Spanish constitution

Spain’s royal family gathered in force in Madrid today to mark the 40th anniversary of their country’s constitution.

Queen Letizia, 46, looked radiant in a fitted red dress as she joined her husband, King Felipe, 50, and their two daughters, Princess Leonor, 13, and Infanta Sofia, 11, to greet the crowd gathered in front of the parliament from a balcony. .

Letizia’s mother-in-law, former Spanish Queen Sofia, and her husband, former King Juan Carlos I, were also present, as was Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.

Letizia was pictured greeting her mother-in-law with a kiss on the cheek, suggesting that a warm relationship has resumed after a seemingly tense exchange between the couple which was filmed at a church service in Mallorca on Easter Sunday .

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Wearing a bespoke red Caroline Herrera dress, which she first wore in September, she put on a chic show with girls Leonor (R) and Sofia (C), who looked adorable in plaid dresses gray.

Letizia showcased her enviable waist in a tailored tailored Caroline Herrera red dress she first wore in September, pairing it with a pair of ruby ​​and diamond earrings.

Styled in a low and sleek bun, Letizia completed her look with a pop of bronzer and lip gloss, wearing a red velvet clutch.

Meanwhile, her stepmother Sofia looked regal in a burgundy velvet gown adorned with a large pearl necklace with a pear-shaped ruby ​​center stone.

Joined them, former King Juan Carlos I and King Felipe VI, who looked dapper in pointy suits and vibrant ties.

King Felipe VI of Spain, Queen Letizia of Spain and Princess Leonor of Spain and Princess Sofia of Spain attend celebration marking 40 years of democracy

Queen Letizia of Spain and Princess Leonor of Spain looked chic as they left the event

Princesses Leonor and Sofia looked adorable in fall capes, gray plaid dresses and knee-length red socks as they waved to the crowds.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez joined the royal family on the balcony.

The family was present to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the referendum in which the Spaniards approved the Constitution.

The Spanish constitution is the democratic law that governs the country and was promulgated after its approval in a constitutional referendum, the result of Spain’s transition to democracy in 1978.

Letizia looked chic in a fitted red dress as she joined her husband King Felipe, 50, and their daughters Leonor, 13, and Sofia, 11, on the balcony to greet onlookers

Queen Letizia put on a radiant spectacle in a red ensemble as she greeted her mother-in-law Sofia to mark the 40th anniversary of the Spanish Constitution at the parliament in Madrid on Thursday

(From L) Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, Former Queen Sofia of Spain, Former King Juan Carlos I, Spanish Princess Leonor and Princess Sofia, Queen Letizia and King Felipe VI arrive to attend to the commemorative acts marking the 40th anniversary of the Spanish Constitution at the Parliament in Madrid

The united front between Letizia and Sofia comes months after the release of a clip in April shot at Palma de Mallorca Cathedral on Easter Sunday, which appeared to show a very awkward exchange between Letizia and Sofia.

Queen Sofia was seen standing outside the church with both arms wrapped around the shoulders of her granddaughters, encouraging them to pose for photos.

Letizia then joined the group and was seen attempting to stroke eldest daughter Leonor’s hair in front of the cameras, before Queen Sofia appeared to lure the little girl closer to her.

Leonor then seemed to push his grandmother’s arm away, before King Felipe intervened.

Letizia showcased her enviable waist in a fitted red dress that was cinched down the middle, pairing it with a pair of ruby ​​and diamond earrings

Princesses Leonor and Sofia looked sweet in fall capes as they waved to the crowds

Speaking after the incident, Letizia’s former colleague Imma Aguilar told El círculo at the time: “I think these are the images of a mother worried about the image of her daughters.

“I spoke to Queen Letizia some time ago, and she is worried and quite sorry about this situation; she is very attached to the care of her daughters, with the protection of their image, she worries who takes pictures of them.

“She worries where they come from, who approaches them… It’s a very maternal reaction.

Aguilar added: “It’s silly, it’s not a serious problem, nothing has happened, it’s just a natural gesture.”

Queen Letizia is the mother of Princesses Leonor, 12, and Sofia, 11, with her husband, King Felipe, 50, who ascended to the throne of Spain in 2014.

Letizia married King Felipe ten years ago at the Cathedral of Santa María la Real de la Almudena in Madrid.

King Felipe ascended to the throne after the abdication of his father King Juan Carlos in 2014.

Royally risky! Queen Letizia of Spain put on a daringly chic exhibit in a plunging blue gown on Wednesday as she joined King Felipe VI of Spain to attend a concert commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Spanish Constitution

Article 155 is just two short paragraphs of the Spanish Constitution of 1978.

Spain approved direct government in Catalonia after the Catalan parliament declared independence.

This decision gives the government of Mariano Rajoy to trigger article 155 and directly govern Catalonia.

Article 155 has often been described as the “nuclear option” and was deployed in the midst of a struggle between Barcelona and Madrid following the Catalan referendum on October 1. But what is section 155?

Article 155 is just two short paragraphs of the Spanish Constitution of 1978.

He says that if a regional government “does not respect the obligations of the Constitution or other laws which it imposes, or acts in a manner which seriously prejudices the interests of Spain”, the national government can ask the Senate to vote on the use of the measure.

The Constitution states that an absolute majority must approve the use of the article.

If this happens, the national government can adopt “necessary methods” to force a regional government to comply in order to protect “said interests”.

The only instructions given indicate that the national government can issue orders to “all authorities” of regional governments.

Josep Costa, professor of political science at the Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona, ​​told Al Jazeera: “The Spanish government really did not have a plan to proceed with 155, so there is a lot of uncertainty as to what can be done and what can ‘t.

Costa claims to have seen many proposals, such as the creation of an interim government to rule Catalonia, which are “clearly impossible” under 155.

“There is no doubt [Article 155] has limits… including the Catalan autonomy statute, which cannot be repealed, ”said Costa.

However, the Spanish government said on Thursday it was confident that triggering the article would help Madrid. restore “legality and constitutional order”.

The European Commission has confirmed that the referendum on the independence of Catalonia was “not legal” under Spanish law.

He described the vote, which saw police beat protesters and close polling stations, as an “internal affair” and suggested he would ignore calls for intervention.

“This is an internal matter in Spain which must be dealt with in accordance with the Spanish constitutional order,” said a spokesperson.

“If a referendum were to be organized in accordance with the Spanish constitution, that would mean that the territory which left would end up outside the European Union.

“Beyond the purely legal aspects of this case, the Commission believes that the time has come for unity and stability, and not for division and fragmentation.”

The European Commission, which is the EU’s executive, called on all parties to “move very quickly from confrontation to dialogue”.

In what appeared to be a reference to police brutality against voters, a statement said that “violence can never be an instrument in politics”, adding: “We trust the leadership of Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy to manage this process. difficult with full respect for Spain. constitution and the fundamental rights of citizens enshrined therein.

The referendum has no legal status after being blocked by the government of Madrid and the Constitutional Court for being in contradiction with the constitution of 1978, which states that Spain cannot be dismantled, and there is little to signs of support for Catalan independence in any other part of Spain.

Catalan leaders had called on the EU to intervene following clashes that left nearly 900 injured on Sunday, including two in serious condition.

The United Nations called on the Spanish authorities to respect the rights of the Catalan people to freedom of expression, assembly and voting, and to show “the greatest restraint”.

But footage showed voters beaten with batons and dragged out of polling stations as dozens were closed.

Riot police fired rubber bullets as they made their way through centers and confiscated ballot boxes in footage that sparked widespread condemnation.

Nicola Sturgeon said she was concerned about the footage, adding: “Regardless of the perspective on independence, we should all condemn the scenes we are witnessing and call on Spain to change course before anyone else. ‘one is seriously injured. “

Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel tweeted: “Violence can never be the answer! We condemn all forms of violence and reaffirm our call for political dialogue. “

“We urge all parties to exercise the utmost restraint and avoid all forms of violence. “

Catalan officials said 90% of voters chose to leave Spain, but Madrid ignored the result after declaring the referendum illegal and repeatedly vetoing independence.

Jordi Turull, spokesman for the Catalan government, accused the police of breaking agreements with the local security council, but said the brutal response had “encouraged us even more”.

“The state has tried to crack down on democracy,” he added. “It was like holding a referendum in the middle of a dictatorship.”

Catalan President Carles Puigdemont hailed a “moment of great importance” for the region and praised the “courage and bravery” of voters.

The leader accused the Spanish authorities of an “absolute denial of reality… and of obvious hostility” towards Catalonia’s long-standing aspirations for independence.

Oriol Junqueras, the Catalan vice-president, said that Catalonia had “earned its right to be a new republic, if that is what parliament decides”, with the local government having more than 2 million “yeses” and 176,500 “no” out of 2.26 million ballots counted.

Mr Rajoy, Spain’s prime minister, faces the country’s biggest constitutional crisis in decades if Catalonia opts for secession.

He proposed to call for multi-party political talks to “reflect on the future” of Catalonia, but maintained his categorical rejection of independence as an option

“I propose that all political parties represented in Parliament meet and together reflect on the future we all face,” the Prime Minister said in a televised address.

He has the constitutional power to dismiss the regional government and put Catalonia under central control pending new elections.

Mr Puigdemont called an emergency meeting of the Catalan regional government, while Mr Rajoy planned to coordinate next steps in a meeting with Pedro Sanchez, leader of the socialist opposition.

Although it is difficult to predict how the standoff between Catalonia and the Spanish government could play out, following a referendum marred by police brutality, an expert told Sputnik tensions between Madrid and the regions have always been there but it is ultimately the Spanish constitution that stands in the way of Catalonia’s independence.

The President of the Catalan regional parliament, Carles Puigdemont, has said Catalonia has won the right to statehood, following a vote in favor of independence in a referendum on October 1, which was marred by violence.

Dr. Alejandro Quiroga, a reader in Spanish history at Newcastle University, told Sputnik that to understand the current crisis you needed to accept the history of Spain and the links with the Franco regime.

“There is nothing you can really call Spain before the late 15^th century, “Dr. Quiroga told Sputnik, saying the marriage of King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Queen Isabella I of Castile in 1469 created the Spanish nation, which then carved out a mighty empire in Latin America. Aragon included Catalonia, and Catalan nationalism laid dormant for centuries.

It began to rise during the 20^th century, especially as the dictator Francisco Franco centralized power in Madrid. When Franco died in 1975, one of his ministers, Manuel Fraga, set up the Alianza Popular, a conservative party which renamed itself the People’s Party (PP) in 1989.

Spain’s current Prime Minister, Mariano Rajoy, is at the head of a PP government, and Dr. Quiroga said there remain links with the Franco regime.

“Many of those running the party today are the sons and daughters of Francoists,” Dr. Quiroga told Sputnik.

Franco encouraged a strong, centralized Spain, and although he allowed local folk cultures to flourish in the regions, he was violently opposed to Basque, Catalan and Galician nationalism.

Constitution: ‘Designed to Be Hard to Change’

Dr. Quiroga said that ironically the Spanish constitution was drawn up in the late 1970s to protect citizens’ rights and to protect freedom of speech and freedom of the press.

“It was designed to be hard to change so as to protect people’s rights but it has become a problem because it’s very difficult to adapt when there is clearly a problem and a strong demand for independence from Catalonia.”

Spanish law has a ban on secession and it’s the same as the French, German and Italian constitutions. It is a fairly common standard in western Europe, Dr. Quiroga explained.

He said Britain did not have a written constitution, so it had been easier for the then-Prime Minister David Cameron to pass legislation which allowed for a referendum on Scottish independence.

“In Spain you would first need a national referendum on amending the constitution, then you would need to elect a new parliament and get it passed by a majority of two thirds. It is a very complex process,” he told Sputnik.

Mr. Rajoy said Catalans had been fooled into taking part in an illegal vote, and critics have pointed out the turnout in the referendum was only 42.3 percent, while the European Commission has also pointed out Catalonia’s referendum was illegal according to Spanish law.

What Happens Next?

Dr. Quiroga believes it is difficult to know what might happen in the next few days.

“The Catalan government may declare independence tomorrow [Tuesday, October 3], but the problem is that you need someone to recognize that state, and that is not going to come from Brussels, or London, or Paris or Berlin, “Dr. Quiroga told Sputnik.

“But on the other hand, the Catalan government has managed to internationalize the problem, not because of the vote, but because of the violence of the Spanish police. It has given a lot of international protection to the independence movement.

“If they declare independence, how will the Spanish government react? Nobody really knows,” he added.

The views and opinions expressed in the article do not necessarily reflect those of Sputnik.

It started to increase during the 20^e century, especially since the dictator Francisco Franco centralized power in Madrid. When Franco died in 1975, one of his ministers, Manuel Fraga, created the Alianza Popular, a conservative party that renamed itself the Popular Party (PP) in 1989.

The current Spanish Prime Minister, Mariano Rajoy, is the head of a PP government, and Dr Quiroga said there remain links with the Franco regime.

“Many of those leading the party today are the sons and daughters of Francoists,” Dr Quiroga told Sputnik.

Franco encouraged a strong and centralized Spain, and although he allowed local folk cultures to flourish in the regions, he fiercely opposed Basque, Catalan and Galician nationalisms.

Constitution: “designed to be difficult to change”

Dr Quiroga said ironically, Spain’s constitution was drafted in the late 1970s to protect citizens’ rights and to protect freedom of speech and freedom of the press.

“It was designed to be difficult to change in order to protect people’s rights but it has become a problem because it is very difficult to adapt when there is clearly a problem and a strong demand for independence from Catalonia. . “