There are moments in the life of a democracy when certain events cease to be simple episodes of political confrontation and begin to become alarm signals. And that moment has arrived.
The continuous criticisms and reproaches of socialist leaders towards Felipe VI no longer seem isolated episodes. Little by little, a worrying dynamic is being established: to turn the King and the institution he represents into another element of partisan confrontation. The Crown is being placed at the center of the political battle. And those who do so should be aware of the consequences.
Because Felipe VI cannot respond like a politician. He is not a minister, he is not a deputy, and he is not a militant. He is the King of Spain. His obligation is to remain above partisan dispute, to preserve the neutrality of the institution, and to represent all Spaniards. And precisely that obligation, which is a guarantee for our democracy, can also become his greatest weakness when those who should respect it decide to use it politically.
The Crown is a constitutional institution. That is why it is worrying that from the Government it has been progressively turning into a ground for confrontation. First were the criticisms, then the reproaches, then the insinuations, and now the King's actions are being publicly questioned, trying to convey to public opinion the idea that Felipe VI must answer for matters that correspond to the Government.
Does anyone really believe that all this is happening by chance?
Perhaps some want to convince us that we are facing independent episodes. But Spaniards have the right to ask ourselves what is happening when the same institution appears again and again as a political target.
Because there is a way to weaken an institution that does not require grand speeches or formal proposals: it is enough to subject it to constant wear and tear. There is no need to abolish the Monarchy tomorrow. There is no need to present a proposal for a Republic tomorrow or to reform the Constitution tomorrow. It is enough to subject it to a silent but constant wear and tear, and that, little by little, a part of society begins to see it as something old, useless, or dispensable.
And then the question will arise: And why not a Republic?
And someone will answer: What does it matter?.
Yes, it does, and a great deal. Because changing the form of the State does not simply consist of changing the name of an institution. It means modifying one of the fundamental elements of our constitutional system.
And here it is worth remembering something that seems to have been forgotten: the 1978 Constitution is not a menu from which a Government can pick and choose the articles that suit it each day. Parliamentary Monarchy is part of the constitutional pact. Can it be reformed? Of course it can. But if someone wants to change it, they should say so, defend it, and do so following democratic rules. What does not seem acceptable is to try to modify respect for an institution through its progressive erosion.
And here Felipe VI must be defended. Without complexes, without apologizing, and without accepting that defending the King is automatically a partisan position. Defending the King is defending the Head of State. Defending the Crown is defending the Constitution.
Felipe VI does not need anyone to speak for him. But he does need someone to remember what, out of institutional responsibility, he cannot say: that the Crown is not the property of any government, that the King does not belong to any party, that Spain does not belong to any party, and neither does the Constitution.
Spain is much more than Pedro Sánchez.
Governments come and go. Presidents come and go. Parties come and go. Parliamentary majorities come and go. Institutions, on the other hand, remain. And precisely because of this, those who govern should treat them with much greater responsibility.
If the PSOE wants to open the debate between Monarchy and Republic, it should have the courage to do so openly. If it wants to reform the Constitution, it should say so. If it wants to change the model of the State, it should explain it and defend its proposal to the Spanish people.
But it should not turn the King into a political adversary. Because the Crown is not the enemy. The King is not the Government, nor is he the opposition, nor does he represent a specific ideology. He represents Spain and, as long as the Constitution continues to establish a parliamentary monarchy, he deserves the institutional respect corresponding to the Head of State.
That is why we cannot remain silent. Because perhaps what is at stake is not just the figure of Felipe VI. What is at stake is something much larger: the legitimacy of the very constitutional architecture upon which our democracy rests.
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