Top ten: Spain’s biggest stories of 2014

Very little about 2014 was predictable in Spain.

While the inch-by-inch improvement of the country's ailing economy had been widely forecast, many other key national events came out of the blue.

Who, for example, could have foreseen the rise of Podemos, an anti-austerity political party that came from nowhere to find itself the country's third major political force?

Then there was the shock abdication of King Juan Carlos in June, a move which marked the end of an era for Spain and ushered in the reign of his son King Felipe.

On top of that, Spain witnessed the dethronement of its world-beating football team in Brazil.

As if that wasn't enough, the country said farewell to some of its favourite sons and daughters including the flamenco musician Paco de Lucía and the eccentric Duchess of Alba.

But all that is just for starters in what was a year of drama for Spain.

Click here to see The Local's gallery of Spain's biggest stories of 2014