海角大神

Spain鈥檚 aging King Juan Carlos is intent on extending his reign and聽reaffirming his legacy of resurrecting the monarchy, but calls for his聽abdication are growing amid a simmering scandal over embezzlement of public聽funds incriminating his son-in-law, a duke. The scandal and climate here are proving a serious threat to the crown.聽

The special high court-led investigation is ongoing and the monarchy has tried to聽distance itself from Duke I帽aki Urdangar铆n, who is married to the king鈥檚 youngest聽daughter Princess Cristina.

The court said in January it found 鈥渕ore than聽enough鈥� incriminating evidence of 鈥渃riminal activity鈥� to continue聽investigating Urdangar铆n for embezzling more than $8 million in public聽funds.

The king鈥檚 son-in-law has been excluded from public events and his profile聽has been deleted from the official web site of the monarchy.

The heir to the聽throne Prince Felipe went out of his way to avoid being seen in public with聽Urdangar铆n during a recent sporting event they both attended.

In an effort to turn a page, King Juan Carlos ruled out abdicating in聽January, despite flagging health, other scandals biting聽at his popularity, including an injury during a Botswana elephant聽hunting extravaganza paid by a Saudi businessman, something he later聽apologized for in a rare public TV broadcast.

鈥淚鈥檓 in good shape, and above all with the spirit to confront the challenges聽we face,鈥� he said Jan. 4, his first聽interview in more than a decade. 鈥淚 would like to be remembered as the king who united聽all Spaniards and with them managed to recover democracy and the monarchy.鈥�

But the embezzlement scandal threatens to preempt that. For a pampered聽royal who is also a former Olympian and professional handball athlete to be聽illegally profiting from state funds is聽angering聽the ordinary public.聽

鈥淭his is the biggest challenge the monarchy has faced since it was聽reinstated. It鈥檚 serious and of unpredictable consequences,鈥� says Jos茅聽Antonio Escudero, a well-respected historian of the monarchy.聽

鈥淭his has generated corrosive and negative public opinion against the聽monarchy. What would benefit the monarchy most is that this issue is聽resolved as soon as possible...regardless of who it聽involves,鈥� Mr. Escudero says.

Urdangar铆n allegedly used his ties to the crown and nobility to secure聽contracts with regional governments to organize sporting events, along with聽his partner Diego Torres. They used their non-profit organization as a聽front to then siphon money, in the process evading taxes. Both could face聽six charges that could carry more than 20 years of prison time.

When the court set bail at nearly $10 million, the pair were unable or unwilling to pay, and the court began this month to repossess properties owned by Urdangarin and Princess聽Cristina, including their small palace in Barcelona. (They are still living in the palace, but will likely lose it if convicted.) The personal secretary聽of the King鈥檚 two daughters has also been subpoenaed.

鈥淚t started with the son-in-law, but it will get bigger. This is enormously聽real and concrete, especially amid current social circumstances and聽considering the crown is a pillar of stability,鈥� Escudero says.

Furthermore, the public debate over whether he should abdicate has been聽further fueled by decisions to step聽aside by Dutch counterpart Queen Beatrix, also 75, and Pope Benedict聽XVI, 85, Escudero says.

For many Spaniards, King Juan Carlos is a popular national figure, beloved for defending Spain鈥檚 young democracy and acting as guarantor of聽national identity.

The monarchy as a form of rule was abolished in 1931 after Spaniards voted in a republican聽government. Dictator General Francisco Franco, who rose to power after聽defeating the Republican government in the Spanish Civil War, named him聽prince and successor in 1969. Juan Carlos I became head of state in 1975聽after Franco鈥檚 death.

He restored Spain鈥檚 democracy, naming a civilian government and legalizing聽outlawed political forces. In 1981 he also defended democracy after troops
attempted a military coup. Juan Carlos went on television condemning the聽perpetrators and privately demanded those involved to give up.

But Spaniards are shedding much of their unquestioned support. Two polls this year showed the crown waning in popularity. Spaniards who positively judge聽the King鈥檚 reign plummeted to just over 50 percent, from 75 percent in April 2012,聽according to the Sigma poll, published by El Mundo daily in January.

Slightly more Spaniards think he should abdicate now, than those who think聽he should continue.

The withering support for the crown, even if it鈥檚 still solid, 鈥渉as to do聽especially with the recent corruption scandals,鈥� says Jos茅 脕lvarez Junco,聽director of the Department of History of Thought and Social and Political聽Movements of the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, author of numerous聽books, and former government adviser.聽

鈥淏ut the monarchical feeling among Spaniards has never been very strong聽since the Republic. Spaniards are not monarchical, but Juan Carlistas,鈥� says Mr. Junco, suggesting that the person of the king is more popular than the office.聽

鈥淣ew聽generations who did not live through the transition, who don鈥檛 fear fascism, are more聽demanding and are not willing to tolerate sacrificing some things in聽exchange for democratic liberties, as our generation was,鈥� Junco adds.