Spain’s deeply unpopular King Juan Carlos wants to abdicate in favor of his more popular son Crown Prince Felipe, in order to save the monarchy.  But instead, it appears to have ignited a conversation and demands that the country hold a referendum on whether to continue the archaic practice.

Both major parties, the right wing Popular Party and the center-Left Socialists, closed ranks behind Felipe and are expected to approve the succession plan. 

“They won’t listen to us,” said Jorge Blazquez, a 22-year-old student.  “But we try because we need to get rid of the monarchy if Spain is going to progress.  Now is the time.”

Blazquez was one of thousands of people who crowded public squares in Madrid and across Spain, waving the red, yellow and purple striped flag of Spain's last Republican government.  They want something better than business as usual, and they don’t want any more public money used to prop up a privileged, wealthy family.  The crowd chanted, “Espana, manana, sera republicana!”  That translates as “Tomorrow Spain will be a republic!”

The dissatisfaction with the House of Bourbon stems from the indignity of paying taxes to maintain the lavish royals’ lifestyle while the country is mired in economic sludge.  Although some economists say the recession is ending, Spain still has an abysmal jobless rate – hovering around the 25 percent mark, with a youth unemployment rate of more than 50 percent. 

At the height of this crisis in 2012 – while people were losing their homes and committing suicide – King Juan Carlos treated himself to a safari in Africa to go kill some elephants.  His youngest daughter Princess Cristina and her husband are targets of a judicial investigation into tax fraud and misuse of public funds.  Both deny any wrongdoing.

“If Felipe of Bourbon wants to be head of state, he should stand for election” said Pablo Iglesias, and Madrid might want to pay attention.  Iglesias is the head of Podemos, a new political party that came out of nowhere to garner more than a million votes in the May 25 election, earning an unexpected five seats in the European Parliament.