The King speaks about the evolution of the parliamentary monarchy at URJC

Ginés Miñano

The opening ceremony was presided over by the Rector of the URJC, Abraham Duarte, and the Secretary of Historical Memory, Fernando Martínez López. Following this, Professor Álvaro Alzina, the event coordinator, introduced the presentations by María Ángeles Lario, Professor of Contemporary History at the UNED, and José Manuel Vera Santos, Professor of Constitutional Law at the URJC.

The second part of the day's events was attended by His Majesty King Felipe VI and the President of the Community of Madrid, Isabel Díaz Ayuso. Both, along with the other attendees, participated in a round table discussion moderated by Javier Moreno Luzón, Professor of the History of Thought and Social and Political Movements at the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM).  

To close the event, His Majesty the King stated that he had “learned valuable lessons and the importance of bringing the role of the Crown in a democratization process into the classroom.” He emphasized the role of universities “in reflecting on our institutional framework, since our democratic system is a dynamic reality, shaped by and for the people.”

“The crown has evolved and is always willing to do so with a very clear objective: to be of service to the country and to society,” says Felipe VI, and recalls that “for the monarchy to maintain its leadership position it needs to update itself to have the legitimacy to exercise its power.”

Referring to today's colloquium, His Majesty the King emphasized that he has been "a witness to the Transition, as have many of those present here; and those who were not yet born then have studied and researched it. We would be making a mistake if we interpreted the consensus reached during the Transition as the result of an exceptional historical circumstance. The strength and spirit of that period remain present in all of us, in Spanish society, and it is essential to understand them and always keep them in mind in order to apply them to our daily work. As Alexis de Tocqueville reminded us, when the past does not illuminate the future, the spirit walks in darkness."

The participants in 'Monarchy and Democracy. Current Debates' were Yolanda Gómez Sánchez, emeritus professor of Constitutional Law and former director of the Center for Political and Constitutional Studies, and Juan Francisco Fuentes Aragonés, professor of Contemporary History, Complutense University and winner of the 2025 National History Prize.

They have discussed topics such as the process of establishing a parliamentary monarchy after the Spanish transition, the role of the Crown and especially of Juan Carlos I during that period, and the public image of modern monarchies.

For his part, the rector of the URJC, Abraham Duarte, in his speech pointed out the importance of "holding congresses like this one that deal with the history of our country and bring institutions closer to the university and to society."