From left to right - Angel Medina, Charles Svoboda, Bob Preston, Helen and Len Prior, Lenox Napier. Picture courtesy of Dave Darby. About 380 people attended.
sábado, 3 de mayo de 2008
The Meeting: Property Rights and Wrongs
From left to right - Angel Medina, Charles Svoboda, Bob Preston, Helen and Len Prior, Lenox Napier. Picture courtesy of Dave Darby. About 380 people attended.
viernes, 2 de mayo de 2008
The Property Crisis in Spain
Angel Medina's Speech:
Hotel Best Mojácar, May 3rd 2008
Hello everyone and welcome. I would like to thank you for coming along to this meeting called by Ciudadanos Europeos de Mojácar. This beautiful city of Mojácar, which is some small way, thanks to the Ciudadanos Europeos party, is becoming known in Spain for its fight against unjust treatment against foreigners.
Since it began, Ciudadanos Europeos has had as one of its goals the clear defense of the interests of the large number of foreigners who have chosen to live in Spain. They were not wrong. Spain is a beautiful country, with a good climate, with an excellent health service, with a good and varied selection of food and with friendly and simpático people who are helpful to strangers.
Which is why we can say that the majority of the million northern Europeans who live here amongst us enjoy a high level of comfort and satisfaction in their adopted country.
However. There are exceptions. Yes. There are problems. There are specific problems to do with your homes and the two main parties here in Spain, the PP and the PSOE, have failed to resolve them. Perhaps their disinterest lies in the poor number of votes cast by the Europeans in our local elections.
Ciudadanos Europeos de Mojácar has, since we began a few years back, been trying to help with the various problems which have come up from time to time: large problems like those suffered by the Priors and small problems, such as those which the citizens of Mojácar have reported to us during the present legislation.
Our group doesn’t only meet up just before election time, but more or less monthly when we have our meetings, and residents can talk of their concerns which we then try to resolve - as far as it is in our power to do so.
There are other groups and associations fulfilling a similar function, and I have the highest respect for them. Such as Abusos Urbanisticos No which was began and is today represented by our friend Charles Svoboda, and the AUAN from Albox, led by Bob Preston, and both of them will be speaking today. I say I am both proud and pleased that they are here today.
Everything our friends tell you today will be true, and all of the cases mentioned will have happened as they describe them; but I say to you that things can and should change. Our purpose is not to enter into the game played by the big national parties – who would rather score points off each other than have the necessary regard to the citizens’ basic rights, which is, after all, what politics should be about.
We have discussed the situation of the foreign residents with the AUAN, the AUN and other concerned groups and we are at one with them regarding the proposals that must be made and implemented to try to stop these problems which have arisen from ever happening again.
Our purpose will be to work towards concrete goals, rules and policies to remedy the situation, including the following:
1. A legal protocol should be established for property purchases which must be adhered to – i.e. – a set of steps and checks to be made in every conveyance.
2. Estate agents should be registered, supervised and insured, as well as builders and other professionals. The cowboys must be driven out of the market.
3. Publicity and the public consultation of planning changes must be obligatory and implemented legally.
4. The Spanish land registry should be relied upon to reveal the true real-estate and planning situation of the property.
5. The catastro should be tied up with the land registry, and again, this should be implemented urgently.
6. A state commission or independent body should be set up to consider the current planning problems which have arisen and to make recommendations. Representatives of associations must be included in such a commission.
7. There should be independent agencies to oversee the protection of the environment and human rights.
These seven points will be our goal and we look forward to your support.
As you can see – I am an optimist and positive. This is why we started Ciudadanos Europeos de Mojácar and why we continue to work hard for our ideals.
To get matters into context and look after the real human issue today, we will talk of the Priors as we have done since the day this dreadful story became known.
My message is this: we live in a country which permits us to seek justice. There are cases of corruption, of trickery and of fraud. We must fight against them and help all those who need it to the best of our ability.
Ciudadanos Europeos de Mojácar would like to study these problems and concerns and become the party that defends the interests of the foreign residents in Spain. To this end, I have asked to change the name of our party to Ciudadanos Europeos del Levante, which would allow us to have a national projection. A political party has this clear advantage, we can fight for support across the board to attract attention to these problems, and with popular support, we can bring about those changes which are so urgently needed. Meanwhile, we shall continue with our base of members and shall introduce the party into those towns which are interested.
Once again, thank you all for coming along today.
Angel Medina
Ciudadanos Europeos de Mojacar
http://ciudadanoseuropeosdemojacar.blogspot.com
angelmojacar@yahoo.es
http://www.abusos-no.org AUN
http://www.almanzora-au.org AUAN
http://www.c-euro.org Ciudadanos Europeos
Hotel Best Mojácar, May 3rd 2008
Hello everyone and welcome. I would like to thank you for coming along to this meeting called by Ciudadanos Europeos de Mojácar. This beautiful city of Mojácar, which is some small way, thanks to the Ciudadanos Europeos party, is becoming known in Spain for its fight against unjust treatment against foreigners.
Since it began, Ciudadanos Europeos has had as one of its goals the clear defense of the interests of the large number of foreigners who have chosen to live in Spain. They were not wrong. Spain is a beautiful country, with a good climate, with an excellent health service, with a good and varied selection of food and with friendly and simpático people who are helpful to strangers.
Which is why we can say that the majority of the million northern Europeans who live here amongst us enjoy a high level of comfort and satisfaction in their adopted country.
However. There are exceptions. Yes. There are problems. There are specific problems to do with your homes and the two main parties here in Spain, the PP and the PSOE, have failed to resolve them. Perhaps their disinterest lies in the poor number of votes cast by the Europeans in our local elections.
Ciudadanos Europeos de Mojácar has, since we began a few years back, been trying to help with the various problems which have come up from time to time: large problems like those suffered by the Priors and small problems, such as those which the citizens of Mojácar have reported to us during the present legislation.
Our group doesn’t only meet up just before election time, but more or less monthly when we have our meetings, and residents can talk of their concerns which we then try to resolve - as far as it is in our power to do so.
There are other groups and associations fulfilling a similar function, and I have the highest respect for them. Such as Abusos Urbanisticos No which was began and is today represented by our friend Charles Svoboda, and the AUAN from Albox, led by Bob Preston, and both of them will be speaking today. I say I am both proud and pleased that they are here today.
Everything our friends tell you today will be true, and all of the cases mentioned will have happened as they describe them; but I say to you that things can and should change. Our purpose is not to enter into the game played by the big national parties – who would rather score points off each other than have the necessary regard to the citizens’ basic rights, which is, after all, what politics should be about.
We have discussed the situation of the foreign residents with the AUAN, the AUN and other concerned groups and we are at one with them regarding the proposals that must be made and implemented to try to stop these problems which have arisen from ever happening again.
Our purpose will be to work towards concrete goals, rules and policies to remedy the situation, including the following:
1. A legal protocol should be established for property purchases which must be adhered to – i.e. – a set of steps and checks to be made in every conveyance.
2. Estate agents should be registered, supervised and insured, as well as builders and other professionals. The cowboys must be driven out of the market.
3. Publicity and the public consultation of planning changes must be obligatory and implemented legally.
4. The Spanish land registry should be relied upon to reveal the true real-estate and planning situation of the property.
5. The catastro should be tied up with the land registry, and again, this should be implemented urgently.
6. A state commission or independent body should be set up to consider the current planning problems which have arisen and to make recommendations. Representatives of associations must be included in such a commission.
7. There should be independent agencies to oversee the protection of the environment and human rights.
These seven points will be our goal and we look forward to your support.
As you can see – I am an optimist and positive. This is why we started Ciudadanos Europeos de Mojácar and why we continue to work hard for our ideals.
To get matters into context and look after the real human issue today, we will talk of the Priors as we have done since the day this dreadful story became known.
My message is this: we live in a country which permits us to seek justice. There are cases of corruption, of trickery and of fraud. We must fight against them and help all those who need it to the best of our ability.
Ciudadanos Europeos de Mojácar would like to study these problems and concerns and become the party that defends the interests of the foreign residents in Spain. To this end, I have asked to change the name of our party to Ciudadanos Europeos del Levante, which would allow us to have a national projection. A political party has this clear advantage, we can fight for support across the board to attract attention to these problems, and with popular support, we can bring about those changes which are so urgently needed. Meanwhile, we shall continue with our base of members and shall introduce the party into those towns which are interested.
Once again, thank you all for coming along today.
Angel Medina
Ciudadanos Europeos de Mojacar
http://ciudadanoseuropeosdemojacar.blogspot.com
angelmojacar@yahoo.es
http://www.abusos-no.org AUN
http://www.almanzora-au.org AUAN
http://www.c-euro.org Ciudadanos Europeos
lunes, 14 de abril de 2008
Property Rights and Wrongs
Are you worried about the recent troubles in the Spanish property scene as they apply to northern Europeans? Are you concerned about those 'illegal' homes, demolitions, expropriations, 'land grabs', scams, frauds, illegal commissions, third-party mortgages and other property questions that have recently brought notoriety to Spain’s reputation? Does the apparent lack of justice, the total inertia in the judicial system and the evident disinterest of the government make you feel impotent?
In short, do we have any champions?
Charles Svoboda, ex diplomat, board member of Ciudadanos Europeos and spokesman, founder (together with his wife Lisa) and Vice-President for the influential Abusos Urbanisticos – No, is to give a talk at the Hotel Best Mojácar (Marina de la Torre, Mojácar Playa) on Saturday 3rd May at 12 noon.
The introduction to Mr Svoboda will be made by Angel Medina, Vice mayor of Mojácar and President of the Ciudadanos Europeos de Mojácar, followed by Bob Preston, Secretary of AUAN, the Abusos Urbanisticos Almanzora – No and Helen Prior, owner of the property in Vera demolished unjustly by the Junta de Andalucía in January 2008.
The event will be hosted by Lenox Napier
All are welcome to attend.
In short, do we have any champions?
Charles Svoboda, ex diplomat, board member of Ciudadanos Europeos and spokesman, founder (together with his wife Lisa) and Vice-President for the influential Abusos Urbanisticos – No, is to give a talk at the Hotel Best Mojácar (Marina de la Torre, Mojácar Playa) on Saturday 3rd May at 12 noon.
The introduction to Mr Svoboda will be made by Angel Medina, Vice mayor of Mojácar and President of the Ciudadanos Europeos de Mojácar, followed by Bob Preston, Secretary of AUAN, the Abusos Urbanisticos Almanzora – No and Helen Prior, owner of the property in Vera demolished unjustly by the Junta de Andalucía in January 2008.
The event will be hosted by Lenox Napier
All are welcome to attend.
jueves, 7 de febrero de 2008
La demonstración en apoyo a los Prior
Fotos de la demonstración en Vera el 27 de enero organizado por Ciudadanos Europeos de Mojácar en apoyo a la familia Prior.miércoles, 30 de enero de 2008
Demonstration in Vera
It reads: 'No a los Derribos Ilegales' and it was the phrase used on Sunday 27th January by the protestors gathered in Vera by the Ciudadanos Europeos.The protest was called after an English couple, Len and Helen Prior, had their house demolished earlier this month by order of the courts after the Junta de Andalucía had arbitrarily decided that their home was illegal - despite having all correct papers and having lived in a quiet Vera rural area near the ITV station for over five years. This was and is the only recent demolition in Almería province as the Junta de Andalucía tries to wrest power in urban affairs from the ayuntamientos. Around 1,000 homes have been declared 'illegal' by thae regional government - but only one has been demolished.
On Wednesday the ninth of this month, the bulldozers arrived - allowing just two hours for this retired couple to empty out their home of possessions.
In the end, around 800 people came to the demonstration to lend their support to the Priors. Speakers were Lenox Napier, Ángel Medina, Paco Vázquez - the councillor for urban development for Vera, and Helen Prior.
miércoles, 16 de enero de 2008
January 2008 Meeting
Ciudadanos Europeos de Mojácar
16 January 2008
Dear Friends, we are celebrating an emergency meeting of the Ciudadanos Europeos at the Hotel Continental on Mojácar Playa on Saturday 19th January, 12.00 midday, to discuss some important issues – not least of which is the demolition of a house belonging to British residents in Vera recently. We feel that this dreadful story cannot and must not be repeated.
We shall also have other news regarding our Party and will, as always, be glad to discuss other business.
A coffee and, with luck, a bun will be offered.
As always, everyone is welcome, including those who come from outside Mojácar.
Looking forward to seeing you this Saturday,
Angel Medina
Lenox Napier
By the way, pictures of the events at La Loma in Vera on January 9th 2008 at http://spanishshilling.blogspot.com/2008_01_01_archive.html
16 January 2008
Dear Friends, we are celebrating an emergency meeting of the Ciudadanos Europeos at the Hotel Continental on Mojácar Playa on Saturday 19th January, 12.00 midday, to discuss some important issues – not least of which is the demolition of a house belonging to British residents in Vera recently. We feel that this dreadful story cannot and must not be repeated.
We shall also have other news regarding our Party and will, as always, be glad to discuss other business.
A coffee and, with luck, a bun will be offered.
As always, everyone is welcome, including those who come from outside Mojácar.
Looking forward to seeing you this Saturday,
Angel Medina
Lenox Napier
By the way, pictures of the events at La Loma in Vera on January 9th 2008 at http://spanishshilling.blogspot.com/2008_01_01_archive.html
lunes, 24 de septiembre de 2007
September Meeting
We shall be holding a ‘Coffee Morning’ at the Kimrick (up the street from the Mojácar post office) on this Saturday September 29th at 11.00am to discuss the latest movements in our town hall together with the plans for the future and to discuss our position on the issues.
We will be glad to take suggestions and to hear about any problems you may have.
Angel Medina
Lenox Napier
We will be glad to take suggestions and to hear about any problems you may have.
Angel Medina
Lenox Napier
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