The Spanish monarchy renewed its image with a picture of King Philip VI, who publishes its annual expenses. A year after the abdication of his father, King Juan Carlos I retired, there is still mistrust in the transparency and usefulness of this form of government, especially when the economy is still in crisis.
This June 2 marks one year since King Juan Carlos I abdicated the crown of Spain to his son Philip, who became the new king 17 days later. Corruption scandals surrounding the crown, with intensity in 2008, suggest that the succession was an attempt to improve the image of the royal family.
Juan Carlos I, who is remembered as the king who represented the transition from the dictatorship of Francisco Franco to democracy, left a divided regarding the review of the monarchy country with strong accusations against transparency their affairs.
In 2008, with the onset of the global economic crisis, Spain ceased to thrive and government implemented severe austerity measures that left thousands without homes and jobs. In this severe stage it joined in 2009 the allocation of Inaki Urdangarin, husband of the youngest daughter of the King, for alleged embezzlement of public funds from the Institute Nóos a nonprofit foundation.
It is estimated that Nóos Institute and its network of companies invoiced a total of 16.06 million euros (17.53 million dollars) to 103 public and private entities. The anti-corruption prosecutor charged to Urdangarín on charges of embezzlement, fraud, breach of trust, money laundering and falses.
In January 2014, the Infanta Cristina was also charged for alleged tax evasion and money laundering during the investigation of her husband. This was the straw that broke the camel.
Although Philip VI assumed the reins of the royal family, the Spanish still mired in an adverse economic situation and still question the cost of the crown.
Expenses vs. Crown economic situation of the country
This year, the first accounts of the crown that King Philip VI approved as the new monarch of Spain , decided to get off the salary by 20 percent, ie 234 000 charged 204 euros a year ($ 950 254 000) 58 000 848 euros less than what he perceived his father Don Juan Carlos.
It also lowered the salary of his wife Queen Leticia, who was on 128 000 808 (140 000 218 US dollars), which means 2 000 931 euros less than those who perceived the Reina Sofia in the 2014, now has a salary of 105 000 396 euros ($ 732 114 000), some 26 000 343 euros less than when she was queen.
However, this reduction poses no savings, because while it is true that the salary of members of the royal family got really crown costs remain the same. This is because the new monarch increased elsewhere as the contingency fund which totaled 104 791 euros (over $ 169,000) to settle at 155 000 500
was King Juan Carlos I of Spain for 38 years and seven months.
Therefore, the amount received by the house of King Philip VI of the general budget State remains 7.7 million euros (8.4 million dollars). Of that amount, 49 percent is for personnel expenses “exceptional performance, extraordinary dedication, interest and initiative” of employees, as indicated by the royal house. This year the 11 senior members of the royal palace will receive 712 000 000 (777 000 241 US dollars).
In addition, King Philip VI this year plans to spend 650 000 euros ($ 560 709 000) in a complex information system, called Rutecar, to connect all sections of the royal house to manage records, integrate all the documents, videos and photographs. In 2014 they had already set aside 265 000 497 (289 000 824 US dollars) for this sophisticated system.
Also last year, the crown spent 62 000 euros (67 000 681 US dollars) to hire a public relations consultant specializing in Internet and new technologies in order to analyze all of the comments that occur in social networks, websites and blogs on electronic family members and the institution in general pages.
In contrast, currently Spain faces its worst recession in more than four decades , although in the first quarter of this year gross domestic product (GDP) grew 0.9 percent over the previous quarter, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said that Spain will take 10 years to recover its economy. In this grim scenario is the fact that the public debt continues to rise and has now reached almost 100 percent of GDP.
Only the 2015 unemployment reached 24.4 percent and analysts estimate that unemployment will continue above 20 percent for the rest of the year. Andalusia, Catalonia and Valencia are the three regions with the highest number of unemployed.
The poverty rate is 20.4 percent and the population at risk of poverty is 27.3 percent. In total there are 2 million 300 thousand children living below the poverty line. In addition, every day 120 families lose their homes.
As for the Gini coefficient, which measures inequality within a country, it is 24.4 percent.
Decreases acceptance of the monarchy
In 2013, a survey by the Center for Sociological Research (CIS) revealed that 57.8 percent of young people between 18 and 29 rejected the monarchy as a form of state organization, while only 37.3 percent were still in favor of it. In addition, the survey only 50.1 percent valued the image of the then King Juan Carlos I as positive, compared to 76 percent of previous polls.
In June 2014, after the abdication of the king, the Spaniards took to the streets to reject the proclamation of Felipe VI and through social networks the call came to demand a referendum that would allow them to vote between monarchy or republic. But the referendum was rejected by Parliament with 274 votes of the Popular Party (PP), the official Spanish Socialist Workers Party (PSOE) and the Progress and Democracy Union (UPD).
However, since the debate opened on the street and now the Spaniards are demanding the ouster of the monarchy.
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