Read in Catalan

With the creation of an investigatory commission in the Spanish Congress to hold the Spanish king emeritus accountable for his private activities and hypothetically his business dealings rejected by the self-proclaimed monarchic parties (PP and Cs) and the de facto monarchists (PSOE), the federal group of Unidos Podemos-En Comú Podem-En Marea has addressed a letter to Juan Carlos I in which, politely, they ask him to accept to appear voluntarily in the chamber to tell his side of the story. They argue that the Spanish people have the right to hear it after the accusations that have been made in recent months. It is, clearly, a toothless attack, because if the Congress has decided to close the topic of a forced appearance, a voluntary one is completely impossible.

However, both the request for a parliamentary commission, joined by Basque and Catalan independence supports, and the drafted message which will have no effect are not insignificant acts. Especially, because, for the parties involved, they form a permanent concern for the king. In this case, the king emeritus, but it also puts the role of the monarchy, an institution which is engulfed in many crises and over which a perfect storm has been brewing, permanently into the public debate. In the end, around a hundred of the Spanish lower chamber's 350 representatives are questioning the current head of state and his father, becoming the largest number of parliamentarians there has been since the start of Spain's transition to democracy who oppose the monarchy.

This situation is especially serious for the king in Catalonia, where a majority has censured Felipe VI in the Parliament and a whole series of town councils have followed suit, starting with Barcelona. The Catalan government has also broken off relations with the Spanish monarchy, stopping attending its events and publicising that nor will it invite it to those it organises. In practice, Felipe VI has even reduced his presence in Catalonia as far as possible and he hasn't returned since the incidents around the Princess of Girona awards in June.

Experts say that the best of a brand is always its reputational value. An intangible quantity which allows for influence to be weighed up but which is submitted to systematic crises and unexpected risks. The monarchy as an institution has been floundering for some time in Catalonia, where 80% don't consider it their own and are in favour of a republic; and it's the same in the Basque country, where levels of opposition reach 70% according to surveys. These percentages are too high for Spain to remain uncontaminated for too long.