Sources within the Spanish government this afternoon expressed "respect" for the decision of king emeritus Juan Carlos I to flee Spain. However, the executive led by Pedro Sánchez did not make a public statement on the bombshell announcement today which, according to public broadcaster RTVE, is the result of an agreement made with the Socialist-led government weeks ago.
According to Europa Press, figures within the government spoke of their respect for the decision, and put the stress on the "exemplary approach and transparency" of the current head of state, king Felipe VI. Juan Carlos I himself attributed the decision to move offshore simply to repercussions from "issues in his past personal life".
It is expected that prime minister Pedro Sánchez will address the issue in a press conference planned for Tuesday morning. Meanwhile, Pablo Iglesias, deputy PM and leader of the Spanish government's junior coalition partner Podemos, described the move by Juan Carlos I as "improper" and said that it left the royal family in a "very compromised position".