King Juan Carlos of Spain abdicating

King Juan Carlos of Spain abdicating

King Juan Carlos of Spain is abdicating, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has announced.

Juan Carlos, who is 76, has ruled since 1975, taking over after the death of dictator Francisco Franco.

The king's son, Crown Prince Felipe, 45, will take over the throne.

For much of his reign, Juan Carlos was seen as one of the world's most popular monarchs, but recently many Spaniards have lost confidence in him.

His reputation has been tarnished by a long-running corruption investigation into his daughter and her husband.

Support for the king fell further when it was discovered he had been on a lavish elephant hunting trip to Botswana in April 2012, in the middle of Spain's financial crisis.

"His Majesty King Juan Carlos has just informed me of his desire to renounce the throne and begin the process of succession," Mr Rajoy said in a short statement.

He gave no reason for the decision, saying the monarch himself would explain, but Juan Carlos' health is failing and he has had a number of hip operations in recent years.

Spain does not have a precise law regulating abdication and royal succession, and Mr Rajoy said ministers would hold a special meeting to discuss the process by which the prince would take over as Felipe VI.

The prime minister said Juan Carlos had been a "tireless defender of our interests".

"I'm convinced this is the best moment for change," he added.

Pivotal role
When Juan Carlos took over from General Franco, he became Spain's first crowned head of state for 44 years.

But he soon ignored Franco's supporters, who wanted an extension to autocratic rule, and ushered in a new system of parliamentary monarchy.

As the years went on the king involved himself less in day-to-day politics, and became more of a figurehead.

He has been credited as a stabilising force for independence-minded areas such as Catalonia and the Basque region, and he also helped defuse an attempted coup in 1981.

Until a few years ago his popularity was high, but the hunting trip and corruption allegations involving his youngest daughter, Cristina, and her husband Inaki Urdangarin, led to calls for him to step aside.

The king's son and successor, Felipe, appears to have been untarnished by the scandal.

Felipe and his wife - former television presenter Princess Letizia - have recently taken on more important roles in ceremonial events.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-27662301


King Juan Carlos of Spain to Abdicate Throne
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/03/world/europe/king-juan-carlos-of-spain-to-abdicate-throne.html?_r=0


King Juan Carlos to abdicate Spanish throne
76-year-old monarch to hand over crown to Felipe de Borbon after stepping down amid health woes and financial scandals. Follow the latest developments here
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/spain/10869397/King-Juan-Carlos-to-abdicate-Spanish-throne.html


Spanish king to abdicate throne in favor of son
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2014/06/02/deeply-unpopular-spanish-king-to-abdicate-throne-in-favor-of-son/?tid=hp_mm


http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/king-juan-carlos-of-spain-plans-to-abdicate-9469433.html

Juan Carlos I of Spain
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juan_Carlos_I_of_Spain

Spanischer König Juan Carlos dankt ab

Die spanische Regierung kündigt den Rückzug von König Juan Carlos an. Der König informierte Spitzenpolitiker schon im März über seine Pläne. Kronprinz Felipe wird ihm auf den Thron folgen.

02.06.2014 | 12:54 | (DiePresse.com)

"Seine Majestät, König Juan Carlos, hat mich gerade über seinen Wunsch informiert, auf den Thron zu verzichten und das Verfahren für die Thronfolge einzuleiten", teilte der spanische Ministerpräsident Mariano Rajoy am Montag in Madrid mit. Prinz Felipe werde die Thronfolge antreten. "Ich bin überzeugt, dass dies der beste Zeitpunkt für einen Wandel ist", erklärte Rajoy. Juan Carlos habe persönliche Gründe angegeben. In einer "institutionellen Erklärung" gab der Regierungschef bekannt, dass der 76-jährige König das spanische Volk im Laufe des Tages persönlich über die Gründe seiner Entscheidung informieren werde.

http://diepresse.com/home/politik/aussenpolitik/3814908/Spanischer-Konig-Juan-Carlos-dankt-ab-?_vl_backlink=/home/index.do

Le roi d'Espagne abdique

Affaibli par la maladie et les scandales, il déclarait encore en septembre exclure d'abdiquer mais Juan Carlos a finalement capitulé. Le premier ministre espagnol Mariano Rajoy a annoncé ce lundi l'abdication du roi d'Espagne en faveur de son fils, le prince Felipe. Juan Carlos va expliquer lui-même les raisons de son choix dans une intervention qu'il enregistre en ce moment même et qui sera diffusée vers midi. Le souverain de 76 ans aurait été surtout sensible à des considérations politiques et à la nécessité de faire place à une nouvelle génération, mais certains supposent qu'il a aussi pris en compte sa santé délicate.

http://www.lefigaro.fr/international/2014/06/02/01003-20140602ARTFIG00101-le-roi-d-espagne-abdique.php

Juan Carlos, le destin d'un roi
http://www.lefigaro.fr/international/2014/06/02/01003-20140602ARTFIG00115-juan-carlos-le-destin-d-un-roi.php

«Mercredi, Juan Carlos était très décontracté, Felipe serein»
http://www.lefigaro.fr/actualite-france/2014/06/02/01016-20140602ARTFIG00150-mercredi-juan-carlos-etait-tres-decontracte-felipe-serein.php

Felipe et Letizia, les sauveurs de la monarchie espagnole
http://madame.lefigaro.fr/celebrites/felipe-letizia-sauveurs-de-monarchie-espagnole-190414-850250

Spaniards got a bit of shock this morning: Spain’s King Juan Carlos is abdicating and handing the throne to his son, Crown Prince Felipe. During his 39-year reign, the king was instrumental in returning Spain to democracy after the Franco dictatorship. In recent years, his image has suffered because of royal scandals during the financial and economic crises that have wracked the country.

“A new generation deserves to come to the front line,” the 76-year-old king, who has suffered from health problems, said in a televised statement from his palace near Madrid. “My son Felipe, the heir to the crown, embodies the stability which is the monarchy’s identity.”

The move shocked Spaniards, who flooded Twitter (TWTR), using the hashtag #ElReyAbdica to riff on his role during the transition and poke fun at recent royal foibles, including an ill-timed elephant hunting trip to Botswana and criminal probes aimed at his younger daughter and her husband.

http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-06-02/the-king-of-spain-steps-down-and-some-twitterati-call-for-the-abolition-of-the-monarchy

Spanien: Letzter Dienst für die Monarchie
http://diepresse.com/home/politik/aussenpolitik/3815228/Spanien_Letzter-Dienst-fur-die-Monarchie?_vl_backlink=/home/index.do

Espagne, Pays-Bas, Royaume-Uni : à quoi servent encore les monarchies ?
http://www.lefigaro.fr/vox/monde/2014/06/02/31002-20140602ARTFIG00262-espagne-pays-bas-royaume-uni-a-quoi-servent-encore-les-monarchies.php