The dung from King Juan Carlos’ accident, while on a private trip to Botswana to kill elephants during which he broke his hip, has well and truly hit the proverbial fan, with Spain revelling in an unprecedented outpouring of criticism in the media that looks set to continue. The King has apologised for the gaffe, promising on state television to Spaniards before limping out of hospital: “it will never happen again.” Ouch: that must have hurt more than the crack he gave himself after tripping over his tent peg on safari. However humbling the experience, his plea to be given a chance to redeem himself and get back to being the king everybody loves may have been too little, too late. He … [Read more...] about What now for Spain’s monarchy?
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Spain’s refreshing royal scandal
Who says the Christmas period is boring for news? Right now, Spain has three judicial investigations or court cases involving intrigue, royalty and expensive suits. The trial of the Popular Party’s Valencia boss Francisco Camps for allegedly taking sartorial kick-backs in return for granting favours to private sector cronies is probably the most “normal” of this trio of cases. It seems to be a clear-cut case of did-he-or-didn’t-he, involving a senior politician and a shady character with an enormous moustache aptly known as Bigotes. More complex is the case against Baltasar Garzón, Spain’s best-known celebrity judge. The man who wanted to put Osama Bin Laden on trial will soon be in … [Read more...] about Spain’s refreshing royal scandal