Spain: New Heat Alert Website in English
Spain’s heat alert website now includes an option for English speakers, following a request by the British Embassy in Madrid. The country is currently experiencing its second heatwave of the summer, and more are likely, as extreme temperatures become increasingly common worldwide. Spain itself set a new high-temperature record in June.
The English version of the site provides three-day forecasts and is designed for both tourists and expats. Zones are colour-coded according to heat risk levels, using a “traffic light” system ranging from Level 0 (low) up to red. The map also accounts for regional climate variations: the Embassy notes that while high temperatures are normal for places like Sevilla — and may not trigger a warning — a red alert could be issued for cooler regions such as Oviedo.
It’s not just Spain, of course, that is currently sweltering. The ‘heat dome’ covering Europe is affecting many countries, including the UK – where expats from the US have been complaining about the heat, even if they come from regions of the US where it is objectively much warmer. Britain’s lack of air conditioning is the game changer here. Scandinavia is also suffering, as is France, where the Eiffel Tower was closed in early July as a result of the high temperatures. If you are suffering from the heat, make sure you take at least basic precautions.
France: Medical Professionals Strike
Dentists, pharmacists, and midwives are among the members of 14 organisations representing independent healthcare professionals currently striking in France under the banner #SoignantsTrahis (“Caregivers Betrayed”). The movement also includes three doctors’ unions: the CSMF, the FMF, and MG France. It is protesting against cost-cutting measures proposed by the government in response to rising healthcare spending, including the postponement of salary increases for some lower-paid medical specialties such as dentists, paediatricians, psychiatrists, dermatologists, endocrinologists, gynaecologists, and rehabilitation physicians.
Bernard Huynh, a Paris-based gynaecologist and president of the specialists of the French Medical Federation, told the press:
“There was supposed to be an increase; it was promised for July 1st. So we’re outraged. The agreement aimed to increase the value of specialties whose fees are less attractive or whose importance is extremely high, such as psychiatrists.”
Physiotherapists, at the bottom of the pay scale, would have benefited from an 8% increase. The Ministry of Health said that the salary freeze would save €150 million.
In a press release at the end of June, SoignantsTrahis declared:
“Trust is no longer there. By trampling on the collective agreements signed by representative unions, the government is deliberately flouting the very foundations of collective dialogue.”
The movement called for, and held, a demonstration on July 1st on the Esplanade des Invalides in Paris, before marching to the Ministry of Health, where a delegation was received.
The government has decided to postpone these increases until January 2026.
EU: Working Pensioners
New research shows that in some countries, retirement is not so much a goal as a transition, with many pensioners in EU member states continuing to work after they begin receiving their pension. Perhaps unsurprisingly, this is most common among the self-employed, with 56% continuing to work beyond pension age. However, 24% of employed workers are also staying in the workforce, according to figures published in June by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union. Estonia and Iceland have the highest proportions of working pensioners — 68% and 65% respectively — followed by Latvia, Ireland, Norway, and Sweden. Notably, 98% of Swedish entrepreneurs continue working past pensionable age.
The lowest rates are found in Spain and Greece, where most people choose to step back from work once they reach retirement age. Among Greek pensioners, however, many work more hours than younger employees, although the majority prefer part-time work that allows them to organise their own schedules. Overall, managers make up the largest share of working pensioners (around 40%), followed by skilled agriculture, forestry, and fishery workers (40.1%).
These might seem like encouraging statistics for those who don’t want to stop working entirely after retirement — but for many pensioners, continuing to work may feel less like a choice. Recent figures from the OECD suggest that many retirees across Europe are struggling financially, with elderly incomes falling below 80% of the national average in numerous countries.
This has real health implications. Financial insecurity in older age is strongly associated with poorer mental and physical health, including higher rates of depression, malnutrition, and limited access to healthcare services.
The OECD defines the poverty line as 50% of the median household income of the total population. For example, if the median disposable household income in France is €26,410, the poverty line is set at €13,205. The highest levels of pensioner poverty in the most recent reporting period (2022) were found in Eastern Europe, where pension schemes tend to be low and social safety nets limited. Estonia tops the list, with 37.4% of pensioners below the poverty line, followed by Latvia (33%), Croatia (28.5%), and Lithuania (24.6%).
By contrast, countries in Western and Northern Europe with stronger welfare systems show much lower levels of pensioner poverty: Iceland (3.1%), Norway (4.1%), Denmark (4.3%), and Finland (5.5%). The UK, however, reports around 14% — the highest rate of pensioner poverty among the “big five” economies of the EU. Poverty rates are higher among women than men, likely due to women’s longer life expectancy.
Andrew Reilly, pension analyst at the OECD, told the press that:
“Those countries that have large safety-net benefits for pensioners, whether targeted only to the poorest or universally paid to all, tend to have lower levels of poverty amongst the older age groups compared to the overall population figures e.g. Denmark, Iceland, and Norway.”