Juan Carlos I's potential return to Spain sparks political debate
Spain's former king, in exile in Abu Dhabi since 2020, has expressed desire to return as declassified documents on the 1981 coup attempt revive discussion of his role.
12 hrs ago
Spain's former king Juan Carlos I, who has lived in self-imposed exile in Abu Dhabi since August 2020, has not concealed his wish to return and spend his final years in Spain, according to sources close to the royal household.
The debate over a potential return gained new dimensions this week following statements from opposition parliamentary figures. Sectors of the Popular Party and Vox have argued that the former monarch should spend his remaining years in Spanish territory, citing reasons of historical dignity and humanitarian concerns.
Juan Carlos I, now 88 years old, has consistently expressed his desire to die in Spain. He left the country after judicial investigations opened into his financial affairs, though those investigations were subsequently closed. The former king has indicated frustration at being unable to sleep at the Zarzuela Palace during visits to Spain.
The timing of the renewed discussion coincides with the declassification this week of 168 documents related to the failed coup attempt of February 23, 1981, when Juan Carlos had been on the throne for less than six years. The documents, released by the government of Pedro Sánchez, include reports, transcripts of conversations, and handwritten diagrams related to the military uprising. The declassification has placed the focus of public and political debate on the former king's actual role during the attempted coup, which Spanish memory typically associates with the image of Civil Guard Lieutenant Colonel Antonio Tejero firing shots in the Congress of Madrid. Tejero died this week at age 93, the same day the government released the documents.
Juan Carlos I led Spain's transition to democracy following the death of Francisco Franco in 1975. He abdicated from the throne in 2014 amid various controversies.
The Royal House, directed by Felipe VI, maintains an extremely cautious stance regarding his father's return. According to sources close to the Zarzuela Palace cited by the EFE news agency, the institution has imposed strict conditions to authorize a potential return, though the specific nature of these conditions was not detailed in available reports.