Ma Wukong claims that in Spain nobody understands the idea of sovereignty anymore

A viral tweet claims that in Spain nobody knows what sovereignty means anymore because apologies are not demanded when the people are offended. In law, the concept refers to the supreme power of the State, which is distinct from the dignity of individuals.

The post on X by the account **Ma Wukong** puts forward a thesis that mixes two different levels. On the one hand, it demands that anyone who offends the feelings of the Spanish people apologise, both to citizens and to institutions. On the other, it asserts that in Spain nobody knows what the idea of sovereignty means anymore. The claim is catchy, but it confuses two things that constitutional law carefully separates.

## What sovereignty means under the Constitution

The **Spanish Constitution of 1978** vests national sovereignty in the Spanish people in Article 1.2, from which the powers of the State emanate. It is a concept concerning the ownership and exercise of political power, not a mechanism for demanding satisfaction when someone feels offended. Sovereignty does not govern apologies: it governs who holds power and within what limits.

The constitutional text also recognises the dignity of the person in Article 10.1, but that dignity is protected through specific channels, such as the right to honour. None of them legally obliges a third party to ask for forgiveness.

## Public apologies: courtesy, not sovereignty

Demanding apologies is a legitimate demand in the social and political sphere, and it does in fact happen. Institutions and public officials have apologised in Spain for various episodes. What does not exist is a general legal duty to apologise to the people for a diffuse offence.

The tweet turns a reasonable complaint, that accountability should be demanded, into a diagnosis about the loss of a technical concept. These are two separate debates, and mixing them clarifies neither.

## Why the framework matters

The idea of sovereignty is often invoked as a wildcard to demand anything from tariffs to symbolic gestures. Precision helps: sovereignty explains why a State can decide on its borders or its laws, not why a private individual should retract. Confusing the two weakens the argument of whoever demands respect.