01:39Spain: Sanchez says only Royal Family or ‘the affected person’ can report on whereabouts of Juan Carlos I
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez declined to comment on the whereabouts of King Emeritus Juan Carlos I once again at a press conference in Palma de Mallorca on Wednesday. Sanchez made the statements after his meeting with King Felipe VI at the Marivent Palace, where the Spanish Royal Family is spending its holidays.
"Those matters that have to be communicated, related to the matter that you have referred to [the whereabouts of former King Juan Carlos I], have to be made by the Royal Family or the affected person," the prime minister said. He said that the Spanish government is a separate institution and therefore should not report on issues related to the head of state.
Journalists also asked him about the investigation into the alleged irregular financing of Podemos, his government’s junior coalition partner, after Madrid's Examining Court No. 42 called on members of Podemos' leadership to testify following an accusation by a former lawyer from the group, Jose Manuel Calvenme. Sanchez avoided giving his opinion on the matter and replied that he respected the "independence of the judiciary."
The meeting between the PM and the king has come amid a debate about the monarchy in Spain, fueled by cases of alleged corruption involving the King Emeritus and his departure from the country. His whereabouts remain unknown, and so far, Portugal, the Dominican Republic, the United Arab Emirates and New Zealand have been touted as his possible destinations.
01:39Mandatory credit: Palacio de la Moncloa
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez declined to comment on the whereabouts of King Emeritus Juan Carlos I once again at a press conference in Palma de Mallorca on Wednesday. Sanchez made the statements after his meeting with King Felipe VI at the Marivent Palace, where the Spanish Royal Family is spending its holidays.
"Those matters that have to be communicated, related to the matter that you have referred to [the whereabouts of former King Juan Carlos I], have to be made by the Royal Family or the affected person," the prime minister said. He said that the Spanish government is a separate institution and therefore should not report on issues related to the head of state.
Journalists also asked him about the investigation into the alleged irregular financing of Podemos, his government’s junior coalition partner, after Madrid's Examining Court No. 42 called on members of Podemos' leadership to testify following an accusation by a former lawyer from the group, Jose Manuel Calvenme. Sanchez avoided giving his opinion on the matter and replied that he respected the "independence of the judiciary."
The meeting between the PM and the king has come amid a debate about the monarchy in Spain, fueled by cases of alleged corruption involving the King Emeritus and his departure from the country. His whereabouts remain unknown, and so far, Portugal, the Dominican Republic, the United Arab Emirates and New Zealand have been touted as his possible destinations.