In Spain, which is governed by a parliamentary monarchy, a political initiative was initiated to put this system to a referendum.
The ultra-leftist Elkarrekin Podemos-United Left alliance in the Basque autonomous parliament in the north of the country presented a proposal to the Basque parliament, which included the encouragement of the Parliament to hold a referendum demanding the end of the monarchy system.
IT COMES ON THE OLD KING’S BIRTHDAY
The resolution proposal attracted attention in that it coincided with the 85th birthday of Emerit King Juan Carlos, who left the country since August 2020 and went to the United Arab Emirates due to corruption allegations.
Miren Gorrotxategi, spokesperson of the Elkarrekin Podemos-United Left alliance, argued that “Juan Carlos was appointed after the dictatorship in Spain, due to his loyalty to the dictator Franco, and it is impossible to talk about full democracy in a country where the president inherited a bloody legacy.”
IT WAS PRESENTED TO THE PARLIAMENT IN 2020
A similar resolution proposal was presented in the Basque autonomous parliament in autumn 2020, but was rejected at that time in a vote.
The Basque Nationalist Party (PNV), which is in power in the Basque region, states, “The oppression has no king. The King, Queen or other royal members of Spain are not ours.” Although he made a statement, he did not support the proposal on the grounds that it was not appropriate to hold discussions on the monarchy in the Basque autonomous parliament.
The new proposal is expected to be voted on in the Basque parliament in February.
THE GOVERNMENT AND THE MAIN OPPOSITION OPPOSE
Although the political majority in the separatist Basque and Catalonia regions of Spain is known to be anti-monarchy, the country’s two largest political parties, the ruling Socialist Workers Party (PSOE) and the main opposition right-wing People’s Party (PP), oppose any discussion of the parliamentary monarchy system. (AA)