The cuts are unbearable: A broad alliance has taken up the fight to defend public education in Madrid

dossier

“More than 20 organizations have come together to try to reverse what they see as the regional government's plan to decapitalize public education in favor of private education. Chanting “quality of education or indefinite strike,” thousands of people demanded more funding for public education in Madrid this morning in the center of the capital. Organized by more than 20 organizations, including trade unions, university assemblies and various social groups, the demonstration was attended by representatives and concrete demands from all sectors of education, from 0 to 3 year olds to students and vocational training, as well as political parties. According to organizers, around 120,000 people took part in the demonstration…” This is how the extensive span begins.Article by Guillermo Martínez from February 23, 2025 in elDiario.es (machine translated) with beautiful photos of the banners – see more information:

• “Save public education”: To mobilize for the indefinite strike from October 14th alone, 20,000 marched through Madrid to defend the rights to education and housing
  • Madrid stands up for public education: thousands of people march from Atocha to Sol as a prelude to an indefinite strike
    “Thousands of people took to the streets of Madrid this Sunday to advocate for public education in a major demonstration that ran through the capital's main artery from near the Atocha train station (Cuesta de Moyano) to Puerta del Sol. The protest, organized jointly by trade unions, student organizations and family associations, is a clear show of strength ahead of the indefinite strike planned for next October 14th in all levels of education except universities. Under the slogan “Teachers and students together against Ayuso”, the demonstrators chanted slogans and carried banners with the main demands of the sector, calling for a change of course in the educational policy of the Community of Madrid. The Joint Strike Committee for Public Education in Madrid, which initiated the mobilization, has formulated a series of demands focused on improving the working conditions of teaching staff and the quality of teaching. (…) The demonstration of the education movement at Puerta del Sol joined two other protests taking place at the same location. On the one hand, there is the tent camp for the right to housing, which began on the night of September 26th after the eviction of Mari Carmen and where there are still more than 150 tents on the site. On the other hand, the demonstration called by the Association of Neighborhood Associations of Madrid (FRAVM), “Ecologistas en Acción” and other platforms against the LIDER law, the regional land law promoted by the government of Isabel Díaz Ayuso.The organizers of the educational march emphasized that this meeting demonstrated “mutual support and the common struggle to defend fundamental rights such as education or housing.” The day highlighted increasing coordination between different social movements in Madrid, combining demands for quality public services with the fight against real estate speculation and for the right to decent housing…” span.Report by the LQSomos editorial team from September 27, 2026 with photo gallery (machine translated), see the upcoming strike:
  • “The public non-university education system will go on an indefinite strike starting October 14th. And this Sunday, September 27th, they are taking to the streets to warn the PP government of what awaits them if they do not accept the demands.  We at the Public University Platforms stand in solidarity with the rest of public education, because their fight is also our fight. And we are already organizing in the meetings to assess our strengths and decide how we can extend the mobilization and the strike to the universities…” span.Post from UCM por la Pública from September 21, 2026 on bsky with the call as well as photos and videoCGT UCM on bsky 
  • The CGT Universidades Madrid is calling for the mobilization of the entire public education system from autumn 2026
    “The situation of public education in the Community of Madrid continues to deteriorate from year to year. The precarious situation of education professionals continues to worsen, economic disadvantage is increasing, the lack of resources and inadequate infrastructure are worsening - all of this means that the provision of public education services is becoming increasingly difficult. At the same time, the privatization and commercialization of the education system are progressing.
    These are problems that occur at all levels, from institutions for children aged 0 to 3 to universities, although the situation affects each context differently. In view of all this, in recent years there have been strong mobilizations in Madrid - the strike of the 0-3 group, the fight for the reduction of teaching hours in primary and secondary education or the conflict of the CAM with the universities - as well as in various places throughout the country, such as Asturias, Aragon, Valencia or Catalonia. For all these reasons, various forces have called for an ambitious indefinite strike in Madrid's education system this autumn, following the example that has already proven itself among educators.
    As part of this new initiative, the entire non-university public education sector will go on an indefinite strike from October 14th. The alliance of social and trade union forces is broad: from CCOO and UGT to CGT and CNT to the most important student organizations as well as other groups such as “Menos Lectivas” or CONFAPA – among others – this suggests a promising cycle of struggle. We at CGT Universidades Madrid fully support the courage and ambition of this cycle of struggle…” span.Call of July 13, 2026 from the CGT Madrid (machine translated) and theirPress release from July 27, 2026 to announce the indefinite strike on October 14, 2026
  • For the current simultaneous residential movement see the dossier: “We don’t pay for what we don’t earn” – a nationwide initiative in Spain is organizing a rent strike
• “Class sizes down, wages up”: Another nationwide day of action for teachers in Spain with large demonstrations and motorway blockades – in Valencia in the 3rd week of the indefinite strike
  • Teachers take over Spain's streets: large demonstrations and motorway blockades in Catalonia, Valencia and elsewhere for a better equipped school system.
    “Chaos on Spain's Mediterranean coast: In Catalonia, teachers once again showed their fighting strength on Wednesday. After the “yellow tide” – the color is the symbol of the protest – had already mobilized 80,000 people to Barcelona on May 12th, the second nationwide day of action in what is now the 17th wave of strikes also attracted attention with motorway blockades. “Class sizes down, wages up,” is what echoes through the streets of Tarragona at a demonstration. “Today we teach with dignity,” says banners in the northeastern Spanish port city. “Performing miracles is not part of the curriculum,” one can also read. Hundreds of teachers also march in front of the Ministry of Education's branch office. Since there have been peaceful protests for years, the building is only cordoned off with a plastic tape and is guarded by three police officers who are not wearing any riot gear.
    These are persistent grievances that have been causing protests for years: poor working conditions, a shortage of teachers and overtime, classes that are too large, a lack of investment and the fact that you can neither learn nor teach in the classroom when it is over 30 degrees Celsius. In addition, many are only employed through chain contracts, which expire every June and are then renewed in September. In April, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) condemned Spain for such abuses in the public service, a resounding slap in the face for the self-proclaimed most progressive government in history. There are an estimated 800,000 “interinos” who have been employed under such precarious conditions for many years in violation of EU law.
    While people are singing and chanting in Tarragona, many more people 15 kilometers away are blocking the central north-south highway on the Mediterranean near Torredembarra despite the brutal sun and heat. The process is repeated in all four Catalan provinces: While demonstrations are also taking place in Barcelona, ​​Girona and Lleida, motorways are closed all day.
    Despite the traffic chaos, the social democratic regional government did not attempt a violent evacuation. An escalation could be the spark for a general strike, as there have long been strikes in the healthcare system and other areas. The fact that strike committees were spied on by police informers further increased anger. The majority of parliament has even just called for police chief Josep Lluís Trapero and Interior Minister Núria Parlón to be removed because of the events.
    Since it was discovered that Social Democrats, of all people, were undermining freedom of trade unions and organization, the government is now negotiating again with unions like Ustec, which represent the vast majority of employees. In Tarragona, teacher Laia Estrada explains to »nd« that the regional government had previously clung to an agreement that it had concluded with the two large Spanish unions UGT and CCOO. However, these are minority in Catalonia's education sector and the "completely inadequate" agreement is driving privatization. (…)
    In the neighboring region of Valencia, however, these two unions are also taking part in protests. The teachers there have even been on an indefinite strike for weeks. On Wednesday, the “green flood” once again washed tens of thousands of people through the streets of the 840,000-inhabitant metropolis. The key difference is that the right-wing Popular Party (PP) is in power in Valencia and not the Social Democrats, to whom the UGT and CCOO are close. In the Spanish capital Madrid, where the PP also governs, there will also be an indefinite strike starting in September, as announced by the unions. This is also being examined in the Balearic Islands.“Article by Ralf Streck from May 28, 2026 in ND online 
    • See photos on Ralf Streck's bsky account: @ralfstreck.bsky.social and under #VagaEducació #DignitatEducativa #VagaEducativa
  • Third week of strike: more strength, more cohesion, more public schools
    “The indefinite strike in the Valencian education system has now entered its third week and is far from losing its force, but is continuing to consolidate in the educational institutions. The ongoing mobilizations show that the conflict in education is not a one-off or solely wage-related issue, but rather a deep-seated dissatisfaction built up by years of deterioration in public education and teachers' working conditions.
    The strength of this strike lies precisely in its collective and assembly-oriented character. It was the teachers' meetings in the educational institutions that drove and sustained the mobilization and developed into places for democratic participation, debate and organization. In addition, the union work carried out in these months has been crucial in formulating a comprehensive platform of demands shared by the majority of teachers: wage increases, lowering student-teacher ratios, increasing teaching staff, reducing administrative burdens, improving educational infrastructure, job security, and defending public education and one's own language.
    The strike also demonstrated broad social support. Families, students and teachers have recognized that this is not just about the teachers, but about the entire Valencian education system and the right of the lower classes to a quality, accessible and locally anchored public education.
    In the face of this ongoing mobilization, the Ministry of Education responded with intransigence and a systematic refusal to engage in real negotiations. Instead of addressing the main demands, the administration tried to defuse the conflict through partial agreements that were clearly inadequate and were signed without the consent of the union majority and the mobilized teachers.
    The signing of the so-called “micro-agreement” by ANPE and CSIF did not contribute to resolving the conflict. On the contrary: it has highlighted the gap between the Ministry of Education's strategy and the actual demands of educational institutions. An agreement that was previously rejected by a large majority of teachers and ignores key points in the list of demands cannot be viewed as legitimate.
    Meanwhile, there is a growing awareness in educational institutions that real progress can only be achieved through sustained effort. Experience shows that no significant improvements in working conditions or in the protection of public services have been achieved without social and union pressure.
    The Ministry has chosen to ignore the majority of teachers and unnecessarily prolong the conflict through an inadequate partial agreement and through meetings that drag on or are spaced far apart to give the false impression of negotiations. However, the indefinite strike has already achieved something decisive: it has strengthened collective organization, revitalized grassroots participation and brought the defense of public education in Valencia to the center of the public debate…” span.Article by Vicent Maurí Genovés from May 28, 2026 at LoQueSomos (machine translated)
  • Valencia: Mr. President, enough is enough!
    “The right to strike is a constitutional right that cannot be questioned by a Prime Minister like you, Juanfran Pérez Llorca, or by a party that, although it often claims to be constitutional, ignores the Spanish Constitution when it suits it. And this is exactly what is currently happening in the context of the indefinite education strike in the Valencian Community: a legal, legitimate and necessary mobilization demanding improvements in the working conditions of teaching staff and, above all, in the quality of public schools.
    This is neither a minor nor a temporary conflict. This strike brings into focus a deep-seated discontent that has been building up over years and has been exacerbated by sectarian and party politics aimed at politically and ideologically controlling Valencian education. Given this, the government's response was not dialogue but confrontation
    Mr. President, instead of assuming your institutional responsibilities, you have chosen the wrong strategy: you allow - if not encourage - teachers to be discredited through official and affiliated channels with pathetic arguments about absenteeism, salaries or their professionalism. Instead of exposing internet trolls and their affiliated media when they fuel the campaign, your government tolerates them and even reinforces them. The result is clear: each attack creates more outrage, greater participation in the strike and a greater divide between the education community and the council.
    However, there is one indisputable fact that refutes any attempt at delegitimization: 43,868 voices that legitimize a collective process and provide a clear path. The result is clear: 78% reject the Ministry of Education's agreement. This isn’t just a “no”; it is a complete rejection of educational policies that degrade the teaching workforce and degrade public education. In addition, the unions driving and supporting this mobilization have an undeniable legitimacy, given to them by union elections with high participation of the entire teaching staff. (…)
    The demands are clear and are widely agreed upon: restoring lost purchasing power, reducing student-teacher ratios, increasing teaching staff, reducing administrative burdens, improving educational infrastructure and effectively protecting the language. In short, it is about ensuring quality public education…” span.Post by the LoQueSomos editorial team from May 29, 2026 (machine translated)
• Education protests in Spain against the consequences of privatization: teachers are organizing against overcrowded classes and pressure from the right
  "... It's about fundamental questions about our working conditions. One of the most important demands is the reduction of class sizes. At my institute in Madrid, many colleagues have classes with 35 or more students in the Bachillerato, i.e. in the upper school. This means an enormous burden not only during school hours, but also outside of school: preparing lessons, correcting exams, providing individual support. We are also demanding fewer bureaucratic tasks and teaching hours. Of course, it is also about salaries. In the Madrid region, teachers are among the worst paid, despite the high cost of living throughout the state. The idea was originally that there should be “encierros”, i.e. occupations or overnight protests. However, the concept has now been opened up. Every teacher assembly at the respective schools can decide for themselves what form the protest takes. (…) Public money is increasingly being channeled into “concertados”, i.e. semi-private schools serious consequences. In some districts, public schools are becoming increasingly socially segregated. Families also make their decisions based on which schools receive financial and political support, which encourages enrollment in semi-private schools.(…) A few months ago there was much discussion about the fact that the regional government financed courses on the history of terrorism in Spain, which claimed that the Basque organization ETA continued to exist. Such measures show how educational policy is used ideologically. There were also incidents at our own institute. Last school year, the historic San Isidro building was used for the opening of the cultural event “Veranos de la Villa”. One of the guests at the time was Vox MP Javier Ortega Smith. He gave a very aggressive and homophobic and transphobic speech there. Some teachers who still worked at the institute openly contradicted him. On the same day, one of our colleagues received threats. (…) Many people only see teachers as state employees. Fear is spreading among us. More and more colleagues are reluctant to publicly express a clear political opinion. This is precisely why mobilizations are important. It’s also about defending public schools as a democratic space.”Laura Gejo Francisco inInterview by Carmela Negrete in the young world from May 23, 2026 (“What are the consequences of privatization?”) on protests in April and May 2026
• “Too few teachers, too many cuts”: on May 22, 2025, the educational community in Madrid rescheduled the demonstration that had been postponed due to the power outage on April 28
  • The education sector takes to the streets to protest against Ayuso's “dismantling” of the public sector: “decades of suffocation”.
    “Students, teachers and other workers end last April's general strike day with a large demonstration in Madrid, which could not take place a month ago because it coincided with the blackout day - From early childhood education to universities, everyone has a reason to strike against Ayuso. (…)The strike had been scheduled for almost a month, and this delay probably made itself felt on Thursday in the form of a lack of participation. The original call, like the historic general strike before it, was planned for April 28 and was intended to conclude several days of protests, meetings and blockades at universities. The mood was combative. But that was exactly the day the power outage happened. The strike took place, firstly because it had already started when the power supply went out, and secondly because a cancellation could have resulted in labor law problems for those who were unaware of it (and that would probably have been the norm that day), as they would have been absent from work without a reason. However, the demonstration could not take place. Things came full circle on Thursday. “We demand a real response to the demands” of the educational community, explained Rosa Marín Sánchez of the Plataforma Laboral Escuelas Infantiles (PLEI), who also spoke of the “dismantling of public education”. The kindergarten teachers, like their colleagues in primary and secondary schools, are demanding fewer students per class. (…)
    The strike day on April 28th was the first general strike since 2012, when the Marea Verde (Green Wave) took to the streets following the PP cuts due to the 2008 mortgage crisis. Although the strike was general, it was not uniform: the four unions CCOO, ANPE, UGT and CSIF, which are represented in the sectoral committee and negotiate with the regional government, did not join the strike. The strike was called by organizations such as CGT, STEM or CNT and supported by associations such as Menos Lectivas, the Student Union, the Student Front and the platforms in defense of the public universities Complutense, Autónoma, Carlos III and Alcalá. (…)Each demonstrator has their own reasons for marching through the streets of Madrid this Thursday in a protest that also included many children. Julia, an educator, emphasizes the value of this phase of life, echoing a slogan that was heard throughout the protest: “Educating does not mean guarding,” a demand that is increasingly gaining traction among teachers who refuse to take on occasional guarding tasks. (…) There is a lack of money at the universities. Any demonstrator would say that there is a lack of money in all areas, but at the university the budget determines everything: without money, for example, no subjects can be offered or positions for professors can be created, etc. And the Ayuso government plans to invest less and less in its universities: the leaked draft of the higher education law, which the regional government is currently negotiating, stipulates that the Autonomous Community of Madrid will only provide a maximum of 70% of the university budget; The principals say that it is currently impossible to raise the remaining 30% from their own resources.” SpanishArticle by Daniel Sánchez Caballero from May 22, 2025 in El Dario (machine translated) with some photos
  • The education community takes to the streets in Madrid to defend public education: “Too few teachers, too many cuts”
    “The demonstration, which according to the government delegation was attended by around 3,000 people, was postponed due to the power outage.
    Teachers and students from kindergarten to university, from primary to secondary, took to the streets in central Madrid on Thursday to defend public education after the demonstration planned for April 28 had to be canceled due to the power outage that affected large parts of the country. Lower student numbers, fewer teaching hours and more funding and autonomy for universities were three of the points raised by around 3,000 people, according to the National Police, who came wearing the now-standard green T-shirts and carrying dozens of placards reading “No more cuts”. There was also space for the yellow clothing characteristic of the education level 0-3 years old and for the demands of special education students. The motto of the demonstration was “Save public education,” a phrase read on the banner at the head of the march that brought together all levels of education, organized by dozens of collectives, platforms, unions and assemblies. “Ayuso, listen, the public education system is in struggle,” “The ‘teacher’ who fights also teaches,” or “There is a shortage of teachers, there are too many cuts” were some of the cries that could be heard…” span.Report from May 22, 2025 in Europa Press Madrid (machine translated)
  • Universities: Teachers and students demonstrate again in Madrid: They demand more funding for public education
    “The power outage prevented this march, which brings together all groups from early childhood education to university, from taking place earlier.
    On April 28, Madrid's six public universities went on strike, bringing operations to a near standstill at the Complutense University, which is most affected by underfunding. But the blackout, which left the whole of Spain without electricity, overshadowed the united protest that was to continue in the afternoon with a demonstration together with other sectors - from children's education - and which finally took place this Thursday. Hundreds of people marched from Paseo del Prado almost to the Antón Martín metro station. The demand is the same as a month ago and even the same as more than a decade ago: to free schools from the financial stranglehold that is suffocating them. However, the response was not as great as on February 23rd, when, according to the government delegation, 25,000 people took to the streets.
    Hundreds of teachers and students gathered at the beginning of Atocha Street in the city center. The demonstration was led by educators wearing yellow T-shirts. Rosa Marín, spokesperson for the Plataforma Laboral Escuelas Infantiles (Labor Platform for Kindergartens), emphasizes the importance of the protest: “We are the most reviled sector with salaries below the cross-sector minimum wage.” Around him, his colleagues chant “We’ll save the future for four pounds.” Marín adds: “If they go out, we go out twice as much”…” span.Article by Matías Helbig from May 22, 2025 in EL PAÍS (machine translated)
  • “UCM x la Pública en La Revuelta calls for the demonstration of the entire public education system in Madrid, #22M!
    4 p.m. Assembly – Plaza del Reina Sofia
    6 p.m. MANIFESTATION – Atocha
    We will NOT stop until we conquer the public, universal, quality university we deserve.” SpanishCall from UCM por la Pública on May 22nd. on bsky
  • See also thisCGT UCM (Universidad Complutense de Madrid) on bsky with call and reports on #Manifestación22M #SalvemosLaPública
  • Spain: Saving education
    “The right-wing mayor of the Spanish capital Madrid, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, needs to dress warmly. The unions are currently mobilizing against cuts in public services. On Thursday, thousands of students responded to a call to save the education system (photo). A rally against cuts in the health sector is to follow on Sunday. The anger is all the greater because the first demonstration had to be canceled on April 28th - because of the power outage that paralyzed the entire Iberian peninsula on that very day.”Short message in the jw from May 24th, 2025 
• Spanish power grid - equally underfunded - joins the public education strike in Madrid, the fight is set to continue with full energy on May 13th
  • “Until midday, when the blackout occurred, the Complutense University followed the educational strike on a large scale. We will take it up again with more vigor in May.” SpanishPost from Víctor Alonso Rocafort from April 29th. on bsky 
  • “Update on yesterday's strike! We have energy to keep fighting“ SpanishPost from UCM por la Pública from April 30th. on bsky to a montage that looks like a news story in a digital newspaper. It shows a picture of a power line on poles with the inscription “News”, dated April 28, 2025. The text:Spanish power grid joins strike for public education. “It is a cause that seems very important to me and I think it was necessary to make my contribution“.
  • General strike in the Madrid education system due to underfunding of the public system affected by the blackout
    “Adolfo Anton from Less Lectives spoke in El Tablero about the strike called on April 28th and 29th, affected by the massive power outage.
    On Monday April 28th, a general strike was declared for Madrid's public education, from children to universities. The protest responds to the growing “infrastructure funding” of public education in the Community of Madrid, governed by Isabel D’az Ayuso. The employees of children's schools, colleges, institutes, FP, special education and universities have decided to unite under the motto "Let's save the public" in a historic mobilization that has not taken place since 2013. The movement, which began with the Green Tide in 2011, has joined forces with other groups such as Less Lectives, which emerge from secondary and FP education, and has recently joined the higher education movement. The main demand from all education sectors is greater investment in public education.
    One of the most criticized aspects is the increase in the number of teaching hours that Madrid's teachers have maintained since the cuts of the 2010 crisis, a situation that remains fluid while other regions have already returned to their previous schedules. Teachers demand the reduction of the teaching day in order to improve their quality of life and educational conditions, and also denounce the lack of investment in infrastructure and the deterioration of educational resources.
    Adolfo Anton, a member of the Less Lectives movement, was critical of the Ayuso government's education policy in El Tablero: There is money for the war industry, but not for education. Antonio emphasizes that the dismantling of public education has been accompanied by a transfer of resources into private and concerted education. In addition, he explains that the situation of teachers is becoming more and more untenable, with a 17% loss in purchases since 2010.
    The massive power outage that affected the entire country hours later ultimately pushed Madrid's education strike into the background. However, before the power cut, thousands of teachers and students actively attended information points on the capital's main campuses, distributed information in their centers and prepared to take part in the unified demonstration planned for the afternoon. On April 29, strikes continued at all stages of education except university. Protests continued in primary and secondary schools despite the regional government's announcement of the suspension of classes, albeit with the centers open. From the MenosKleinlint collective they have resisted that the meetings will discuss the possibility of convening a new joint mobilization, on May 13th, the date that gains the greatest strength. The day ended with a rally in front of the Ministry of Education at six in the afternoon.” SpanishArticle by Elia Martinez Saiz from April 30, 2025 in Diario Red (machine translated)
• Major strike by teachers and students for the financing of public universities in Madrid on April 28th - now also against military spending instead of education
  • “28.4. The public sector is not for sale THE PUBLIC SYSTEM DEFENDS ITSELF! There will be a strike next week“ SpanishCall from UCM por la Pública on exTwitter , see also
  • All information about UCM por la PÚBLICA – For a high-quality public university:https://linktr.ee/ucmxlapublica 
  • #HuelgaEducativa28A or #HuelgaUniversitaria28A
  • There is no freedom without a public university!
    “The CGT-UCM joins the UCM Por la Pública, calls for #HuelgaEducativa28A and calls on the entire university community to join.
    Next Monday, April 28th, the Plataforma Unitaria UCM por la Pública, together with the other 5 platforms of the public universities of Madrid (UAM, UPM, UC3M, UAH and URJC), calls for a day of strike and mobilization. Our main reasons can be summarized in two points: the economic suffocation we are suffering from and the frontal attack that the next higher education law is preparing, which the CAM government is drafting in absolute opacity.
    For our part, in recent months we have tried to contribute with our means to ensure that the mobilization process advances and is supported by the entire university community: PTGAS, PDI and students, and in particular the UCM unions. As for the latter, on Tuesday April 8th, in the Works Committee of the PDI (formed by CGT, CCOO, UGT, CSIF and CSIT), we presented to the CGT our analysis of the draft law on universities, we spoke about the seriousness of the underfunding to which we are exposed by the CAM and we forwarded the call of the UCM x La Pública for the strike on April 28th…” span.Communiqué from the CGT trade union section at the UCM (machine translated)
  • “Against precarity, high quotas that devalue teaching, overloaded timetables and bureaucracy, disinvestment and difficulties in research
    All levels of education in defense of public education
    The #Renta24 campaign has started:
    You can #TaxObject to Military Spending Not in our name Not with our money
    #Antimilitarismo #GastoMilitar #NoConNuestroDinero“Tweet from CGT Barcelona 4/23/25 to:
  • Objection to the 2025 military spending tax. Not in our name, not with our money.CGT Barcelona campaign (Catalan) and background:
  • Spain: Military budget to be increased by 10.5 billion without budget and parliamentary decision
    “The Social Democrat Pedro Sánchez wants to almost double military spending in a sudden move against rebel left-wing supporters in order to meet the NATO target bypassing parliament in 2025. Podemos speaks of a “war government”. The incident could be the nail in the coffin for the fragile minority government and the Sumar left-wing coalition. US President Donald Trump and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte had demanded it and the Social Democratic Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez now wants to deliver immediately. It was Rutte who recently announced that Spain would meet its target of spending two percent of its economic output (GDP) on the military this year, as Overton reported. He also immediately thanked X for the fact that Sánchez wanted to do this against all odds and with dubious means. Spain wants to be a “central and trustworthy member” of NATO, explained Sánchez. He claimed that military spending would be increased “without raising taxes, without touching a cent of investment in the welfare state and without causing a higher public deficit.” It was previously unclear how Spain's self-proclaimed “most progressive government” wanted to implement the NATO goal, which was actually only targeted for 2029. His patchwork government, which also likes to undermine democratic rights, denied him a budget for the second year in a row because of dubious maneuvers at all levels. (…) For Podemos, as party leader Ione Belarra explains, it has long been a “war government”. It calls for a broad mobilization of the population to stop militarization.She is not the only one who describes it as an “insult to intelligence” that higher defense spending does not mean cuts. With regard to the Vice President, she spoke of “magic billions” that only exist for military spending. “Please don’t think we are idiots because the money for health and education is spent on weapons.” Like other left-wing supporters, she advocates leaving NATO and closing the US bases in Spain. The left-wing parties from the Basque Country, Catalonia and Galicia, on which the government also depends, also reject the increased militarization. You are dealing with “Sánchez in his purest form”. He ordered three days of national mourning for the late Pope and underlined his “pacifist” work in order to spend billions on weapons during this time.” Article by Ralf Streck from April 24, 2025 in Overton Magazine 
• Impressive citizen demonstration in defense of public education in Madrid
  “More than 100,000 people took to the streets to defend public education against the attacks, cuts and threats of the Community of Madrid government presided over by Isabel Díaz Ayuso. The event, created by more than 20 organizations and supported by 70 others, also included the Bloque Asambleario Intersindical, made up of CGT, CNT, Solidaridad Obrera, STEM and Co.Bas. The demonstration was themed “Save public education” and moved from Atocha to Puerta del Sol on a sunny morning in a great atmosphere. The entire educational community, from kindergarten to university, took part in the large demonstration. A collective cry to denounce the privatization policies of the President of the Community of Madrid, Isabel Diaz Ayuso, who, as usual, has ignored the demands of the educational community…” span.CGT report dated 2/24/25  (machine translated) with a video andPhoto gallery on flickr 
• 23F: Save public education in Madrid
  “On February 23, unions, organizations and students from the Community of Madrid are calling for a demonstration to demand more funding for public education. The unions and organizations of educational staff and students in the Community of Madrid are calling for a demonstration on Sunday February 23rd to demand funding for public education and respect for the labor rights of employees. The Bloque Asambleario Intersindical, made up of the Co.bas, CGT, CNT, Solidaridad Obrera and STEM unions, together with more than 20 organizations from the education sector, is organizing this demonstration that unites the demands of teachers, workers, students and families.
  The problems of public education in Madrid range from the absolute precarity of material and human resources, the comparatively poor rights of staff in other autonomous regions, the instability of jobs, to a long list of problems.
  At the same time, the Government of the Community of Madrid is committed to promoting subsidized and private education by financing it with public funds and making land available to its sponsors at a symbolic price.
  The Community of Madrid is carrying out a deceptive maneuver and disguising the figures as an alleged stabilization of the staff. In the case of teachers, it condemns them to work on a temporary basis and to pass annual examinations, although the figures are clear and in all cases these are workers and teachers, structural and not temporary positions. The dismantling of the public education system in Madrid has many faces, all of which converge on one common point: privatization and the plunder of community resources.
  The neglect of public education in Madrid at all levels is causing irreparable damage to its users, the students who go through all educational cycles: preschool, primary school, secondary school, special school, vocational training, university… Lack of teachers and staff to care for students with special educational needs; Centers in obvious material decay, with damage, cracks, unsuitable to climatic changes; no opportunity for professional practices…” span.CGT call from February 21, 2025 (machine translated)
• 150,000 teachers, students and workers occupied Madrid against Ayuso. Now for the general strike to defeat this fascist
  “It was an extraordinary show of strength. On this 23F, 150,000 teachers of all levels of education, students and workers, convened by the Less Less Less Less Lessons platform, the student union and dozens of militant collectives and the militant left, filled Madrid against the privatization policies of Isabel Díaz Ayuso and in defense of public, dignified, quality, democratic and secular education. Yes, we can, of course we can!...” SpanishReport from February 23, 2025 at Sindicato de Estudiantes with photos and videos (machine translated)

Basic information:

• UCM por la PÚBLICA – For a high-quality public university:https://linktr.ee/ucmxlapublica 
• Sindicato de Estudiantes and alsoSindicato de Estudiantes on exTwitter 
• SalvemosLaPública

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