EXPLAINED: Everything that changes in Spain in May 2023
Public holidays, changes for drivers, transport strikes, new laws, local elections, improvements to social security services and plenty of fiestas. Find out about all the important changes that will take place in Spain during May 2023.
May 1st public holiday
El Día del Trabajador or Labour Day in Spain is a public holiday in Spain's 17 autonomous communities and is held on May 1st.
In 2023, May 1st will fall on a Monday, meaning that you can take the opportunity to get away for a long weekend before summer.
It will be a holiday in all regions across Spain, so no matter where you live you will most likely have this day off. Schools, most businesses and shops will also be closed on this day.
May 2nd holiday in Madrid
May 2nd is also a public holiday in Madrid and commemorates the day in 1808 when the population rose up against Napoleon’s troops in the Peninsula War. One of the most surprising things about the uprising on May 2nd is that it was not orchestrated by anyone, rather that it was a spontaneous action made by a fiercely patriotic populace.
Refusing to give into French demands to surrender, the Spanish made their last stand in an archway to the barracks before being killed. All that remains of this building today is this very arch which sits in the middle of Plaza Dos de Mayo behind a statue of Daoíz and Vellarde.
Schools will be closed and streets of Malasaña will be filled with art, music, dancing and events to mark Dos de Mayo including stages set up in Plaza Commendadores, Conde Duque, Plaza San Ildefonso.
READ ALSO: What is 'Dos de Mayo' and why does Madrid celebrate it?
ITV roadworthiness test changes come into force
Spain’s ITV or Inspección Técnica de Vehiculos is the equivalent of an MOT in the UK and the vehicle safety inspections carried out in some parts of the US and other countries.
From May 2023, there will be two main changes to the way in which this works. The main change is a review of the eCall system. This is the component used to make an emergency call to 112 when you suffer a serious traffic accident. It's mandatory in all cars approved as of March 31st, 2018, so those who have an older car need to take this into account.
The second change is that authorities will collect data on how much fuel cars registered as of January 1st, 2021, consume.
READ ALSO - ITV: How to pass Spain's roadworthiness test (and the changes for 2023)
Air Europa pilot strike in early May
Pilots working for Spanish airline Air Europa have announced a four-day strike in early May to protest low wages. The planned strike dates are May 1st, 2nd, 4th and 5th, involving between 620 and 640 pilots at all airports in Spain where Air Europa has bases.
This will coincide with the May Day bank holiday, a public holiday in Madrid on May 2nd and Mother’s Day, a time when plenty of air travel is expected.
Hundreds of Air Europa flights are likely to be cancelled and delayed, but the airline will have to offer minimum services by law, which usually means that passengers whose flights are cancelled are put on an alternative flight on the same day.
Plans for new housing law to be in force in May
Spain’s new Housing Law or Ley de Viviendas due to finally get the green light from the Spanish government this month and enter into force sometime before the municipal elections on May 28th.
Some of the main points of the law will extend a rent cap on existing rental contracts, outline 'stressed' rental areas where prices have risen significantly. It will also shift the responsibility to pay estate agents' fees away from tenants and onto landlords.
READ ALSO: What Spain's new housing law means for you if you're a landlord
Mother’s Day on May 7th
Unlike Father’s Day in Spain, which is always celebrated on the fiesta of San José on March 19th, Mother’s Day changes each year.
It is celebrated on the first Sunday in May, which this year will fall on May 7th. Spain has been celebrating Mother’s Day in this way, changing each year for the past 58 years.
It is typically celebrated by children giving gifts to their mothers and going for celebratory family meals.
Local elections where 400,000 foreigners can vote
A total of 414,500 foreigners residing in Spain will be able to vote in the upcoming municipal elections on May 28th.
Spain's municipal elections, the equivalent of local elections in the UK, will be held on Sunday May 28th 2023, and will see local councillors and mayors elected in thousands of towns and cities across the country.
For foreigners in Spain, municipal elections represent a rare chance to vote (including for some non-EU citizens), as well as even be able to run as candidates for office.
Even though the country has more than 5 million foreign nationals registered as residents, only 414,500 will be able to vote because these are the only ones who registered to do so.
READ ALSO - GUIDE: Elections in Spain in 2023
Lots of May fiestas
May is another month packed full of festivals in Spain, particularly in the south of the country and the city of Córdoba. Yes, Córdoba has a whole month of celebrations in May beginning with the Cruces de Mayo on from April 27th to May 1st, where flower-adorned crosses will be set up across the city. This will be closely followed by the Patios Festival from May 2nd to 14th, in which visitors can see inside the city’s private walled gardens, decorated with flowers, especially for the occasion. This will be held in conjunction with the balcony contest, where residents vie for the title of having the prettiest and best-decorated balconies.
A couple of hours to the southwest the Romería del Rocío will be taking place in the small Huelvan village from May 28th to 29th. During the event more than one million people will make the pilgrimage to Rocío, many on horseback, filling its sandy streets with a lively atmosphere.
While in northern Spain, there are more flowery scenes at the Temps de Flors in the Catalan city of Girona. During the festival held from May 13th to the 21st, elaborate art installations created from plants and flowers will be set up across historic walls, cathedrals, churches and even ancient Arabic baths.
Spanish judges and public prosecutors go on strike on May 16th
The main associations of judges and prosecutors have announced an indefinite strike as of May 16th due to the lack of sufficient resources in the justice system and the workload of courts and prosecutors which affect both the quality and speed of the judicial response and the health of the judiciary and members of the prosecution.
Three social security changes
Social Security Minister José Luis Escrivá has announced a series of measures that seek to drastically improve the situation of the Social Security offices, after complaints of delays, lack of appointments, and no answers from phone lines.
Starting in May:
- A single national telephone number will be established to distribute appointments throughout Spain, replacing the current provincial numbers.
- The staff in charge of answering the telephone calls for the management of previous appointments will be doubled.
- Appointment availability will be expanded from 7 to 28 days, allowing citizens more choice and flexibility when booking their appointments. Escrivá acknowledged that the current 7-day deadline is too short and has created problems for those trying to find appointments at convenient times.
Weather in May
On Friday, April 28th, the day on which the May 2023 long weekend will begin, much of Spain will experience the peak of the historic episode of high temperatures. Thermometers will reach 34 or 35C in the Ebro Valley and in the southern half of the country, according to the prediction of the State Meteorological Agency (AEMET).
On Sunday April 30th will be the time when the strong weather change occurs with AEMET reporting that there will be a general drop in temperatures that will put an end to this "extremely warm" episode.
AEMET experts have predicted a start to May with "probable showers accompanied by storms in the Pyrenees, the Iberian system and the Cantabrian mountain range, without ruling them rain in the Central system, mountainous areas of Galicia and southeastern mountains".
Temperatures will, however, stay above normal on the Mediterranean coast and remain relatively dry with the exception of the Catalan coast and the Balearics which may see some much-needed rain.
Comments
See Also
May 1st public holiday
El Día del Trabajador or Labour Day in Spain is a public holiday in Spain's 17 autonomous communities and is held on May 1st.
In 2023, May 1st will fall on a Monday, meaning that you can take the opportunity to get away for a long weekend before summer.
It will be a holiday in all regions across Spain, so no matter where you live you will most likely have this day off. Schools, most businesses and shops will also be closed on this day.
May 2nd holiday in Madrid
May 2nd is also a public holiday in Madrid and commemorates the day in 1808 when the population rose up against Napoleon’s troops in the Peninsula War. One of the most surprising things about the uprising on May 2nd is that it was not orchestrated by anyone, rather that it was a spontaneous action made by a fiercely patriotic populace.
Refusing to give into French demands to surrender, the Spanish made their last stand in an archway to the barracks before being killed. All that remains of this building today is this very arch which sits in the middle of Plaza Dos de Mayo behind a statue of Daoíz and Vellarde.
Schools will be closed and streets of Malasaña will be filled with art, music, dancing and events to mark Dos de Mayo including stages set up in Plaza Commendadores, Conde Duque, Plaza San Ildefonso.
READ ALSO: What is 'Dos de Mayo' and why does Madrid celebrate it?
ITV roadworthiness test changes come into force
Spain’s ITV or Inspección Técnica de Vehiculos is the equivalent of an MOT in the UK and the vehicle safety inspections carried out in some parts of the US and other countries.
From May 2023, there will be two main changes to the way in which this works. The main change is a review of the eCall system. This is the component used to make an emergency call to 112 when you suffer a serious traffic accident. It's mandatory in all cars approved as of March 31st, 2018, so those who have an older car need to take this into account.
The second change is that authorities will collect data on how much fuel cars registered as of January 1st, 2021, consume.
READ ALSO - ITV: How to pass Spain's roadworthiness test (and the changes for 2023)
Air Europa pilot strike in early May
Pilots working for Spanish airline Air Europa have announced a four-day strike in early May to protest low wages. The planned strike dates are May 1st, 2nd, 4th and 5th, involving between 620 and 640 pilots at all airports in Spain where Air Europa has bases.
This will coincide with the May Day bank holiday, a public holiday in Madrid on May 2nd and Mother’s Day, a time when plenty of air travel is expected.
Hundreds of Air Europa flights are likely to be cancelled and delayed, but the airline will have to offer minimum services by law, which usually means that passengers whose flights are cancelled are put on an alternative flight on the same day.
Plans for new housing law to be in force in May
Spain’s new Housing Law or Ley de Viviendas due to finally get the green light from the Spanish government this month and enter into force sometime before the municipal elections on May 28th.
Some of the main points of the law will extend a rent cap on existing rental contracts, outline 'stressed' rental areas where prices have risen significantly. It will also shift the responsibility to pay estate agents' fees away from tenants and onto landlords.
READ ALSO: What Spain's new housing law means for you if you're a landlord
Mother’s Day on May 7th
Unlike Father’s Day in Spain, which is always celebrated on the fiesta of San José on March 19th, Mother’s Day changes each year.
It is celebrated on the first Sunday in May, which this year will fall on May 7th. Spain has been celebrating Mother’s Day in this way, changing each year for the past 58 years.
It is typically celebrated by children giving gifts to their mothers and going for celebratory family meals.
Local elections where 400,000 foreigners can vote
A total of 414,500 foreigners residing in Spain will be able to vote in the upcoming municipal elections on May 28th.
Spain's municipal elections, the equivalent of local elections in the UK, will be held on Sunday May 28th 2023, and will see local councillors and mayors elected in thousands of towns and cities across the country.
For foreigners in Spain, municipal elections represent a rare chance to vote (including for some non-EU citizens), as well as even be able to run as candidates for office.
Even though the country has more than 5 million foreign nationals registered as residents, only 414,500 will be able to vote because these are the only ones who registered to do so.
READ ALSO - GUIDE: Elections in Spain in 2023
Lots of May fiestas
May is another month packed full of festivals in Spain, particularly in the south of the country and the city of Córdoba. Yes, Córdoba has a whole month of celebrations in May beginning with the Cruces de Mayo on from April 27th to May 1st, where flower-adorned crosses will be set up across the city. This will be closely followed by the Patios Festival from May 2nd to 14th, in which visitors can see inside the city’s private walled gardens, decorated with flowers, especially for the occasion. This will be held in conjunction with the balcony contest, where residents vie for the title of having the prettiest and best-decorated balconies.
A couple of hours to the southwest the Romería del Rocío will be taking place in the small Huelvan village from May 28th to 29th. During the event more than one million people will make the pilgrimage to Rocío, many on horseback, filling its sandy streets with a lively atmosphere.
While in northern Spain, there are more flowery scenes at the Temps de Flors in the Catalan city of Girona. During the festival held from May 13th to the 21st, elaborate art installations created from plants and flowers will be set up across historic walls, cathedrals, churches and even ancient Arabic baths.
Spanish judges and public prosecutors go on strike on May 16th
The main associations of judges and prosecutors have announced an indefinite strike as of May 16th due to the lack of sufficient resources in the justice system and the workload of courts and prosecutors which affect both the quality and speed of the judicial response and the health of the judiciary and members of the prosecution.
Three social security changes
Social Security Minister José Luis Escrivá has announced a series of measures that seek to drastically improve the situation of the Social Security offices, after complaints of delays, lack of appointments, and no answers from phone lines.
Starting in May:
- A single national telephone number will be established to distribute appointments throughout Spain, replacing the current provincial numbers.
- The staff in charge of answering the telephone calls for the management of previous appointments will be doubled.
- Appointment availability will be expanded from 7 to 28 days, allowing citizens more choice and flexibility when booking their appointments. Escrivá acknowledged that the current 7-day deadline is too short and has created problems for those trying to find appointments at convenient times.
Weather in May
On Friday, April 28th, the day on which the May 2023 long weekend will begin, much of Spain will experience the peak of the historic episode of high temperatures. Thermometers will reach 34 or 35C in the Ebro Valley and in the southern half of the country, according to the prediction of the State Meteorological Agency (AEMET).
On Sunday April 30th will be the time when the strong weather change occurs with AEMET reporting that there will be a general drop in temperatures that will put an end to this "extremely warm" episode.
AEMET experts have predicted a start to May with "probable showers accompanied by storms in the Pyrenees, the Iberian system and the Cantabrian mountain range, without ruling them rain in the Central system, mountainous areas of Galicia and southeastern mountains".
Temperatures will, however, stay above normal on the Mediterranean coast and remain relatively dry with the exception of the Catalan coast and the Balearics which may see some much-needed rain.
Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.
Please log in here to leave a comment.