An average of more than 500 complaints per day. This is the volume of grievances handled by the economic-administrative courts—bodies attached to the Ministry of Finance—an essential avenue for challenging tax assessments before resorting to the courts, according to regulations. It represents a veritable avalanche of work for these entities. However, in 2024—according to the latest available data—complaints decreased by 17.87% compared to the previous year, reaching 196,442. Conversely, the number of cases resolved, which reached 222,737, increased by 14.20%. The economic-administrative courts in Madrid lead the way in complaints, with more than 33,000; followed by those in Andalusia, with 31,000, and those in Catalonia, with 30,395—the three most populous autonomous communities.

European industry is eager to regain competitiveness. This has been made clear to the presidents and prime ministers who will meet this Thursday in Belgium to discuss prioritizing EU industry in the face of the protectionist policies of the Donald Trump administration in the US.

It's one of the essential issues for an economy: increasing productivity, which translates into true progress. And the Spanish economy lacks that leg to gain quality, as reflected in the investment data as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP), which is below the European average. However, it is competitive, as shown by the trade surplus data, that is, it earns more from what it sells abroad than what it pays to import. The opinion group EuropeG, co-directed by former Minister of Economy Antoni Castells and Professor Josep Oliver, has focused its new debate on this subject based on a study by Joan Ramon Rovira, head of research at the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce.