Ministers from far-left Unidas Podemos, the junior member of the coalition, have criticised the Spanish monarchy as Princess Leonor, the future queen, swore allegiance to the Spanish constitution on her 18th birthday on Tuesday.
Missing from the swearing-in ceremony were acting Social Affairs Minister and Podemos leader Ione Belarra, Equality Minister Irene Montero (Podemos) and Consumer Affairs Minister Alberto Garzón of Izquierda Unida (IU). They stressed that the solemn ceremony served to “legitimise” the monarchy, an institution none of them believed in.
During an interview on Tuesday, Belarra went even further, saying, “We are going to work so that this never happens, ” referring to Princess Leonor becoming queen.
In a televised ceremony accompanied by her parents, King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, and her younger sister, ‘Infanta’ Sofía, the future queen pledged allegiance to the country’s constitution and swore loyalty to the King before Spanish parliament.
“From today, I owe myself to all Spaniards, whom I will always serve with respect and loyalty. There is no greater pride”, she said during a speech at the Royal Palace.
The Basque and Catalan nationalist parties, which are key to the Socialist Party of incumbent Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez renewing its term in office, did not attend the ceremony either.
The Republican Left of Catalonia, Bloco Nacionalista Galego and EH Bildu (Basque) also issued a manifesto asserting that the monarchy, “inherited from a dictatorship”, does not represent Catalan, Basque, and Galician citizens.
“Spanish monarchy and its members represent one of the greatest exponents of the denial of civil, political and national rights of our peoples and their citizens”, the statement reads.
A divided country
According to a 2022 survey for Vanitatis-El Confidencial, 39% of Spaniards say they are in favour of a “Spanish Republic”, while only 7.9% see this option as positive but do not consider it urgent and 9.2% say they will base their decision on how the Royal Family behaves in the coming years.
At the same time, 38.9% of Spaniards surveyed prefer Spain to remain a parliamentary monarchy, according to the study, which offers almost a tie between those in favour of a republic and those in favour of the monarchy.
Having reached adulthood and been sworn in, Felipe VI’s eldest daughter could now automatically and immediately exercise royal functions if her father were disqualified.
Felipe VI’s father and Leonor’s grandfather, former King Juan Carlos I, who abdicated in 2014 and now lives in self-imposed exile from Spain, and former Queen Sofia did not attend the ceremony.
(Fernando Heller | EuroEFE.Euractiv.es)
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