Felipe VI's €70,000 car reignites the debate over royal spending

Felipe VI spends €70,000 on a car while the country cannot afford one

King Felipe VI has taken delivery of a vehicle valued at between €70,000 and €75,000, according to a report published by El Debate. The news broke in the middle of the post-Christmas squeeze, with households cutting back and buying a new car now a luxury for most. The question writes itself: who is paying for this?

The discontent rests on three arguments. First, the price: €70,000 (or €75,000, depending on the source) for a whim on wheels. Second, the fuel consumption: 9 litres per 100 km, when an old small hatchback manages on 5. Third, the source of the funds: the purchase was reportedly charged to the Royal Household's budget, in other words, to everyone's taxes.

Austerity or privilege?

Some defend the purchase, pointing out that compared with the Super Puma helicopter or the Falcon jet, the car is an exercise in moderation. Others suggest the manufacturer may have given it away in exchange for publicity. And there is the argument that the vehicle is made in Spain, a detail some see as a boost to the domestic industry.

The average Spaniard's wallet

But the contrast with everyday reality is so stark that the justifications fall short. While most people put off buying a second-hand car or stretch the life of their ageing runabout, the institution does not appear to be feeling the same pinch. The irony extends further: what does he need a car for that barely tops 120 kilometres per hour?

The controversy goes nowhere: a purchase that some consider unacceptable in lean times, and others defend as support for domestic manufacturing. What nobody disputes is that the gap between the average citizen and the Royal Household keeps widening. And a €70,000 car is, at the very least, a bad look.