There is a sector in the State that is living a golden age, which is growing without yet having comprehensive regulation and which is increasingly relevant in the decision-making process of governments and Parliaments: public affairs consultancies. A type of bridge between the public and private worlds, which is unknown territory for a good part of the population and which in recent years has been proliferating strongly in Madrid, but also in Barcelona, ​​due to political fragmentation, the ever-increasing complexity of decision-making processes and the rise of economic and geopolitical crises. What do these companies do, however? Is it a professionalized sector? Why is it fertile ground for former politicians? El ARA has X-rayed the main companies established in the State, speaking withpeople from within the sector, professional associations, politicians, and also experts who point to the lack of regulation as the main problem.

The Valencian publishing house Tirant lo Blanch, aimed at the university public, has a very interesting collection that mixes two seemingly distant concepts such as cinema and law. The idea is apparently simple, but very effective in engaging readers who are looking for a more enjoyable way to approach issues that can be dry. The key is to find a legal expert who wants to get involved. Many have done so so far, and thus we find, for example, the criminal lawyer Jordi Nieva discussing democratic institutions based on John Ford's classic The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. The latest acquisition of the publishing house has been Joan Ridao, Professor of Constitutional Law at the UB and lawyer in the Parliament (and a former leader of ERC), who tackles one of his specialties, the regulation of lobbyists, based on the film Miss Sloane (2016), directed by John Madden and starring Jessica Chastain.

Despite the global economic context marked by uncertainty and modest growth in most wealthy countries, Spain will maintain its momentum in 2025 and It will be one of the fastest growing economiesSince emerging from the Covid-19 pandemic, Spain has registered robust growth in almost all activities and sectors, driven by private household consumption—which remains the engine of the Spanish economy—the strong performance of the labor market, the recovery of the tourism sector, the arrival of European funds, and increased public spending. This is recognized by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in a new report. Economic study of Spain Published this Wednesday, the report revises GDP growth upwards for 2025 to 2.9%, and also for 2026 (2.2%). However, it's not all good news. Like any economy, Spain's also has pending tasks, the OECD points out, including fiscal consolidation. The organization focuses on deficit and debt levels and the need to reduce them. "Consolidation remains essential to steer gross public debt downwards in the medium term; comply with EU fiscal rules; adapt to increased defense spending, the aging population, and the green transition; and create room for spending that will boost the economy," the report summarizes. Therefore, the organization believes that Spain should implement a series of fiscal adjustments in terms of revenue and benefits (spending) to achieve this consolidation, that is, to strengthen sustainability and, above all, reduce public debt. Specifically, it estimates the need for adjustments at 0.4 percent of GDP: approximately 6.8 billion euros. On the revenue side (3.4 billion euros), it proposes broadening the VAT base or increasing revenue through environmental taxes. Regarding expenditure (an additional 3.4 billion euros), it focuses on pensions and the need for reform to contain spending in anticipation of the retirement of the next generation. baby boom –it again proposes measures such as linking benefits to life expectancy or extending the retirement calculation period to 35 years–. In any case, these are not new messages (they were already mentioned in the 2021 and 2023 economic study of Spain).

The Cristóbal Montoro case has put pressure groups, known as lobbyists, in the spotlight. They are unregulated in Spain, and their impact on the legislative agenda is a black hole. The discovery, following an investigation in a Tarragona court, that the law firm Equipo Económico (EE), founded by the former Minister of Finance, managed to modify laws to benefit companies that allegedly paid them commissions has revived the debate on regulating the activity of interest groups. The PSOE (Spanish Socialist Workers' Party) has expressed its intention to push forward, after the summer, a Spanish government bill addressing this issue that has been shelved in Congress for months.It has been carried over since the previous legislature–. But would this legislation serve to prevent a case like that of Montoro and EE?

The opacity surrounding the activity of interest groups—or lobbies—in the Congress of Deputies is about to end. Or at least, a law is now being prepared to attempt to regulate them. This Tuesday afternoon, the plenary session debated a proposal by the PSOE (Spanish Socialist Workers' Party) to limit their activity, requiring them to register in a public registry—as is already done in Catalonia—and to comply with the chamber's code of conduct. In the event of noncompliance and the dissemination of, for example, false information, a sanctioning regime is established that could lead to expulsion from Congress. The Spanish government's partners have already announced they will vote in favor, while the PP and Vox have accused the Socialists of promoting the initiative when they are "besieged by corruption," criticized Carmen Navarro, a member of the Popular Party (PP).