The two irreconcilable blocs of Spanish politics were evident in Alberto Núñez Feijóo’s investiture vote, when Congress was effectively split in half. When Leonor de Borbón y Ortiz, Princess of Asturias and heir to the throne, swears in the constitution in front of Parliament next Tuesday, the photo will be far less divisive. The groups that supported Feijóo – PP, Vox, Canary Coalition and Navarro People’s Union – will again join the same side, but this time the PSOE will appear alongside them.
The defense of the monarchy is proving to be one of the last vestiges of bipartisan consensus. No matter how much the right assimilates the PSOE with the positions of its allies, the truth is that in recent years the socialists have formed a common front with it to block any initiative that disturbs the crown. This happened in the attempts to investigate the dealings of Juan Carlos I, in the legal reform limiting the inviolability of the king or in smaller proposals like the one that pushed the CIS to ask about the monarchy again.
The demoscopic institute no longer included the topic in its surveys in 2015, at the same time as the scandals surrounding the king emeritus. The last known survey is from 2021 and was conducted by a private company, 40dB., for 15 affiliated newspapers on the Independent Media Platform. The results were not very encouraging for the monarchists: 39.4% supported the republic and 31% supported the current form of government. Of course, there was not much public interest in putting the issue to a referendum.
The young woman who embodies the continuity of the Crown will face a completely different scenario on Tuesday in Congress, supported by formations that represent 83% of the chamber and 77% of the 23-J vote. All groups except Junts per Catalunya have expressed their position on the future of the monarchy to EL PAÍS.
One government, two visions. The PSOE does not stop proclaiming its “republican tradition”, but above it stands “fidelity to the constitutional pact”, which “includes the parliamentary monarchy”. The Socialist Group insists on defending “from the first article to the last” a constitution that created “one of the most advanced democracies in the world.”
Without criticizing the events of recent years, the Socialists believe that the monarchy with Felipe VI as the main architect of the Spanish Constitution, we feel comfortable and identified in these constitutional coordinates and wish Princess Leonor all the best for the future.”
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The incumbent government’s minority partner, Sumar, will attend the event with his institutional positions, while the majority of the group will turn their backs on him. Yolanda Díaz’s formation expresses its “maximum institutional respect” while demanding “maximum respect for the people” since, in her opinion, the debate about the form of government “exists in society”. He proclaims that republicanism “cannot be an act of nostalgia,” but rather a commitment to “a more advanced democracy.” And without pointing directly at anyone, he warns that “a monarchy trapped on the right that does not address social and territorial issues” will “have difficulty moving forward.”
Enthusiasm on the right. Given the heir’s coming of age, the right reaffirms its unshakable adherence to the crown. “It is an act of particular importance for our democracy that clearly supports the future of the parliamentary monarchy,” emphasizes the ethnic group. The institution “fulfills a fundamental task” and is “a guarantee of a stable and strong democracy”. The Popular emphasizes that Europe’s ten parliamentary monarchies “are among the most advanced democracies in the world.”
The ethnic group uses a sentence from Felipe VI’s speech. from 2014 on the occasion of his coronation, in which he stated, citing Don Quixote: “A person is no more than another unless he does more than another.” From this he draws a conclusion: “It is important “To defend a united and diverse Spain based on the equality of all Spaniards, on solidarity between its peoples and on respect for the law.”
The king’s decision to propose Sánchez as a candidate for investiture sparked angry reactions from parts of the extreme right. But Vox is pulling together before Tuesday and showing its “proud to be part of a historic day.” “The oath is a symbol of the order and stability of the constitutional regime,” he explains, “the same one that the enemies of Spain, as we already warned in 2019, want to destroy, those who, because of them, will not take part in this celebration.” I hate everything that Corona symbolizes: unity, equality for all Spaniards and a common history and future.”
UPN also highlights the king as a guarantor of Spain’s unity, saying this is “more necessary than ever” in the current moment. The Navarrese Formation defends that the institution is “taking steps to adapt to new times” with “transparency and public scrutiny”. And he calls for constitutional reform to end the predominance of men in the line of succession.
CC, on the other hand, believes that the monarchy “continues to be anachronistic in some aspects”, without questioning the monarchy. It calls on it to adapt to a new “political and institutional landscape and a territory with diverse nationalities, very different from that of previous centuries” and to act “in accordance with the social, economic and environmental agenda of the state”.
Nationalist vacuum. The attack on the Princess will be total by the government’s nationalist allies, including the PNV, about which there were certain doubts. The Basque party does not openly question the monarchy, but calls for legal reforms “after years of controversy and inappropriate attitudes.” “If Zarzuela wants to stagnate, it will have no future,” say PNV sources, who criticize in particular the PSOE for opposing its initiatives, such as the one that aimed to extend the king’s inviolability to his public actions restrict .
Further to the left, the rejection is emphatic. Gabriel Rufián, spokesman for the ERC, claims that an institution affected by “corruption” created Leonor de Borbón as part of a “process of media whitewashing,” “thanks to the emergence of a new figure who will probably end up just as exhausted.” like her father.” in a few years.” “It’s an unusually eternal loop,” he concludes.
“A meaningless production,” said EH Bildu MP Jon Iñarritu, describing the incident on Tuesday. “The monarchy was imposed by actions and until today neither Basque society nor the state has been able to decide which model we want.” Iñarritu affirms that the rejection of this “anti-democratic ancient culture” “not only in Euskal Herria, but also in the Spanish one Society” is the majority.
The BNG agrees: “Leonor’s swearing in is part of a ritual aimed at perpetuating the monarchy outside the will of the people, because it was never voted on.” The Galician formation explains that the institution cannot be modernized “because by definition is undemocratic” and points out that its ultimate goal is “a sovereign Galician Republic”.
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