Spain's right cheers a king drifting toward Sánchez

Felipe VI and the right: a love affair that is cracking

The right most loyal to the Crown keeps cheering the king and the police, but a growing number of voices are pointing out the contradiction: while the Monarchy aligns itself with Sánchez's government, the very people who defend it seem not to notice. The debate, fueled by recent patriotic celebrations, has raised an uncomfortable question: how long will this unconditional support last?

The king who is going the way of Sánchez

The perception that Felipe VI is ceding ground to Prime Minister Sánchez has spread among critics. The argument goes that the monarch, antiestéticaring for his throne, has chosen not to confront the executive, a strategy that has historically proven disastrous. The examples of Victor Emmanuel III, who backed Mussolini, or Norodom Sihanouk, who allied himself with the Khmer Rouge, are cited as warnings of what happens when a Crown bows to power. Blind loyalty to an institution that accommodates whoever is in office usually ends badly.

The police and the Sánchez fervor

Another focus of criticism is the unconditional support for the police, which many see as increasingly aligned with the government. The irony is that the same people who cheer the officers are the ones who later complain about the executive's authoritarian drift. That contradiction, some argue, borders on political masochism.

The latent republicanism

There is no shortage of those who, in this context, openly call for a republic. Republican proclamations, though a minority view, are gaining ground in public debate, especially among those who see the Monarchy as a drag on democracy. The question is whether this current will find an echo beyond critical circles.

History suggests that unconditional support for institutions that bow to power tends to evaporate. Spain's right, which today cheers the king, could face an uncomfortable dilemma: stay loyal to a Crown that is drifting toward Sánchez, or rethink its loyalty. Only time will tell.