King Juan Carlos of Spain Abdicates

King Juan Carlos, who faced down a military coup that threatened Spain’s return to democracy before seeing his family dragged into a corruption scandal, abdicated today, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said.

.... Juan Carlos cemented his popularity with Spaniards for more than two decades when he resisted an attempted coup against the country’s nascent democracy in 1981. More recently, reports of an affair and a corruption investigation focused on his son-in-law undermined his public support last year.

As Spain was battered by Europe’s sovereign debt crisis and unemployment soared, criticism of Juan Carlos mounted. Pere Navarro, leader of the Catalan Socialist Party, last year called on Juan Carlos to abdicate while Gaspar Llamazares, a lawmaker with the United Left, said the monarchy should be abolished in favor of a third Spanish Republic.

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2014-06-02/king-juan-carlos-of-spain-abdicates-prime-minister-says

Demands for a new Republic ... Catalonia demanding independence from Spain... Things are certainly changing in Europe.

They are changing apace. I wonder if Queenie has heard the news ?  

Yep and when they get their "republic" they will end up with a military dictatorship within a few years.....

actually Felipe & Letizia are very well liked and I think they will do a good job. it was time for Juan Carlos to go - he was up to hid eyeballs in scandals and his health wasn't that great. he was for sure made from the same mould as Edward VII - hopefully he'll be the last of the big playboy kings.

victorisnotamused wrote:Yep and when they get their "republic" they will end up with a military dictatorship within a few years.....

As our American friends would put it, "that's a given."

El regreso de El Caudillo.

Fred Moletrousers wrote:

victorisnotamused wrote:Yep and when they get their "republic" they will end up with a military dictatorship within a few years.....

As our American friends would put it, "that's a given."

El regreso de El Caudillo.

weird guy. he was a momma's boy by all accounts.

don't think a dictatorship will happen. still far too many people alive in Spain who remember how bad it was under his rule. if they do get rid they would go towards a presidential state. but like I said I think they will stay with Felipe (who is a nice bit of totty tbh - yes I know I am shallow)

Pero las personas de Espana saben sus historia, y creo que las no quieren la regresa de la tirania, no esta vez.

Nems wrote:They are changing apace. I wonder if Queenie has heard the news ?  

Will she be next ?