The diplomatic representation of the State in Israel has been officially downgraded. Six months ago, the Spanish government summoned its ambassador to Tel Aviv, Ana María Salomón, for consultations after a new clash with Benjamin Netanyahu's government, with whom relations became strained following the military offensive on the Gaza Strip. And this Wednesday, Pedro Sánchez's administration formalized her dismissal by publishing it in the "Official State Gazette" (BOE). The departure comes "at the proposal" of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, and after being discussed in Tuesday's Council of Ministers. Now, the Spanish embassy in Israel is headed by a business area chargé d'affaires, according to sources from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, leaving the diplomatic representation "at the same level" as Israel's embassy in Madrid.

When Rai, an Italian citizen settled in Barcelona, began procedures to renew his passport, it was still seven months away from expiring. He has lived in Barcelona for over ten years and knows that the procedures at the Italian consulate in Barcelona are always slow. "I thought it was better to be cautious and do it with plenty of time, because I needed my passport for some business trips and I didn't want to take any risks," he explains. Despite this, he was unable to travel: the passport did not arrive in time. "Not only did I miss the trip, but last week I was forced to go to my home town in Italy, using my ID card, which has not expired, to renew my passport there". The slowness of the Italian consulate in Barcelona has cost him dear: €230 for the trip home, which he obviously paid out of his own pocket, and the trip he missed because his passport did not arrive on time. But he is far from being alone.