King Juan Carlos of Spain announced his plan to abdicate the throne amid health issues and recent financial scandals. The 76-year old king will step down in favor of Crown Prince Felipe, who at age 46 will take over as the new monarch. A constitutional amendment will need to be proposed to allow for the abdication. Juan Carlos' popularity has fallen in recent years following corruption scandals and gaffes, and political analysts believe putting the more popular Felipe on the throne may help combat rising anti-monarchist sentiment in Spain.

1. WORKING ON INTERNATIONAL NEWS HEADLINES ABOUT JUAN CARLOS AND FELIPE
I.- TELEGRAPH
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/spain/10869397/King-Juan-Carlos-to-
abdicate-Spanish-throne.html
"76-year-old monarch says it's time for a younger generation to take over as he announces
plan to step down amid health woes and financial scandals."
EXERCISE #1: Link the words on the left with the right meaning on the right
Woe entre
To take over problema
To step down tomar el mando
amid dimitir, dejar el cargo
II.- BBC
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-27662351
"As it happened: Spanish King Juan Carlos I to abdicate
Key Points
 King of Spain Juan Carlos is abdicating
 Crown Prince Felipe is to take over the throne
 A constitutional amendment will be proposed to allow the abdication to happen
 The 76-year-old has had health problems in recent years
 His popularity has fallen following corruption scandals and gaffes"
EXERCISE #2: Link the words on the left with the right meaning on the right
Key points enmienda
throne permitir
amendment proponer
to propose trono
to allow puntos clave

2. III.- WASHINGTON POST
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2014/06/02/deeply-unpopular-
spanish-king-to-abdicate-throne-in-favor-of-son/
Here we are going to work on part of an article from the Washington post. I have made some
changes so you will find it easier to read and make the exercises.
Exercise#3: Fill the gaps with the right word: himself/ in favor of/ standing/ coup.
"Spanish king to abdicate throne _________ son."
King Juan Carlos of Spain will abdicate and pass the crown to his son, Crown Prince Felipe. Juan
Carlos, once a popular hero for resisting a military ____________, was losing ground both in
his health and in his ____________ in Spain.
The announcement came Monday morning from Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy and
later from Juan Carlos _________.
Exercise#4:translate the following paragraph:
The king said he is abdicating to make way for his son to become the nation’s next monarch so
that a “new generation” can take over. Political analysts believe that the conservative People’s
Party wanted to put the more popular Felipe on the throne to try to combat increasingly anti-
monarchist sentiment, after small leftist and anti-establishment parties did surprisingly well in
last month’s European Parliament election.....
Exercise#5: These are the meaning of some words: vencer, sucesor, sacado de una, marcha,
crisis, personificar. Now, you have to find out which are the words with that meaning in the
following paragraph.
Spain’s leader Francisco Franco with his future successor as Prince
Juan Carlos de Borbon, as they watch a military parade in Madrid in
1973 . (AP)
He arrived like something out of a Disney movie and came to
embody the hope of an entire nation.
But even his popularity could not surmount (defeat) Spain’s crippling (incapacitating) economic
slump (depression, crisis), which has left 4.7 million Spaniards unemployed.

3. IV.- NATIONAL PRESS: PÚBLICO
http://www.publico.es/politica/524600/los-memes-mas-ingeniosos-sobre-la-abdicacion-del-
rey/slideshow#2
EXERCISE #6: watch the picture on the right. How many faces are
shown? Write down their names. Then make a sentence for each
one using one of these words in each sentence: dictator, King,
Prince.
TV:
http://www.canalsur.es/noticias/espa%C3%B1a/importante-clamor-popular-a-favor-de-la-
republica/402544.html
HIMNO DE RIEGO CANTADO POR UN HOMBRE Y UNA MUJER:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fujQeuir3aM
OTHER NEWS:
http://www.elmundo.es/espana/2014/06/02/538c34ccca47410b2b8b456c.html
http://endirecto.lavanguardia.com/politica/20140602/54409537530/rey-juan-carlos.html
http://www.20minutos.es/noticia/2155479/0/minuto-a-minuto/rey-juan-carlos/abdica/
http://es.euronews.com/2014/06/02/abdica-el-rey-de-espana-juan-carlos-i-/
http://www.abc.es/espana/rey-juan-carlos-i-abdica/20140602/abci-alminuto-rey-juan-carlos-i-
abdica-felipe-vi-201406020942.html
http://politica.elpais.com/politica/2014/06/02/actualidad/1401695328_504276.html
http://elpais.com/tag/abdicacion_juan_carlos_i/a/
CONCENTRACIONES REPUBLICANAS 2, junio 2014
http://www.laverdad.es/nacional/politica/201406/02/miles-personas-reclaman-republica-
20140602195848-rc.html
La abdicación se resolverá a través de una Ley Orgánica.