Podemos, the party led by Pablo Iglesias, has just released a video clip on social media which portrays the Spanish royal family as a criminal organization. The video, entitled Monárquicos, is set to the theme song of the Narcos TV series centred on drug trafficker Pablo Escobar, and for 88 seconds the viewer sees images of the king emeritus and his wife, the current monarchs, the dictator Francisco Franco, the Saudi Arabian monarchy and the various scandals that have enveloped the Spanish royal family over the years. I must admit that if I had been asked which political party was behind it, it would have been difficult for me to assert that it was an expression of the ideas of Podemos and by extension, of their Catalan partners Catalunya en Comú, since the attack is not only on the fugitive former king who no longer has anyone who will defend him - beyond that lost article by businessman Juan Rosell published in La Vanguardia last August - but rather, Podemos is also targetting the current king and head of state and permanent head of the armed forces.
It is, then, simply surprising that this video was made by a party that is part of His Majesty the King’s government. Because, where precisely does Podemos stand? Which side is it on? Or is it on both at the same time? In favour of the monarchy or the republic? Is it government... or opposition? It's true that political parties which don't want to declare a clear position on issues are best off using avoidance tactics. One day you make a video, and the next day you pay tribute to him with a cynicism that leaves many of your voters redfaced. But the million-dollar question is: after this music video with the Spanish monarchy being cast as a criminal organization, what’s the next step? Because if everything was just a pose to satisfy the leftist electorate, it has already had the desired effect. But is there anything else beyond that? It doesn't seem so, when the Spanish government and its parliamentary allies have just presented an annual budget in which the amount set aside for the royal house has increased by 6.9%, to a total of 8.4 million euros.
When the Catalan independence movement drew a red line in its relationship with the Spanish monarchy and the royal family after the speech of Felipe VI on 3rd October 2017, many thought that shortly afterwards it would relax that position. The fact is that, three years later, it is not just supporters of Catalan independence who are distancing themselves from the Spanish royal family, but rather, an authentic implosion of the regime of '78 is taking place, starting with the institution which provides the head of state. The monarchy moves between discredit and indifference, and the pressure on its neglectful behaviour is becoming more and more evident. And as well, the need for the current king to finally give an explanation for the attitude and behaviour of his father, who in some of his affairs is openly implicating him. Those who advise Felipe to simply shut up are unaware of the enormous strength of public opinion on this subject, increasingly angry over what many consider to be a swindle.
The debate on the monarchy will not take long to take root, as it is already present in the cabinet itself, which is still an important novelty. It is no longer just on the edges of the executive, or the mere aspirations of one of the parliamentary partners. We’ll see how long Pedro Sánchez can continue to dodge it. But the truth is that you only need to watch the video to confirm that the debate has begun. Unless Podemos decides to again play the game of delaying it.