Picking up snacks, drinks or basic groceries at midnight has become completely normal in Barcelona.

For years, small 24 hour supermarkets seemed to appear everywhere. Some stayed open all night in busy tourist areas while others quietly became part of everyday life for locals coming home late from work, bars or long shifts.

Now the city wants to slow things down.

Barcelona City Council has temporarily stopped granting new licences for 24 hour supermarkets and self service grocery shops across much of the city while officials work on new rules for the sector.

The suspension is already in force and will remain for at least a year.

And honestly, reactions have been exactly what you would expect in Barcelona right now.

Some residents are relieved, others are frustrated.

Because depending on where you live, these shops are either useful neighbourhood businesses or part of the reason certain areas never feel quiet anymore.

The move mainly affects smaller supermarkets and convenience stores under 300 square metres that until now were able to operate with very extended opening hours.

According to the council, the rapid growth of these businesses has increasingly created tensions in residential neighbourhoods, especially in areas heavily affected by tourism and nightlife.

Residents complained about noise, crowds and constant activity late at night

The issue for many neighbours was never really about people buying milk at 1am.

It was everything happening around the shops afterwards.

Groups standing outside drinking.People talking loudly under apartment windows.Constant movement in streets that used to calm down much earlier at night.

In some neighbourhoods, residents say the atmosphere changed completely over the last few years as more late night businesses opened nearby.

And because Barcelona is already dealing with huge debates around tourism pressure and quality of life, the frustration around 24 hour supermarkets slowly became part of a much bigger conversation.

The city says there are currently around 1,300 supermarkets and self service shops operating under this kind of model across Barcelona.

Officials argue the pause on new licences will give the council time to prepare a broader urban plan deciding where these businesses should be allowed and under what conditions.

The suspension also covers permits linked to opening or expanding these types of premises.

Not every district is affected in exactly the same way though.

Ciutat Vella and Sant Martí were excluded because both already have more recent regulations dealing with this type of commercial activity.

Barcelona has already been carrying out inspections on late night shops

At the same time, the council confirmed it will continue inspection campaigns targeting businesses operating around the clock.

And the figures released by the city suggest authorities have already been monitoring the situation very closely.

During the current municipal term, Barcelona carried out 14 multi inspection operations across different neighbourhoods.

More than 230 premises were inspected.

According to the council, authorities detected breaches involving hygiene regulations, urban planning rules and operating conditions.

The operations also led to dozens of temporary closures, hundreds of restoration orders and financial penalties.

City officials insist the objective is not to attack local commerce itself.

Instead, they say the aim is to stop certain residential areas becoming overwhelmed by a commercial model linked increasingly to late night activity and tourism pressure.

Still, not everybody agrees with the approach.

Some people feel Barcelona is gradually becoming too restrictive and too hostile towards businesses that simply respond to customer demand.

Others argue these shops provide practical services for workers, tourists and residents whose schedules do not fit neatly into traditional opening hours.

The debate says a lot about how Barcelona is changing

The argument around 24 hour supermarkets probably would not have attracted so much attention a few years ago.But Barcelona feels different lately.

Almost every discussion about the city eventually circles back to the same themes.

• Tourism.
• Housing pressure.
• Noise.
• Nightlife.

And what kind of city residents actually want Barcelona to become.

That is partly why something as ordinary as a late night convenience store suddenly turns into a political issue.

For some people, these shops represent convenience and modern city life. For others, they symbolise a city that feels increasingly overcrowded and exhausting during peak tourist periods.

And honestly, both sides probably have a point.

Most people enjoy having somewhere open late when they genuinely need it. Most people also want to sleep at night.

The challenge for Barcelona now is figuring out where the balance sits. Because the city clearly does not want late night supermarkets disappearing completely.

But it also does not seem willing to let them continue spreading everywhere without tighter control. And for now at least, anybody hoping to open a new 24 hour supermarket in Barcelona is going to have to wait.

On June 2, former Prime Minister José Luis Zapatero will walk into the Audiencia Nacional and face a judge, and what he says could bring down the government of Pedro Sánchez.

Ex Spanish PM José Luis Zapatero’s awaited declaration before Judge José Luis Calama at the Audiencia Nacional now casts a massive shadow over Spanish politics.

Tuesday, June 2 at 9am will see the former prime minister appear as an ‘investigado’ in the Plus Ultra influence-peddling probe. This single court date intensifies pressure on the current government at a moment when stability already looks fragile.

Coalition partners are quietly distancing themselves from Sánchez as the hearing nears. Sumar has voiced demands for stricter rules on former leaders while ERC and other former allies show doubts publicly over recent developments.

Observers are wondering whether this erosion of support adds fresh instability to an already highly fragile parliamentary situation.

Internal critics within PSOE are beginning to sharpen their attacks on Sánchez. Regional barons, especially after poor results in the Andalucia election, question the national strategy the prime minister is following and call for some sort of renewal to avoid further defeats as 2027 brings both general and local elections.

Growing discontent in key partnerships is behind talk of an exhausted cycle that requires big decisions on leadership and timing.

Evidence against Zapatero

Zapatero faces no formal charges so far, yet investigators have gathered material that raises serious questions ahead of his 2 June appearance. For the detailed evidence uncovered so far, including intercepted communications, financial flows and the May 19 raids, readers can refer to our earlier report on the historic corruption probe: Ex-PM of Spain José Luis Zapatero faces historic corruption probe over airline bailout millions.

Unpopular steps taken by the Sánchez administration

Several decisions and failures have damaged public confidence in recent months and masses have again displayed their calls for Sánchez to step down from his position in government:

• Repeated inability to pass a fresh national budget has forced reliance on extensions of prior spending plans and last-minute deals.
• Loss of stable parliamentary support after Catalan party Junts withdrew backing in late 2025 leaves key decrees vulnerable to defeat.
• Ongoing probes into family members and close allies fuel perceptions of conflicts of interest at the highest levels.
• Electoral setbacks in multiple regions leave PSOE struggling to maintain momentum ahead of future votes.
• Mass regularisation of undocumented migrants currently living illegally in Spain.

Questions now revolve around Sánchez’s own position. Many wonder whether the combination of the Zapatero court date, partner distancing and internal PSOE criticism will finally push him towards resignation or even early elections. With the legislature due to run until 2027, any move would represent a major turning point.

Spanish politics enters a period of heightened uncertainty as June 2 approaches. Developments from that hearing could reshape the coming weeks in ways few predicted even a month ago. For more background on the growing calls for Sánchez to step down and recent protests, see our previous coverage here and here.

Mossos d’Esquadra, the Catalan police, faced a violent escape attempt late on Friday night in Badalona, near Barcelona, when suspects linked to truck cargo thefts rammed an unmarked police vehicle.

Authorities confirm one individual now remains in custody while three others continue at large.

Violent clash at petrol station

Events took place shortly after 11.30pm at the Esclat petrol station on Avenida de Conflent. Officers spotted a stolen BMW M235 that they suspected formed part of operations targeting lorry loads in the area.

🇪🇸 | Tres agentes de paisano a bordo de un vehículo camuflado intentaron detener a cinco miembros de una banda de origen magrebí acusados de haber atracado a mano armada una gasolinera en Barcelona. pic.twitter.com/vBlspKrRM7

— ʜᴇʀQʟᴇs (@herqles_es) May 23, 2026

Four occupants were sat inside the vehicle upon police approach. Three individuals immediately fled on foot. The driver responded by accelerating hard and deliberately ramming the police car to break free.

Catalan police returned fire with regulation weapons during the chaotic moment to stop the threat. Despite the exchange, the driver managed to speed away from the scene in the stolen car.

Operation leads to arrest

Coordinated efforts between the Mossos d’Esquadra and Badalona local police resulted in the recovery of the abandoned BMW hours later. Officers detained one suspect during this follow-up action, although details about whether this person drove the vehicle remain unclear at present.

No gunshot injuries have been reported so far according to official sources. Police stress that checks continue to establish full facts around the confrontation.

Heightened alerts for night patrols

Mossos d’Esquadra issued an internal warning to officers following this incident urging extra vigilance during night shifts due to increased activity from these organised groups known locally as “teloneros”.

Investigations stay active across multiple units as detectives work to identify and apprehend the remaining three fugitives who escaped initial contact on foot.

This episode adds to concerns over vehicle thefts and cargo crimes affecting the Barcelona metropolitan region. Police resources focus on disrupting such networks that operate in industrial