Spain and the end of European illusions

Spain was expecting its EU presidency of the EU Council to be a more pleasant experience. Looking back, these six months were totally dominated by the economic crisis, which put an abrupt end to a long boom period. The Spanish were baffled by the way that the actual problems were hyped up by the European media. One thing is certain: 25 years after it joined the European Community, the country faces major challenges - economical, political and social.