Transcription
The Spanish miracle, growth, debt, employment, all the lights are green. How to explain the insolent performance of the Iberian economy? The labor market there is so flourishing that the big problem for them, well, it's the labor shortage. So much so that the government has announced a massive regularization plan. More than a million applications were filed in recent days, much to the dismay of the far-right, which denounces a migratory submersion. Stéphanie Perez and Christophe Kenk. On this sunny terrace of a restaurant in Seville, many tourists, and to serve them, Hélène, a Paraguayan student who has just been hired. If she can work here, earn the minimum wage, it's because she was regularized with her mother a few years ago. I have papers and thanks to that, I get what I couldn't get in my country. I get the life I deserve. Here is the boss of Alè, Alberto Martinez Perez. He is actively recruiting at the moment from Slovenia, Nicaragua, Morocco, and the conclusion is undeniable. The CVs he receives are mostly from foreigners. The Spaniard, he's looking for less demanding work. The foreigner, he doesn't think about his vacation, about going to the beach. He's here to earn a living. We are short of labor. Without foreigners, it wouldn't work. For employers and the Spanish government, it's a given. If the economy shows insolent growth, 2.8% in 2025, it's thanks to immigration. Essential in this Spain with declining birth rates. In 40 years, the country has broken regularization records in Europe. So, when in the spring, the authorities launched a new campaign, the undocumented rushed to regularize their situation. One million applications between April and June, twice as many as expected. That morning, this NGO that helps them in their process is overwhelmed. It handles 120 cases per day. This is the form. In the premises, men and women from Latin America, the Maghreb, or Africa like Rama Abdouay, a Senegalese woman who arrived 2 years ago after a perilous sea crossing. Do you have the asylum seeker card? She says she is grateful to the Spanish Prime Minister. We immigrants, we like Pedro Sanchez a lot. Why? Because he is someone who is kind, who is not racist. She speaks of immigrants well compared to others. One of the NGO activists receives Adorsinda Garcia, a Colombian. Latin Americans who have come in large numbers in the last two years should represent 90% of regularizations. All the papers are ready. In Colombia, I worked in a region riddled with violence. I had to leave the country. To qualify for papers, no specific qualification or mastery of Spanish is needed. Your criminal record, she must provide documents proving she has been living in Spain for at least 5 months. Any paper proving she has been here since last December at least. Adolsinda, a Spanish speaker, integrated without difficulty. But in this Latin quarter of Seville, her daily life as an undocumented person is precarious, made up of odd jobs as a cleaner or hairdresser. Your boss pays you less than the legal wage, he doesn't respect working hours, it's exploitation. But we knew that when we came here. You have to be patient and wait for regularization. That's what I did. The end of a national hypocrisy. Spain, a paradise for the undocumented, contrary to the rest of Europe. We went to film in the heat of the Andalusian countryside where hope is winning over the most vulnerable foreigners. Most of the time, these men and women are paid under the table, 8 to 9 euros per hour, picking strawberries that will end up on the shelves in Europe. Far from prying eyes, the most destitute are relegated to this makeshift camp where we met them. We live here. Oh yes, it's good. It's my home. For his Gambian and Guinean friends, papers would mean housing, social security, integration. You can rent a place in the city, you can work, you can do anything if you have papers, unlike elsewhere in Spain. The residence permit is only valid for Spain. But it is precisely the fear of a pull factor that the Spanish far-right stirred up during the regional election campaign in mid-May. That day, the president of the Vox party traveled to a village in Andalusia. The government has decided to promote a migratory invasion that will create problems of all kinds for Spaniards. In this rural Andalusia where Spaniards and migrants coexist without seeing each other, the anti-immigration discourse is uninhibited. At the national level, one-third of the population declares itself opposed to these regularizations. Immigration is not controlled. Everyone enters here as they please. This cannot last. Spaniards cannot tolerate this situation. All of Africa cannot land in Spain or in Europe. It's not possible. In Andalusia, the far-right is establishing itself as the arbiter of the Spanish political scene. Immigration, even if indispensable for the national economy, remains a subject of passionate debate. At the head of Spain for 8 years now, Pedro Sanchez has a strong and often contrarian voice in Europe, whether on defense, immigration, or the Middle East. This former economics professor has become an anti-Trump icon, but he is weakened by corruption scandals affecting his wife and his close associates. How to explain his longevity in power, however? We'll see with Stéphanie Perez and Océan la balette. These are a few detours that highlight Spain's singularity on the international stage. On this day in June 2025, during this NATO family photo, the socialist Pedro Sanchez stands apart, alone. He has just said no to the increase in military spending desired by his allies. 8 months later, he says no again, this time to Donald Trump and his war against Iran. The crisis provoked in the Middle East by this illegal war demonstrates the failure of brute force and the demand to respect international law. Pedro Sanchez, the new anti-Trump icon. In southern Spain, the resistance of the Spanish head of government does not surprise this retiree. This young man who was 16 or 17 years old, he is the head of government Pedro Sanchez. He was a discreet but responsible leader. Matthoos was the coach of young Sanchez when he shone among the hopefuls of basketball in the late 80s. He recognizes in the man who is one of the last left-wing European leaders the mentality of the former player. In basketball, there are moments when you can take breaks, reflect, and then act. And that's what he does in politics. Calm and determination. The secret to the longevity of this Prime Minister who came to power 8 years ago. In 2018, it was to everyone's surprise that Pedro Sanchez won after a motion of no confidence against the right. Since then, the man whom Spain nicknamed El Guapo, the handsome one, has faced repeated storms. His fragile coalition is unable to govern, and he is weakened by corruption scandals affecting his party and his close associates. His wife, suspected of having used her status to obtain work, will soon be tried for influence peddling. But Sanchez, 54, denies any wrongdoing before the Spanish Parliament last week. He is holding on. The question is not whether we should stay. How could we not stay? Sanchez, popular in Spain, but applauded abroad. He has also distinguished himself by being one of the first to recognize a Palestinian state. More than ever, the former economics professor must apply the lessons from his resistance manual written with this journalist. He, when the situation becomes complicated and he is on the verge of a precipice, he tells himself, "Ah, the situation is difficult, how are we going to manage this?" He is not the type to be afraid and run away, like a symbol of one of Donald Trump's opponents, Gavin Newsom, the governor of California, Pedro Sanchez offered a copy of the Spanish classic Don Quixote, a man who fights windmills, a stubborn man against the current. And Pedro Sanchez can rely on a solid economic track record. Dorothé Lach, good evening. In just a few years, Spain has become the main engine of European growth. Yes, clearly, we can say that. It is the locomotive today. Look, Léa. In 2025, Spanish growth reached +2.8%. That's almost triple that of France, around 0.9% at the same time. And then, whereas it was long the bad student of Europe in terms of unemployment, this latter is finally decreasing. Today, it is at 10.8%. It was double 10 years ago, and then, like us, Spain has long seen its public debt soar, but unlike France, it has managed to reduce it in recent years. In May, this Spanish public debt represented 101.6% of GDP, well below the 120% of GDP reached during Covid. And so, how do they do it? What is their recipe, the Spaniards? Well, Spain first benefited, and it's true, from generous European aid, a recovery plan of 160 billion euros granted in 2021. And then, in parallel, it was able to count on an explosion of tourism, a sector that today represents more than 12% of its GDP. However, Léa, it must be said, the picture is not entirely rosy. One only has to look at the soaring rents or the precariousness of some employment contracts. The Spanish economic miracle is more of a mirage for some inhabitants. Thank you, Doroté, for these details. The Spanish economy is doing very well overall, as you just said, but the country is also at the forefront of societal issues. Here in France, with the Liana affair, associations have called, you've heard them, loudly, for a comprehensive law against violence against women, and their model is Spain. This law was adopted there, and the results are edifying. The number of femicides has decreased by 30% in 20 years. Justine Wild, Océan La Ballette, and Marie-Hélène Balestero. As in any good hair salon, in the hands of professionals, women seek a moment of relaxation. Do you prefer the water rather cool or lukewarm? Rather lukewarm. But in this one, in the heart of Seville, a simple hair treatment can release long-held words. For a year, hairdressers have been trained to identify potential cases of domestic violence. We can often detect them. There might be a bruise, a mark on the neck, a black eye. These are all signs of aggression. And when we see that the client is ready to confide, then we help her. We tell her where she can go, who she can call. If women dare to confide in these salons, it's because they often go there without their partners. We'll be very quick, okay? Yes, very quick. At 70, Rosa wished such a place had existed earlier. She endured years of violence, and at the time, her husband watched her closely. When I went out on the street, I looked behind me. I thought, if he sees me entering the premises of a women's foundation, he'll say, "What are you doing?" I get goosebumps. No, no, I couldn't ask for help. So, everything that is done here to help women is really good because you really need a lot of strength to get out of it. Here, 8 cases were identified last year. Unsuspected interventions that contribute to the drop in the number of femicides in Spain, minus 30% in 20 years. What prompted the country to act was the murder of Ana Orantes. In 1997, she denounced 40 years of violence by her ex-husband on television. He took revenge 13 days later. Returning home, her ex-husband beat her to death, dragged her in the garden, doused her body with gasoline, and set it on fire. Ana Orantes, 60, had filed complaints several times. So in 2004, an ambitious comprehensive law was adopted. Emergency phone, restraining order. These protection measures are massively applied. Even today, Spain issues six times more restraining orders than France. These measures saved the life of Firenia Vidal. She too was subjected to repeated violence from her husband. When I hear a door slam, it makes me feel very bad. It makes me anxious. Then I remember that it's okay, that I'm home. A few years ago, she survived a femicide attempt. That evening, her husband burst into the house armed with a baseball bat. He intended to attack her and their son. We called the police twice. In the meantime, he broke down the door. He made a huge hole and stuck his head through. I will never forget the expression on his face. It wasn't a human face, it was that of a monster. He hit me here on the side, and it left marks. My back was all black. I still have a lump there. It will never go away. And Firenia filed a complaint and asked for a divorce. To support her and allow her to leave for good, the Spanish government gives her 450 euros per month for 3 years. She also benefits for a time from tailor-made protection, a danger phone to contact two plainclothes police officers. Never far away, they intervene when her ex-partner harasses her. I saw him on a small square in front of my house. He was shouting things at me like "You bitch, get out of my house, this is my house and I'm going to kill you." So I pressed the button, and it was over. Reactive authorities and specialized courts like here in Seville, capable of handling domestic violence in ultra-short deadlines, 7 days a week. Judge Francisco Gouter is on duty that evening. This type of violence requires an effective and immediate response. It helps to avoid potential retractions, withdrawals, and above all, it reduces the fear of the judicial system and the lack of confidence in our justice. One of his cases this evening, a woman who claims to be a victim of her partner's blows. They have been dating for a year. She filed a complaint at the police station 10 hours earlier, and she is already being heard by the judge. Exceptionally, we were able to record the hearing. The forensic doctor examined you. You have a cut, a scratch, a bruise on your left arm. You are requesting a restraining order, is that correct? Yes, because I have already been to his place several times, but he also knows where I live. After 30 minutes of discussion, the complainant leaves the room. She will never cross paths with her alleged aggressor, who is interrogated immediately after. Did you pull her hair? Did you push her? Did you make her fall? No, she fell on her own. Did you become aggressive? Did you insult her? No, never in my life. I never attempted anything to assault or insult her. This time, no conviction, but the profile of this man will be registered on a platform continuously monitored by judges, police officers, prisons, and social services to ensure that none of his partners lose their lives. Yeah.