We were in Madrid in late June. There was some sort of election going on. I thought it would be easy to find out more about it when I returned to home and internet, but I've failed--maybe delayed too long. Besides the election and the intense discussions between people, the police were controlling car and foot traffic on San Jerónimo, presumably due to the Parliment building.

Could someone tell me more about the election? Or the traffic control?

Was this in late June or in late May? If late May, see the thread " Municipal and Regional Elections in Spain " in the About Spain fora.

Saludos, MadridMan

This was just last week, end of June. I talked (given my limited Spanish and his English, "talked" is not quite accurate) with one person who explained that the police stuff had to do with politics. In a restaurant there was a TV on, and when the screen showed a list of names and percentages--the election results? Or just a poll?--some folks got excited. That is about all I know.

I think you are refering to a NATO meeting that took place in Madrid recently. The reason why there were so many police near the Carrera de San Jerónimo street is because some of the attendants were staying at the Palace Hotel.

Maybe it was the
'debate sobre el estado de la nación'

They were most problably discussing the results of the late elections to the Madrid Assembly (autonomous community congress). Some PSOE deputies broke the group discipline to stop PSOE form a government that was going to fight the super- speculative estate bubble we're suffering here.

The scandal goes on, and will go on. Every day more an more proofs vinculate PP high position members with constructors and hidden deals on public state sold, for building, at minimum prices to friends of PP's deputies and PP general secretary. Estates that previously had been confiscated to their rightful owners in exchange of a handful of euros.

By the way, it is uncovering the way spanish judicial system's higher positions are completely politized and in the hands of PSOE, PP or both, in this case and in this moment, in PP's mostly, that's why General Public prosecutor is stopping Anticorruption public prosecutor from investigating PP's relations with corrupt builders (not PSOE and PCE's), and that's why the Anticorruption one is going to be relevated as many others for m ore docile ones.