The Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces met in Soria to address two thorny issues: the lack of affordable housing and the need for a statute guaranteeing basic services in small towns. There was talk of homes for young people and resources for localities with fewer than a thousand inhabitants. However, the debate avoided specifying binding measures, leaving the future in the hands of good political intentions.
Smart rural: technology to avoid depopulation with digital patches 🤖
The official discourse bets on digitalization as a solution to the demographic challenge. Platforms for remote management of services and sensors to monitor infrastructure are mentioned. But without real investment in fiber optics or digital training for the elderly, these tools are technological makeup. A humidity sensor in the village square does not pay the gas bill or fix the closed school. The digital divide remains a luxury that not everyone can afford.
The almond trick: selling land and asking for more 🏚️
The funniest part of the conclave was seeing the same mayors who a decade ago sold public land to investment funds now complaining about speculation. It's like setting the kitchen on fire and then asking for a fire extinguisher. They ask for more resources for towns they emptied of services, while the average citizen continues looking for an apartment without finding one. The next step will be to ask for subsidies to buy the houses they themselves made more expensive.