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| Spanish Cabinet to Draft Law Enabling Abdication | Spanish Cabinet to Draft Law Enabling Abdication |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| MADRID — The Spanish cabinet met on Tuesday to formalize legislative and constitutional arrangements to permit King Juan Carlos to abdicate, heralding what the monarchy hopes will be a resurgence of popularity under his son, Crown Prince Felipe. | |
| The Spanish monarch announced on Monday that, after a reign of 39 years during which he helped cement his country’s transition to democracy from dictatorship, the king wanted to hand the throne to his 46-year-old son, saying it was time for a new generation to “move to the front line” and face the country’s challenges. | The Spanish monarch announced on Monday that, after a reign of 39 years during which he helped cement his country’s transition to democracy from dictatorship, the king wanted to hand the throne to his 46-year-old son, saying it was time for a new generation to “move to the front line” and face the country’s challenges. |
| His abdication will be the first time the monarchy has changed hands since the death of the dictator Gen. Francisco Franco in 1975, when Juan Carlos, now 76, came to the throne. | His abdication will be the first time the monarchy has changed hands since the death of the dictator Gen. Francisco Franco in 1975, when Juan Carlos, now 76, came to the throne. |
| The precise thinking behind the king’s decision has not been publicly explained. But he has been in poor health and has been tainted by a corruption scandal swirling around his son-in-law that has illuminated the wide gap between the royal family’s lifestyle and finances and those of ordinary Spaniards at a time of economic crisis and record joblessness. | The precise thinking behind the king’s decision has not been publicly explained. But he has been in poor health and has been tainted by a corruption scandal swirling around his son-in-law that has illuminated the wide gap between the royal family’s lifestyle and finances and those of ordinary Spaniards at a time of economic crisis and record joblessness. |
| Within hours of his announcement on Monday, antiroyalist Spaniards had gathered in Madrid and other cities to show their opposition to the monarchy. | Within hours of his announcement on Monday, antiroyalist Spaniards had gathered in Madrid and other cities to show their opposition to the monarchy. |
| Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy presided on Tuesday over a meeting of his cabinet to help set a timetable for the abdication, which is likely to happen in a matter of weeks. The meeting is also supposed to draft legislation enabling the king to step down. | |
| The government is hoping that a full parliamentary session can then ratify the abdication law next week. An exact timetable has not been set, but Felipe is expected to be crowned as King Felipe VI by mid-July. Ratification requires an absolute parliamentary majority, which the governing Popular Party has. | The government is hoping that a full parliamentary session can then ratify the abdication law next week. An exact timetable has not been set, but Felipe is expected to be crowned as King Felipe VI by mid-July. Ratification requires an absolute parliamentary majority, which the governing Popular Party has. |
| The king and his son appeared together at a military ceremony outside Madrid while the cabinet was meeting, news reports said. | |
| On Monday, Mr. Rajoy called the abdication “proof of the maturity of our democracy” — a message echoed by most of Spain’s political establishment. Some far-left politicians, however, have demanded a referendum on whether to maintain the monarchy. | On Monday, Mr. Rajoy called the abdication “proof of the maturity of our democracy” — a message echoed by most of Spain’s political establishment. Some far-left politicians, however, have demanded a referendum on whether to maintain the monarchy. |
| “I think the monarchy has the support of the great majority in Spain,” Mr. Rajoy said on Tuesday when he was asked about the demand for a referendum on the monarchy during a conference in Madrid, Agence France-Presse reported. | |
| “Propose a constitutional reform if you don’t like this constitution. You have the perfect right to do so. But what you cannot do in a democracy is bypass the law,” Mr. Rajoy said. |