juan carlos 1

The Spanish minister for Foreign Affairs, José Manuel García Margallo, says comments by Juan Carlos Gafo were “intolerable” and “absolutely inconsistent” with the organisation which aims to promote the Spanish image abroad. The now sacked Deputy Director said on Twitter: “F*** Catalans. They do not deserve anything at all. His words caused outcry in Catalonia, so he later apologized saying he has “nothing against Catalonia or Catalans”. He said he got “mad at hearing the Spanish national anthem booed” during the Barcelona 2013 FINA Championship.

Barça Regal has beaten Panathinaikos 64-53 to classify for the Euroleague Final Four, to be played next May in London. The Catalans dominated the game from start to finish thanks to the leadership of Juan Carlos Navarro who scored 15 points. After a thrilling 5-game quarter-final series, Barça will try to win its third Euroleague title and faces Real Madrid in the semi-finals. The four previous games were very tight with each team winning one game at home until this last game, in which the Palau Blaugrana home factor was the key to the local win.

Pere Navarro, the Secretary General of the Catalan Socialist Party (PSC), has publicly asked Juan Carlos “to resign” and ensure “a quiet replacement” in favour of the Crown Prince Felipe. According to Navarro, “a dedicated Republican”, the abdication is “necessary” and would “answer the needs of our times”. Navarro is aiming for Felipe to play “a relevant role to mediate the deep changes required in our country”. Immediately after this, the Spanish Socialist Party (PSOE) – which the PSC is part of as a federated member – rejected Navarro’s proposal and said they considered it to be “totally inadequate”. In the last few months, due to corruption scandals and other incidents, popular support of the monarchy has fallen in Spain.

The President of the Catalan Government, Artur Mas, and the King of Spain, Juan Carlos I, met on Thursday for the first time since Mas was re-elected president and the Catalan Parliament approved a Declaration of Sovereignty of the People of Catalonia. The meeting lasted 45 minutes and none of the participants officially commented afterwards. However, Mas, once in Barcelona, referred to it during a literary prize ceremony. The Catalan President underlined that “we will always have to go and explain ourselves” regarding Catalonia’s self-determination process. According to him, this proves Catalonia’s “willingness to always talk”. Besides, Mas also explained to the monarch that the current deficit targets imposed on the Autonomous Communities are not allowing them to guarantee the Welfare State.

Based on a popular political satirical TV show of the Catalan Public Television Broadcaster, the veteran musical theatre company Dagoll Dagom presents ‘La Família Irreal’ (The Unroyal/Unreal Family). “It is a satire, a parody and a big joke […] about the Royal Family and the system that supports it”, explained Joan Lluís Bozzo, the show’s director. The musical is based on real events, such as elephant-hunting safaris, and it is portrayed by the same actors in the TV show ‘Polònia’. The Spanish King, the Queen, the Crown Prince, the Princess, the Infantas and their husbands will be singing 30 songs.

In a very unusual movement, Juan Carlos I has issued a short but clear letter one week after the massive demonstration for Catalonia’s independence. The King emphasised the need to remain “united” and asked the people to retake the “values” of the “Democratic Transition”, such as “dialogue” and “the sacrifice of particular interests for the general good”. The Catalan Government does not feel “concerned” by the King’s letter. However, it states that Catalonia “offers solutions” and “does not chase pipe dreams”. Spanish nationalists celebrate the King’s words while PM Mariano Rajoy still remains silent. Catalan and Basque nationalists criticise the King for taking sides and not emphasising values such as “pluralism, diversity, tolerance, and respect for discrepancies”.

Barça Regal win the Liga title in the last match of the Liga Endesa Finals at an at-capacity Palau Blaugrana. The game against Real Madrid was won in the last seconds of the fourth quarter. Pete Mickeal,with 17 points and 9 rebounds, was the best player of the match. Fran Vázquez also had a brilliant performance. Erazem Lorbek was named MVP of the Liga Endesa Final playoff series.

La Bomba Navarro is suffering from a recurrence of the plantar fasciitis that has been bothering the Catalan basketball player in recent months. Developments over the next few hours will determine whether Juan Carlos Navarro is able to play in the Euroleague semi final on Friday against Olympiakos. Boniface Ndong is receiving treatment for an intestinal virus.

For the first time since 1979, the Spanish Royal family has published how it spends the public money that it receives every year. In 2011, the household was given €8.4 million. The transparency of the monarchy comes at a time when the king’s son-in-law, Iñaki Urdangarín, and his business partners are the subject of a fraud investigation involving millions of euro of taxpayers’ money