Today in Spain: A roundup of the latest news on Thursday

Forty years since Spain joined the EU

On June 12th 1985, an event took place that changed the course of Spain's history: the signing of the Treaty of Accession of Spain to the European Communities, the current European Union.

This put an end to decades of continental isolation by the EU partners, who had always imposed as a red line the indispensable requirement that Spain be a consolidated democracy to become a full member.

Madrid's president wants Trump-style approach to university protests

Madrid's president Isabel Díaz Ayuso plans to impose fines of up to €100,000 for unauthorised protests and demonstrations at universities, according to the region's new draft law for higher education.

The outspoken right-wing leaders has called it "fake news" but the draft has been sent to various university committees that must issue reports.

The document foresees steep fines for acts such as occupying any area on campus, placing banners or symbols, or protesting without authorisation.

Rents in Spain continued to increase in May

The average rental price in Spain in May stood at €13.16/sqm, representing a 13.25 percent increase compared to the same period last year, a monthly report by property portal pisos.com has found.

"The supply situation is more worrying than ever", warned the director of studies at the company Ferran Font. "The inventory of rental properties is updating at a very slow pace, causing intense competition among tenants".

Spain on track to welcome 100 million tourists this year

In 2024, Spain fell six million short of the 100 million mark with 93.8 million, but according to estimates by the board of ObservaTUR , part of Spain's national tourism board, this controversial milestone could well be met this year.

To achieve this, several conditions would need occur: regional geopolitical stability, the sustained recovery of strategic source markets such as Asia-Pacific, continued expansion of air connectivity, and "provided there are no unforeseen events unrelated to the tourism sector".

For many in Spain, the 100-million-mark raises increasing questions about the country's tourism model at a time when protests about overtourism are becoming more and more frequent.