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You have to spin very fine to understand what happens these days between La Zarzuela and La Moncloa . On Thursday, in the delivery of an award to Javier Cercas , Felipe VI praised the "bravery" of those who, like the writer, defend the Constitution in difficult times and flee "from the equidistance between the rule of law and those who intend to destroy it."

He was referring to the rostrum . What is the republic for today? , answer to What is the monarchy for today? , that days before Pablo Iglesias had published, with whom Pedro Sánchez, winner of the 10-N elections and the main candidate for the presidency of the Government, reached a government pact while the monarch flew to Cuba.

The embrace between the socialist and the leader of United We took by surprise Felipe VI. Days later, other information - never confirmed by Zarzuela - spoke about the King's refusal to travel to Argentina for the inauguration of the new president on December 10, which would make it impossible to begin the round of consultations within the planned deadline Article 99 of the Constitution (to which they continually refer from the Royal House to highlight the exquisite neutrality that the King must maintain).

The hug and the Argentina case are just the last two tests of the tension in the Moncloa-Zarzuela road, with the horizon obscured. There are people who know the Institution well that the relationship between Sánchez and Felipe VI has ceased to be as dynamic as in the beginning. Among other reasons, for the institutional blockade and the call for new elections after Sánchez's failure in his investiture in July, as reflected in a statement from the King's House in which he "urged" the parties to negotiate.

"Sanchez doesn't like to have anyone over"

Others speak of a deeper disagreement. "Pedro Sánchez does not like to have anyone above. And much less if he is that King so excellent that we have and that it has been a bulwark against nationalism - again an allusion to the speech of October 3, 2017 - annoys those -ERC and Podemos- that can make you president. That is why you will not mind if the figure of the King is worn out or that he simply has a minor role. "

The King's environment specifically refers to an episode to explain the president's egocentric desire. The absence of Queen Letizia in the commemorative acts of the end of World War I, which brought together numerous heads of State and Government in Paris in November 2018. The King was alone. Sánchez went in the company of his wife, Begoña Gómez . Then, from the Palacio de la Zarzuela they justified the absence of the Queen in this act to the fact that the heads of State and Government were invited, but not their spouses, although Brigitte Macron , Matilde of Belgium , Charlene de Monaco , Melania attended Trump ...

So what was Begoña Gomez doing there? Did Moncloa suggest to the King that he give the prominence to the presidential couple? That slips some connoisseurs of the House. It is not easy to forget that, just a month before that episode, the marriage had already blamed the Royal House for the "protocol lapse" they suffered at the reception on October 12 when they began to receive the guests along with the Kings. Then Zarzuela explained that both Sánchez and his wife had just followed the instructions.

Paradoxically, in December 2018, Sánchez proposed to suppress the inviolability of the King included in article 56.3 of the Magna Carta.

From Moncloa these facts and information are dispatched as simple gossip and coincidences. "The King has different representation functions than the president has. He is less free and there is no problem of living together. On the contrary, they are complementary," they say.

However, the King's environment fears the difficulties that the Crown may go through if Sanchez finally closes his pact with Podemos and ERC, two Republican parties. "And in this country as soon as we have started to propose the State model, we have finished milks." That seems the way of Sánchez's partners.

Sanchez's 'resistance manual'

There was a time when Sanchez boasted perfect harmony with Felipe VI regarding the concern about the institutional blockade. This is an excerpt from its Resistance Manual referring to the failed investiture with the support of Citizens after the 2015 elections.

"A relationship of complicity was overcome between Felipe VI and me that overcame, and continues to overcome today, the institutional. He was frankly concerned about the situation, he called me frequently and I was telling him the advances that took place in the Negotiations We talked with all sincerity, he in his role and I in mine, which at that time was to solve the institutional crisis. (...) We immediately recognized each other as the people we were going to take to the country from the risk of blockade ".

However, that good tuning seems obviously broken, since no one conveys that at some point the King has been informed of the progress in the pacts with United We Can. Neither of the negotiations with Esquerra Republicana, which like Podemos has never hidden its republicanism. "It is as if bullfighters or hunters were not afraid if Pacma were decisive in the formation of government," says a person who knows Zarzuela's ins and outs.

At the moment, Isabel Celáa, a spokesman for the Government, already warned that Sánchez would only go to the investiture if he could secure the votes of ERC, an independentist formation that, unlike JxCat de Carles Puigdemont, resists attending the round of consultations of Zarzuela.

In fact, his number one in Congress, Gabriel Rufián, has recently referred to the King as the " rejection " - in clear allusion to the preparation of his princely years. "Basically, after the speech of October 3, 2017, in which he legitimized the violence of October 1 and in which, even, many monarchists in Catalonia left them abandoned," he said, adding: "We always Felipe we tell him the same thing: if he is so good, so tall, and if he is so clever, that he is present at the elections, he sure wins them. "

The 'game of thrones' of Iglesias

A position very similar to that, after a brief period of tolerance with the Institution -Churches gave him some Game of Thrones DVDs and said that surely the King would win an alleged election "unless Jordi Évole was presented" - has again included Republicanism in its program and did not hesitate to support the reproach of the monarch in the Parliament in October 2018. "The patriotism of things to eat. That patriotism is called Republic."

So it is easy to imagine how the coexistence with the Government with Felipe VI will be if, finally, United We can obtain the three or four ministries promised by Sánchez, in addition to the social vice-presidency of Iglesias, which generally would have to be closely linked to the public work of the Monarchy.

Especially to the agenda of Doña Letizia. It should be considered that each act in which the Royal Family participates is coordinated by the Government and the cabinets of the different ministries. At the moment it is speculated that the formation of Churches has agreed to keep the portfolios of Equality, Labor and surely Universities. And will the ministers of Podemos, openly Republican, count on the Kings?

On the other hand, there are weekly offices between the King and the President of the Government, although they are in continuous communication and will be informed and consulted on different topics. This was the case during the Mariano Rajoy period, although with the limitations of the former president's character. In fact, the personality of the head of government marks his relations with the Royal House. Just remember the complicity between Felipe González and King Juan Carlos in the face of the distrust that José María Aznar inspired. Now...

In Zarzuela they remain silent and refer to article 99.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

Know more

  • Philip VI
  • Pedro Sanchez
  • We can
  • ERC
  • Real home
  • United We Can
  • Pablo Iglesias
  • Mariano Rajoy
  • Queen Letizia
  • Catalonia
  • Citizens
  • Felipe Gonzalez
  • Gabriel Rufián
  • Jose Maria Aznar

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