The head of state, Felipe VI, has had to deal with the corruption scandals that shook his father Juan Carlos I and other members of the Spanish royal family.
On the occasion of the celebrations of his ten years of reign, the King Felipe VI appeared on the balcony of the Royal Palace of Madrid, accompanied by the Queen Joythe princess Leonor and the infanta Sofiato commemorate its proclamation.
a decade ago, Felipe VI ascended the throne after the turbulent abdication of his father, Juan Carlos I, due to numerous public and private scandals. Since then, the monarch has focused his efforts on renew the monarchy y restore transparency and the integrity of the institution.
“He is a good person and what has happened, has happened. And I would like them to leave the family alone,” said a woman in the crowd, reflecting the feelings of many of the Spaniards who gathered this Wednesday at the Royal Palace. from Madrid.
Institutional renewal
During this decade the King has also had to make painful personal decisions to distance the monarchy from the scandals of the past.
This has meant separating him from his sister, the Infanta Cristinadue to her husband’s corruption cases, Iñaki Urdangarínand manage his relationship with his father, who moved to Abu Dhabi in 2020 and who currently continues to reside outside of Spain.
“An attempt has been made to stay away from all the scandals, keeping the monarchical institution completely out of it. I think he has done it very correctly,” said another attendee at the celebration of the ten years of reign.
The future of the monarchy now lies with the princess Leonor, who has reached the age of majority and has already sworn to the Constitution. The next years of the reign of Felipe VI They will be crucial to restoring confidence in the monarchy and reconnecting with Spanish society before ceding the throne to his heir.
A decade of challenges
One of the greatest challenges of the reign of Felipe VI was the independence referendum of Catalonia in 2017, when the King appeared before the nation to underline the unity of Spain.
“I believe that the intervention after the referendum It was very beneficial for all Spaniards and it was a turning point that prevented the independence or separation of a part of Spain,” said one of those attending the ceremony.
During this decade, Felipe VI has had to navigate a turbulent political landscape, with five general elections in less than nine years, testing its ability to maintain stability and unity in the country.
However, the monarch has received criticism from the Catalan independence political parties, who accuse him of lack of sensitivity with what they consider a conflict between Spain and Catalonia, and part of the left Spanish, which just a few days ago demonstrated in Madrid in favor of the republic.
Also, sectors of the extreme right They have accused the monarch of lukewarmness for fulfilling his role as head of state and not having refused to sign decisions of Parliament and the Council of Ministers such as the controversial amnesty law for the Catalan leaders of the process.
However, according to a survey published by the newspaper ‘The Spanish‘, 48.3% of Spaniards today prefer a constitutional Monarchy compared to 37.4% who advocate for the republic, and 70% of citizens consider that the institution is a “guarantee of stability” to Spain, according to another poll conducted by the conservative newspaper ‘The reason‘.
A ceremony to underline principles
In commemoration of the tenth anniversary, the Royal family presided over the solemn extraordinary relief of the Guardia Real in the Royal Palace.
Subsequently, the kings attended the act of imposition of award of the Order of Civil Merit, in which various citizens have been decorated, in recognition of their personal commitment and social contribution.
“I have adhered to the Constitution and its values - and will always adhere – in the fulfillment of my responsibilities. They are a guide for the exercise of my functions,” he stated. Felipe VI during the event.
“It was – and is – the commitment of a constitutional king, which transcends the demands of duty: it is also so on a personal and moral level, as a profound expression of my respect and loyalty to the people Spanish, to which I owe”.
The ceremony was attended by the main powers of the stateincluding the former presidents of the Government, Congress of Deputies, Senate, Constitutional Court and General Council of the Judiciary, as well as the Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, among others.
