Civic Life in Spain
Join a neighbourhood campaign, ask how the town council works and speak up at a council meeting in Spain.
Local life in Spain runs through the ayuntamiento: council meetings (plenos) are public, complaints and requests go in online with a certificado digital or on paper at the registro, and asociaciones de vecinos campaign on noise, traffic and services. These cards follow a resident who gets pulled into a neighbourhood campaign about noisy terraces and learns how to raise it with the council.
- 1
¿Cuándo hay pleno en el ayuntamiento?
When does the town council meet?
- 2
¿Puede ir cualquiera al pleno?
Can anyone go to the council meeting?
- 3
La asociación de vecinos está recogiendo firmas.
The residents' association is collecting signatures.
- 4
¿Y de qué va la cosa?
And what's it all about?
- 5
Quieren cerrar la calle al tráfico.
They want to close the street to traffic.
- 6
Yo estoy totalmente a favor.
I'm completely for it.
- 7
Cuenta conmigo.
Count me in.
- 8
Esto lleva meses así.
This has been going on for months.
- 9
Las terrazas hacen un ruido tremendo hasta las dos.
The terraces make a terrible racket until two.
- 10
Y nadie hace nada al respecto.
And nobody does anything about it.
- 11
El sábado hay una manifestación.
There's a protest on Saturday.
- 12
Mañana hay huelga general, así que no hay metro.
There's a general strike tomorrow, so no metro.
- 13
Puedes poner una queja por internet.
You can file a complaint online.
- 14
Necesitas tener el certificado digital.
You need a digital certificate.
- 15
¿Los vecinos pueden intervenir en el pleno?
Can residents speak at the council meeting?
- 16
Hay que pedirlo antes por registro.
You have to request it beforehand through the registry.
- 17
Eso es competencia del ayuntamiento, no de la comunidad.
That's the council's responsibility, not the region's.
- 18
Merece la pena implicarse.
It's worth getting involved.
- 19
Si nos quejamos todos juntos, nos harán caso.
If we all complain together, they'll listen to us.
- 20
Gracias por avisar.
Thanks for letting me know.