Quote from makloda:
I agree, obviously changes are necessary, but they do take time to implement. Not months but years or even a full decade. Just like the Germany economy went through a long and drawn out semi-recession during the early 90s as it suffered from overcapacities, high unit labor costs and a strong Deutsche Mark. It took years for the Germans to outsource labor intensive parts of the value chain and further automate their processes.
A weak currency is no long-term solution, but a short term sugar rush that buys an economy time while it (hopefully successfully) readjusts.
Spain (alongside the other PIGS) is facing a decade-long period of suffering. I don't see real estate (especially upper and hi-end) rebounding meaningfully on an inflation-adjusted basis before 2020. The UK has a unique chance of drastically improving their economic position until then. If they blow that they're toast of course.