spend the money? And is this an opportunity for Spain to restructure its economy and move away from its dependence on the tourism and construction sectors.

In the interview we talk about unemployment, jobs and education, small businesses, regional governments and corruption, party politics and the politicisation of the Covid pandemic, as well as looking towards the future to see where Spain needs to improve.

Alan hosts and produces his own podcast about Spain called The Sobremesa Podcast, where he focuses on Spanish politics and society. He has many great guest on the show so be sure to give it a listen! In fact when we recorded this episode Alan also interviewed me for his podcast so head over to The Sobremesa Podcast to hear me talking about the global perception and reputation of Spain and whether it has changed since Covid-19.

You can also find out more about Alan and his writing at https://alanmcguire.com/