# Spain fails to match Euro 2012 success with opportunities for its youth



## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

*Spain fails to match Euro 2012 success with opportunities for its youth*

Pretty negative article from The Guardian

Spain fails to match Euro 2012 success with opportunities for its youth | World news | The Guardian

Edited highlights...

_But the euphoria was dampened somewhat by the latest Eurostat figures showing that youth unemployment continues to rise, with 52.1% of the under-25s officially out of work compared to 7.9% for the same age group in Germany. To excel at any sport demands dedication, discipline and hard work, traits that northern Europeans claim are absent in a country where they say "now" means "later" and mañana means "never" or, at the very least, "not now".

__Perhaps another factor behind Spain's sporting prowess is that sport is a sector where talent encounters fewer obstacles on the road to success. Unlike, for example, starting up a business. Spain is ranked 133 out of 183 countries in ease of setting up a business and it sits at number 31 in Transparency International's corruption index, one place above Botswana._
_It takes around 140 days to set up a business here, giving Spanish civil servants, many of whom seem to carry a special "No" chromosome, ample time in which to crush even the most entrepreneurial spirit. As a result of all this, around a fifth of the economy is, as they say here, submerged. And as everyone knows, it also provides work for quite a few of those statistically unemployed youth._



_Spain does have its non-sporting success stories. In retail clothing, for example, Zara, Mango and Desigual are global giants. But even if all the three million immigrants who have arrived in the past 10 years go home – which they won't – in the medium term there is not going to be nearly enough work to soak up the surplus. So, with only a low and uncompetitive industrial base and poorly paid agricultural jobs to choose from, what should young people turn their hand to, aside from sport? The arts, perhaps?

_Although I heard on the radio that due to summer employment the unemployment rate was down, and a lot. 800, 000 - 900, 000. I suppose that's not specific to the youngsters though


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## Muddy (Jan 14, 2010)

Pesky Wesky said:


> *Spain fails to match Euro 2012 success with opportunities for its youth*
> 
> Pretty negative article from The Guardian
> 
> ...


 Lots of other sporting success apart from the football as well which really makes you think if Spaniards can be so good at sport why is business and jobs at the other end of the scale!
That might be an unfair way of putting it but that's how it looks from the outside to me at least.
The problem isn't the Spanish people of course. Just one subject close to my heart is setting up a one man band business in Spain like I have in the UK. But I want to work part time, and even if I didn't the cost of having to lay out for being Autonono from day one are a big concern. Having to become a tax collector from taking your first cent doesn’t help.
I honestly believe if Spain made it easier for an individual to setup a small business and not be faced with such high running costs it would encourage people to not only try starting a new business but bring a lot of people out of the black economy which would help the country back on its feet.
It's just not possible IMO to be a small totally legal business in Spain, probably not for the first year anyway!
I feel the Spanish government urgently need to make it easier for business start-up’s. It’s just common sense, it should be easier to setup a business in Spain than the UK, not harder.

So what or who is behind such bad policy and why?
There must be someone making money out of it!


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Pesky Wesky said:


> Although I heard on the radio that due to summer employment the unemployment rate was down, and a lot. 800, 000 - 900, 000. I suppose that's not specific to the youngsters though


It's because Spanish tourism has had the best June figures for 16 years. I guess that mainly affects young people taking up temporary jobs for the holiday season, but it all helps.
El paro baja en 98.853 personas en el mejor junio de los últimos 16 años | Economía | EL PAÍS


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Alcalaina said:


> It's because Spanish tourism has had the best June figures for 16 years. I guess that mainly affects young people taking up temporary jobs for the holiday season, but it all helps.
> El paro baja en 98.853 personas en el mejor junio de los últimos 16 años | Economía | EL PAÍS


Yes, but what I heard was that unemployment had gone down, but the % of young people with out work was up.
According to this article though that's not correct which is good! I guess The Guardian's figures are not so up to date
_También se reduce entre los jóvenes menores de 25 años con un importante descenso del 7,61%, el equivalente a 37.338 desempleados más._


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## Solwriter (Jan 10, 2012)

Pesky Wesky said:


> *Spain fails to match Euro 2012 success with opportunities for its youth*
> 
> Pretty negative article from The Guardian
> 
> Spain fails to match Euro 2012 success with opportunities for its youth | World news | The Guardian


Hmmm.
A rather muddled article, with Stephen Burgen trying to catch the headlines on Euro 2012 to focus on unemployment.

Fair enough, but he states that youth unemployment is a major problem (which it is), then talks about hidden figures and the biggest sufferers being middle-aged men.

Then, he suggests that the way out of this for those of Spains aspiring youth who are no good at sports is in the Arts, which can be translated into the fashion and the design industry in general.

All very noble, but as unrealistic as saying that every boy born in Spain can be a football star, especially at a time when The Arts are floundering through lack of finance and where the global fashion market is even higher to make a break-through in than the world of sport.

Sorry. He lost me there.

An article with a sensationalist heading, but with no real solutions and little understanding of the situation.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Solwriter said:


> Hmmm.
> A rather muddled article, with Stephen Burgen trying to catch the headlines on Euro 2012 to focus on unemployment.
> 
> Fair enough, but he states that youth unemployment is a major problem (which it is), then talks about hidden figures and the biggest sufferers being middle-aged men.
> ...


I agree with the definition of muddled for this article 
But I didn't think he was wholly serious when talking about Sports and the Arts as the way forward for Spanish youth. I think he was just saying that here are 2 areas where the Spanish are undeniably successful and the more people who can jump on the fashion and football bandwagon, the better!
I am now translating for a Spaniard who takes his luxury fashion collection all over the world. He's just got back from Russia and will shortly be in China!


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## Solwriter (Jan 10, 2012)

Pesky Wesky said:


> I agree with the definition of muddled for this article
> But I didn't think he was wholly serious when talking about Sports and the Arts as the way forward for Spanish youth. I think he was just saying that here are 2 areas where the Spanish are undeniably successful and the more people who can jump on the fashion and football bandwagon, the better!


Oh I agree, he wasn't being entirely serious and he was showing some of the strengths of the Spanish people.

It just annoyed me that it appears like he threw this article together without much thought.


Pesky Wesky said:


> I am now translating for a Spaniard who takes his luxury fashion collection all over the world. He's just got back from Russia and will shortly be in China!


That's great!
For him and for you.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Solwriter said:


> Oh I agree, he wasn't being entirely serious and he was showing some of the strengths of the Spanish people.
> 
> It just annoyed me that it appears like he threw this article together without much thought.
> 
> ...


Yes, I agree with you about throwing the article together desperately trying to link youth unemployment and the footie. Still, something in it caught my eye.
And yes! Good about the translating too. I'm hoping he'll take the collection to Australia or Canada or somewhere where he'll need a translator - an all expenses paid translator, of course!!


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

I am very wary of putting too much trust in The Guardian's reportage of Spain...or anywhere, for that matter. 
Now it seems The Indie is going the same way....it has hired a pair of what has aptly been named 'teenage scribblers'.
I find you have to read widely, The Telegraph as well as The Grauniad, then check from other sources..
As for Spanish football...football is truly international these days. The overlooked fact that nine players in the Spanish national team were either current or former EPL players says a lot.
The same could be said about all national teams these days.


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## anles (Feb 11, 2009)

Pesky Wesky said:


> _También se reduce entre los jóvenes menores de 25 años con un importante descenso del 7,61%, el equivalente a 37.338 desempleados más._


Should that not be 37.338 desempleados _menos_?


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

anles said:


> Should that not be 37.338 desempleados _menos_?


Very possibly.
I'd take it up with El País as it's a direct quote from an article published by them!


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

BUT :focus: There are more opportunities here (and they are taken) for the youth to improve their chances. 

There aren't gangs of youths hanging around on street corners getting p*ssed, doped up and plotting their next bit of mischief in the pool of darkness created by the street light they have just smashed. Here they are taking extra classes (many in English and other languages, plus topping up their maths, etc.) music lessons and many others, band practice (our band is quite good), sports, (inc. football, judo, karate, tennis, etc) to enable them to better face the world and try to find employment, if not locally, or in Spain or Europe, anywhere. Many of their parents, and grandparents went to (and still go to) France, Germany, Switzerland, UK, Denmark, South America, SE Asia to find work and they got/still get it. We even have a teacher here who goes to the Channel Islands for a couple of months each summer as a carer.


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## Solwriter (Jan 10, 2012)

I showed the article to my husband and he said you could turn it on its head.

Youth unemployment in the UK is less than in Spain, but it is still bad, especially when you consider the limited availability of decent jobs.

Spain won Euro 2012 and generally played well (particularly in the final). Whereas the England team played rubbish football throughout and failed to get to the semi-finals.
Either way you look at it, in this article Spain still comes out the winner.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Solwriter said:


> I showed the article to my husband and he said you could turn it on its head.
> 
> Youth unemployment in the UK is less than in Spain, but it is still bad, especially when you consider the limited availability of decent jobs.
> 
> ...


I'd disagree. There are the possibilities of better jobs in the UK simply because growth prospects for the UK, although limited, are more favourable than those of Spain.
Unless the Rajoy Government implements some kind of growth plan there will be few jobs for anyone of any age in the future...and insufficient revenue to fund the comprehensive welfare benefits needed to maintain social cohesion in times of massive unemployment.
The current situation, whereby 25% of the working age population as well as the retired, those unable to work through long-term sickness or disability, are sustained by the 75% in work cannot continue indefinitely.
There is also a better infrastructure in the UK aimed at training and assisting young people into work.

As for the football....don't let's get carried away. Yes, Spain had a deserved win and made football history. But they played really well only in their last match.
There's also the point that over 50% of the Spanish national team either play now or have played in the EPL.
Most 'national' teams are basically scratch teams brought home from lucrative playing contracts abroad and the Spanish team is no exception....why should it be.

And as for tennis...


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Solwriter said:


> I showed the article to my husband and he said you could turn it on its head.
> 
> Youth unemployment in the UK is less than in Spain, but it is still bad, especially when you consider the limited availability of decent jobs.
> 
> ...


IMO youth unemployment is undeniably bad in both countries, but undeniably worse in Spain due to the sheer numbers, and due to the opportunities available to young people both in terms of training and real job development. By real job development I mean the likelihood of investment by both private investors and the state in creating quality employment.


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## Solwriter (Jan 10, 2012)

It was a joke! :frusty:
(my husband makes bad jokes now and again...)


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Solwriter said:


> It was a joke! :frusty:
> (my husband makes bad jokes now and again...)


The bit about youth unemployment was a joke:help:!!*??*


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## Solwriter (Jan 10, 2012)

Pesky Wesky said:


> The bit about youth unemployment was a joke:help:!!*??*


Never mind...


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