Spain at the Head of the Naturist
Movement in Europe
Can the above be a pretentious heading or is it
really true?
As far as the law is concerned, it is an
undisputable truth. As far as we know, Spain is presently
the only country where nudism is one more among the
legal rights of its citizens. Other countries have laws
that penalise nakedness in unauthorized places.
Some are more tolerant than others, though, as their
obsolete laws are not actually carried out as no complaints
are ever lodged for lack of social support. Still, some
European countries beat us at social tolerance, but
not so many as we might be inclined to think.
Some examples: the British have just passed legislation
against nudism under the recent “Public Offence
Act”, and that, in spite of the frequent ongoing
negotiations held by their 27,000 member-strong naturist
federation. The French get fined if they leave the well-known
area of the beaches in Hendaye. The Italians have not
got any public places designed for naturist recreation
and must do it in hiding. And so forth.
Those who were on the First Great Nudist Mediterranean
Cruise could bear witness, first hand, to these restrictions
on the Italian isle of Sardinia and in continental France
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Ismael
Rodrigo with Mr. PEC (Javier Solana) |
Indeed, in many a German or
Swedish park, and also in other few countries, people can
take their clothes off, and yet these same countries keep
repressive legislation regarding nudism. Some laws are truly
bizarre, such as the Dutch. Thus, you cannot be naked anywhere
in sight of a highly frequented park or any public thoroughfare.
However, if you move a few metres out of sight, then you can.
Therefore, you must be careful not to be seen through the
front windows, but you have the upper hand as to the back
windows facing the backyard or the open fields, as you can
denounce anybody for peeping if he/she is caught watching
you. (see report in this same issue)
Why do we, here, in Spain, have the best legislation? Because
there is not any. And it stands to reason. Why should there
be one to tell us what we should or should not wear? As if
the human body should be subject to criminal law.
This issue contains an information triptych on the Spanish
law concerning Naturism, which you can cut out, photocopy
and spread round if you wish. It can also be downloaded from
our Web page: www.naturismo.org/legal.htlm
Let us return to the initial heading. Are we in the forefront
regarding anything else which might depend on us, but for
spreading the benefits of the law, which we are doing very
well indeed? Yes.
At the head in tourist initiatives.
Which country has organised the First Great Nudist Mediterranean
Cruise? You have guessed it right, Spain. The founder of the
ENE, part of the FEN, had the great idea. FEN supported it
and, naturally, what has become the first naturist travel
agency in Spain handled it. This agency has also become part
of the group of agencies to serve the interests of the INF.
At the head in media coverage.
Reporters frequently turn up, on demand, at our events and
we often make it to first page news or prime time programmes.
The Web page of the FEN, as well as those of the member associations,
is often visited for information by journalists and it is
also first on the listings of Google, the main searcher.
At the head in growth. The INF
president writes in his release to the press on the occasion
of the 2004 World Congress at Valalta: “The social attitudes
in many nations have changed, naked swimming in many places
become normal, associations and clubs have seen a reduction
in membership”. Well, Spain is precisely one of those
countries where nudism is becoming more and more socially
acceptable and yet our membership keeps growing. That is reflected
in one more vote granted at the INF congress.
At the head in the number of initiatives
at the INF. “Naturismo Latino” is a motion
we presented in support of our friends at the South-American
associations.
The motion to declare the International Naturist Day, (Francisco
de Asís, Francesco d’Assisi; see the last magazine).
The organising of events to celebrate our 25th anniversary.
A proposal to upgrade the 2006 Naturist Olympic Games both
quantitatively and qualitatively.
Also the motions presented at the last Interfederal in Holland,
(see report in this same issue), and several others.
Our country is set to be at the forefront of the naturist
movement in Europe and to promote naturist recreation in the
South and Central American countries. We undertake this task
gladly, not only as it regards the associative aspect but
also the promotion of tourism. We keep on working.
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The publication you presently have in your hands is the joint
product of some FEN associations which in turn distribute
it as their own. We expect the following issues to be the
outcome of the joint effort of more, if not all, the associations
that make up the FEN. That would make the magazine a mirror
of the whole Spanish naturist spectrum, (and European and
South-American, as well).We are grateful to the AAPNT,
ANAPA, ANNA, CCN, ANCC, ANG and
all the others which keep joining in for their trust and support.
Ismael Rodrigo
President of the FEN
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