2023-08-15 18:27:01
All eyes are on the same article of the Spanish Constitution: “The Crown Prince, upon reaching the age of majority, and the Regent or Regents upon taking charge of their functions, shall take the same oath, as well as that of fidelity to the King” . With the obvious difference that the current heir to the throne is a woman, and a Princess. Article 61.2 of the Magna Carta now marks the times and also the method to act just when Leonor de Borbón turns 18 years old.
Key date: October 31
The date marked in red on the calendar is October 31, 2023. That Tuesday the Princess will come of age, and based on the only precedent that exists, that of her father, the idea would be to hold the swearing-in ceremony Constitution before the Cortes that day. The then Prince of Asturias and current king, Felipe VI, did the same on January 30, 1986. Will the tradition be fulfilled? There are many questions in the air, but the main one is how the current negotiations on the investiture and a possible electoral repetition from December could influence the celebration of the act.
There is no legal obligation to perform the ceremony on the same day as Leonor’s birthday. Not even the Constitution requires that the Cortes be formally constituted. However, the political situation or the existence of a government in office may condition the final decision, which could be delayed for several weeks or even a few months, pending greater stability. The different opinions of the experts and the absence of a clear decision by the current government contribute to increasing doubts. Yes there is evidence: if the first investiture is delayed beyond August 31, the Cortes Generales would continue to be constituted and not dissolved for two months.
The current calendar of August can condition what happens in a few months. This Thursday the Congress and the Senate are constituted. Shortly before, the King will receive the Acting President of Congress in Zarzuela, although by chance Princess Leonor will begin her military training that day at the General Academy of Zaragoza. Be that as it may, the monarch will convene in the following days the representatives of the groups with parliamentary representation, beginning the round of consultations to propose the candidate with the best chance of being invested. The times start counting from the first session of the debate. If there is no consensus for two months, elections would be called again, probably after the key act of the heir to the throne.
military training
The most immediate? The Princess begins her military training on August 17 with a curriculum of two courses condensed into one year, specializing in infantry. She will attend three years in the academies of the Army in Zaragoza, the Navy in Marín and the Air Force in San Javier. Leonor de Borbón is called to hold the Supreme Command of the Armed Forces, a position that the Constitution attributes to the head of state.
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