Spain
recently launched a brand new King: PhilipVI from the House
of Bourbon.
The two major parties of our government (the conservative and the socialdemocrats) voted together to proclaim King Philip VI last June 19th. They completed the whole succesion process in a time record: 16 days!. Of course they didn't think it was necessary to ask people, the same people that voted them as their representatives, how did we feel about it. This actitud was specially severe for most of us since 70% of the population weren't old enough to vote the actual Constitution (which included the figure of the King Juan Carlos I (Philips's dad) as the Head of the State) back in 1978.
The actual government has proved, ONCE AGAIN, that they don't care about the people's voice. But what about the Prince? How, morally & ethically speaking, can any Prince believe he has the right to become a King (a lifetime position) without making sure that his people wants him? I mean, what is Spain for Philip VI? A private company owned by his dad Juan Carlos I?
The two major parties of our government (the conservative and the socialdemocrats) voted together to proclaim King Philip VI last June 19th. They completed the whole succesion process in a time record: 16 days!. Of course they didn't think it was necessary to ask people, the same people that voted them as their representatives, how did we feel about it. This actitud was specially severe for most of us since 70% of the population weren't old enough to vote the actual Constitution (which included the figure of the King Juan Carlos I (Philips's dad) as the Head of the State) back in 1978.
The actual government has proved, ONCE AGAIN, that they don't care about the people's voice. But what about the Prince? How, morally & ethically speaking, can any Prince believe he has the right to become a King (a lifetime position) without making sure that his people wants him? I mean, what is Spain for Philip VI? A private company owned by his dad Juan Carlos I?
I grew up with the figure of the
eternal Prince Philip. When he got proclaimed King, and among many different feelings, I felt curiosity about his namesake’s predecessor: Philip V.
Philip V ruled from 1700 to 1746 in Spain. He was the first King from the house of Bourbon! and his reign the longest in the Spanish history.
But it seems that Philip VI still has nightmares when he hears the word Republic, as if we were in 1789. Maybe he is scared a Referendum would be the antechamber to his public guillotine execution or maybe he doesn't believe the people would respect the opinion of the majority, as if we were not a democrat society... Very paranoid or very insulting, isn't? Although it could also be that he doesn't give a damn about all this and he just wants to make sure he has a royal throne and a wage for the rest of his life, like his namesake’s predecessor: Philip V.
Who knows? Surveys gave Philip VI a lot of chances to win the Referendum now. His figure would have come out reinforced and no one would have questioned his role in the coming decades. On the other hand, to accept to ascend the throne the way he has actually done it will take its toll. The self-imposed Philip VI doesn't seem to realize that Spaniards will have our referendum sooner or later. We'll freely decide if we had enough Philips, Bourbons or if we hadn't. But we'll decide it, no one will decide for us.
Philip V ruled from 1700 to 1746 in Spain. He was the first King from the house of Bourbon! and his reign the longest in the Spanish history.
Even though I never thought a Bourbon was superior to any other Spaniard, I was taught, as most of my contemporaries, to feel gratitude towards Juan Carlos I. After all, practically everybody agrees that he played a basic role in the Spaniard transition to Democracy. My generation didn't live Franco's dictatorship, and we were too young to remember the transition but if there is something we know for sure is that we don't want anyone pointing us with a gun and telling us what to do, therefore, hey! if King "Juan Carlos I" contributed to our freedom many of us implicitly decided to bear his figure without questioning it, specially when he and his family didn't seem to cause any trouble.
But the Royal's Family reputation was put into question soon. As years passed by, and specially in the last few years, the King's shady private business affairs started to come up, being the prosecution of the King's son-in-law (who was caught up using his royal family influence to steal as a vulgar white collar thief) the straw that broke the camel's back. Among all these scandals two figures seemed to keep a little bit of dignity inside the Royal family: the Queen in her role of the sacrificed and worthy family woman (in which many Spaniard mistreated wives felt reflected) and the Prince Philip, the applicated student, who after a few failed relationships had a crush with a divorced journalist (an intelligent & pretty woman from the populace) and confronted his parents to obtain the permit to marry her. Very romantic.
As the economical crisis worsened, and the government decided to openly take the financial elite's side and to abandon the citizens to their luck, King "Juan Carlos I " remained silent. We have a saying in Spanish: "el silencio otorga" : "silence grants". When "Juan Carlos I" announced his abdication, last June 3rd, many Spaniards thought the debt with the monarch had been paid off and demanded the 3rd Republic. It seemed logical to call a a referendum. If Philip wanted to become the new Head of the State, the new King, he would need to present himself as a candidate and obtain the support of majority of the Spaniards.
But the Royal's Family reputation was put into question soon. As years passed by, and specially in the last few years, the King's shady private business affairs started to come up, being the prosecution of the King's son-in-law (who was caught up using his royal family influence to steal as a vulgar white collar thief) the straw that broke the camel's back. Among all these scandals two figures seemed to keep a little bit of dignity inside the Royal family: the Queen in her role of the sacrificed and worthy family woman (in which many Spaniard mistreated wives felt reflected) and the Prince Philip, the applicated student, who after a few failed relationships had a crush with a divorced journalist (an intelligent & pretty woman from the populace) and confronted his parents to obtain the permit to marry her. Very romantic.
As the economical crisis worsened, and the government decided to openly take the financial elite's side and to abandon the citizens to their luck, King "Juan Carlos I " remained silent. We have a saying in Spanish: "el silencio otorga" : "silence grants". When "Juan Carlos I" announced his abdication, last June 3rd, many Spaniards thought the debt with the monarch had been paid off and demanded the 3rd Republic. It seemed logical to call a a referendum. If Philip wanted to become the new Head of the State, the new King, he would need to present himself as a candidate and obtain the support of majority of the Spaniards.
But it seems that Philip VI still has nightmares when he hears the word Republic, as if we were in 1789. Maybe he is scared a Referendum would be the antechamber to his public guillotine execution or maybe he doesn't believe the people would respect the opinion of the majority, as if we were not a democrat society... Very paranoid or very insulting, isn't? Although it could also be that he doesn't give a damn about all this and he just wants to make sure he has a royal throne and a wage for the rest of his life, like his namesake’s predecessor: Philip V.
Who knows? Surveys gave Philip VI a lot of chances to win the Referendum now. His figure would have come out reinforced and no one would have questioned his role in the coming decades. On the other hand, to accept to ascend the throne the way he has actually done it will take its toll. The self-imposed Philip VI doesn't seem to realize that Spaniards will have our referendum sooner or later. We'll freely decide if we had enough Philips, Bourbons or if we hadn't. But we'll decide it, no one will decide for us.
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