A roundup of the latest news on Tuesday

Spain tops EU list as hardest country to afford a home

The percentage of income that households in Spain allocate to buying a home has grown nine times faster than in the rest of the eurozone since 1980.

That’s according to the latest data from the Bank of Spain, compiled using OECD indicators, which places Spain as the most extreme case in Europe for which data is available. 

Since 1980, the percentage of income a family has to allocate to buying a home – currently approximately 40 percent of gross income – has increased by 88.6 percent, compared to the 10 percent average increase in countries across the eurozone.

France’s Macron to make state visit to Spain on September 29th-30th

France’s President Emmanuel Macron will make a two-day state visit to neighbouring Spain from September 29, the Spanish government said on Monday.

The centrist French leader will be welcomed by Spain’s leftist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on September 30th, while a banquet will be held in Macron’s honour with King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, the government said.

It will be Macron’s first official visit to Spain since January 2023 and the first state visit by a French president to the country since 2009, according to the French presidency.

“The two countries share… a common commitment to protecting democracy and young people, particularly in the face of the challenges posed by social media and artificial intelligence,” Macron’s office said.

Both leaders will also address “the major European and international issues, in particular the situation in Ukraine and the Middle East”, the Elysée added.

While on his 2023 visit, Macron and Sánchez signed a friendship treaty, which has yet to be ratified by Spain in the face of objections by the right-wing opposition.

Shakira lands in Madrid for 12-concert marathon

Colombian popstar Shakira received a warm reception from her fans as arrived in Madrid on Monday ahead of her residency in the Spanish capital, where she will give 12 concerts.

The first of these will be this Friday, September 18th, at Macondo Park in Villaverde.

She will be performing in Madrid until October 11th. Her stay in Madrid is one of the stops on her “Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran” tour.

“We’re going to have a great time,” she told fans and reporters, adding that her concerts will feature nine pavilions that attendees can explore to discover “a bit of our (Colombian) art, gastronomy, and culture.” 

Spain struggles once more in corruption rankings

Spain has regressed in the fight against corruption despite being among the most competent democracies globally.

That’s according to the latest report from the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA), an intergovernmental organisation based in Sweden, which once again has warned that the quality of democracy continues to decline worldwide.

Spain recorded a significant setback in terms of corruption between 2020 and 2025 and has thus become one of the eight European countries that have experienced this regression, which also include Armenia, Austria, Finland, Georgia, Lithuania and Slovakia.

Spain also dropped three places to 49th in Transparency International’s corruption rankings this year.

With additional reporting by AFP.