A 180-degree turn at the technology and defense company Indra. Former La Caixa executive Ángel Simón has been appointed new president of Indra following the resignation of Ángel Escribano – a term that lasted just over a year – as the company informed the National Securities Market Commission (CNMV) early Thursday. Simón's nomination was made by the Spanish government through the State Industrial Holdings Company (SEPI), its investment arm, which is Indra's largest shareholder with 28% of the share capital.

Indra has once again avoided the political fray. The current chairman, Ángel Escribano, will remain at the helm of the company despite the recent tensions with the Spanish government, Indra's largest shareholder through SEPI. In fact, a plan B wasn't even discussed at Wednesday afternoon's board meeting, according to sources familiar with the process at the ARA (Spanish Association of Indra's Board of Directors). The company's highest governing body also refrained from questioning the continuity of CEO José Vicente de los Mozos, whose term expires in June. Sources familiar with the process explained to Europa Press that this item was not on the meeting's agenda either. This time, the controversy has been sparked by the potential merger—currently on hold—between Indra and the Escribano Group, also involved in defense, and the potential conflict of interest that could arise (the Escribano Group is not only an Indra shareholder with 14.3% of the share capital).

Indra aims to be the leading defense company in Spain. This ambition is also shared by the Spanish government, its largest shareholder through SEPI with 28% of the company's capital. However, the path is not smooth, at least not in recent weeks. The possibility that this leadership could be achieved through the acquisition of other companies—as is the case with the Escribano Group, co-founded by Indra's current president, Ángel Escribano, who still owns a stake in the company—has put the government on alert regarding its influence within the company and, consequently, its ability to control key decisions.

For days now, the defense company Indra, in which the Spanish State holds a 28% stake through its investment arm, SEPI, has been overshadowing the press headlines, as well as its stock market losses: in the last five days, its shares have fallen by more than 11%. The underlying reason is a business deal that has been controversial since it was first proposed: the acquisition of the Spanish defense company Escribano Mechanical & Engineering (EM&E Group). This is a company co-founded by Indra's current chairman, Ángel Escribano, and currently chaired by his brother, Javier Escribano. Both are also owners. Furthermore, EM&E Group is Indra's second-largest shareholder, after the State, with 14.3% of the share capital.

Under the slogan "We don't want to be cannon fodder," thousands of German students protested this Friday in several German cities against the possible reintroduction of mandatory military service. The "school strike" has called for demonstrations in ninety locations across the country against the plans of the conservative government of Friedrich Merz to reintroduce military service, currently on a voluntary basis. The new law will, however, include a series of mandatory elements for eighteen-year-olds, such as the obligation to answer a questionnaire and undergo a medical examination.

What would have happened today, in the midst of European and Spanish rearmament, if a workshop for repairing and adapting military vehicles had positioned itself as a candidate to reindustrialize the old Nissan factory in the Free Trade Zone? The project was put on the table in 2021But the Catalan government, then under the leadership of Pere Aragonès, quickly shelved the proposal. This was the official reason given for the failure of the Tess Defence consortium's proposal, which was backed by the Ministry of Industry. Headlines at the time reported that the Catalan government rejected this option, but, as ARA has learned, it was the Minister of Defense herself, Margarita Robles, who had already sealed the fate of that investment in the Zona Franca.

Indra, the Spanish defense company in which the State holds a 28% stake, is climbing the ranks within the defense sector so that governments, but also companies, can face what has been dubbed "hybrid warfare". and that Russia's invasion of Ukraine has put it in the spotlight, especially in the European UnionThis is a form of warfare that departs from conventional attacks and involves sabotage, espionage, and cyberattacks. It is in this context that Indra has developed its own artificial intelligence (AI) – a sovereign technology independent of third parties – to combat it. This Thursday, the company, chaired by Ángel Escribano, publicly presented IndraMind, the platform on which this AI will depend.

Donald Trump told Pedro Sánchez this Monday that the State was "doing a fantastic job" in increasing public spending on defense. Twenty-four hours later, the President of the United States completely changed his tone, stating that he is "very disappointed" with Spain for the little money it invests in this area.

When Margarita Robles took over the Ministry of Defense in 2018, there was no ammunition—in her words—but seven years later, with the left-wing coalition government of the PSOE and Sumar, military spending rose for the first time in 2024, reaching 1.4% of GDP. And it has reached 2% in 2025, as the minister argued this Wednesday at a colloquium of the Círculo de Economía (Economy Circle) in Barcelona. "Investment in defense is here to stay," she made clear in her opening remarks—which began in Catalan—and explained that the Spanish government is working on a kind of industrial belt so that all autonomous communities can develop business projects in this area. Catalonia, too.

The Ministry of Defense is prepared to assume the decree for the total arms embargo on Israel that was published this Wednesday in the Official State Gazette (BOE) and comes into force this Thursday, or at least that's what Spanish government sources indicate, who assure that in July the ministry headed by Margarita Robles achieved "zero dependence" on Israeli technology. "The Ministry of Defense does not use Israeli technology today," indicate sources from Pedro Sánchez's executive.

Andreas Christensen has become Hansi Flick's alternative, as he doesn't have to move Pau Cubarsí to the left. The Danish player, who started in the last La Liga match in Vallecas alongside Eric Garcia, can play on the left wing and to fill the gap left by Iñigo Martínez without having to make any other changes to the Barça defensive line.Despite his contract expiring next June, there are still no talks about renewing Christensen's contract, and he will have to earn his place at Barça with strong performances on the pitch.

Spain reached a 2% defense spending target relative to its gross domestic product (GDP) by 2025, according to calculations published by NATO based on figures compiled through June 3 of this year. This is the first time that Spain has reached the target that NATO members agreed upon in 2014, which was to be achieved over the following decade. In one year, Spain has increased its defense spending by 43.1%, going from €22.693 billion in 2024 to €33.123 billion this year.

How much does the Spanish government spend on defense? And what is the fiscal impact of this spending? These are questions the Fiscal Authority asked itself when preparing the report on budget execution for 2025, but it has been unable to answer. The agency chaired by Cristina Herrero criticizes the agency for being blind in its calculation of public spending in this area and its impact on the deficit and debt, although the Spanish government intends to reach 2% of GDP on defense by 2025 to comply with NATO.

Indra's board of directors will hold an extraordinary meeting this Thursday to begin discussions regarding a potential transaction with Escribano Mechanical & Engineering (EM&E) to strengthen its defense business, according to sources familiar with the matter confirmed to Europa Press. No agreement is expected to be reached today, nor is any communication to the National Securities Market Commission (CNMV) regarding this potential transaction expected.

On June 25, at the NATO summit in The Hague, all member states unanimously agreed to "commit to investing 5% of GDP annually in basic defense needs, as well as in defense and security-related expenditures, by 2035.".

Indra takes a step further on its way to consolidating itself as the Spanish "champion" of the defense sector and is launching a full-fledged entry into the military business. This Thursday, the company's general shareholders' meeting, with the State as the largest shareholder with 28% of the share capital through SEPI, approved the amendment to the company's bylaws to introduce the military business as one of the company's areas of activity. The underlying objective is to grow in the military vehicle manufacturing segment, but also in the space business. "With the approval of its shareholders, Indra has amended its bylaws to allow the development, manufacture, and marketing of military land vehicles, devices, and air and space vehicles, among others, in accordance with its strategic plan," the company emphasized in a press release.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has called for NATO member states to spend 5% of their GDP annually on defense starting in 2035: 3.5% on military investment and 1.5% on all types of infrastructure that can be used for defense. The idea is President Trump's, who wants to reduce the US contribution to the Atlantic budget, which it currently supports. by about 58%Trump is saying that if Europeans want to defend themselves, they should pay for it. And that Spain contributes little and should contribute more.

Spain will only have to allocate 2.1% of GDP to military spending. This was confirmed by the Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, after reaching an agreement with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte this Sunday in an appearance from the Moncloa Palace. Sánchez explained that an agreement had been reached with the Prime Minister to allocate 5% of GDP to public defense spending. "We [Spain] will allocate 2.1% of GDP to defense. Nothing more, nothing less," Sánchez stated, referring to a letter sent to Rutte. enter into a head-on collision with Donald Trump, who hours later warned that NATO should "take responsibility" for Spain's refusal. Finally, Rutte and Sánchez have reached an agreement to make the achievement of this objective more flexible, which will be reflected in the final declaration of the summit, which begins this Tuesday in The Hague (Netherlands) and is expected to last until June 26.

Pedro Sánchez raises the stakes against NATO and Donald Trump in the midst of the Spanish government's crisis over the Cerdán case. The Spanish president sent a letter this Thursday to the Secretary General of the NATO, Mark Rutte, in which he refuses to accept his request that all allies increase their military spending budget to 5% of their gross domestic product (GDP), an imposition that comes directly from the new Republican US administration. "Committing to 5% is unreasonable," the Socialist leader says in the text.

In the midst of a flood of public funds and under the watchful eye of the State's trade relations with Israel, this is the context that this year marks the Spanish International Defense and Security Fair (FEINDEF), which will be held at the Ifema exhibition center in Madrid from this Monday to Wednesday, May 14.