End of an era

We close this week with news aboutDeath of Queen Elizabeth II of England at age 96 thus ending a 70-year mandate (one of the longest in history). Throughout this time, he spoke with 15 prime ministers, 45 territories under the control of the crown became independent, he witnessed the reshaping of the European continent, as well as the exit of the kingdom from Union of Great Britain among many other milestones in which he participated.

While Republican claims are on the rise and the concept of monarchy is now becoming anachronistic and controversial, the reality is that in terms of popularity, the head House of Windsor it exceeded 80% approval of the British, despite the fact that at present the monarchy does not play a priority role in the organization or development of public policy or the management of budgets within the functioning of the state.

Rather, the role she played as head of state leaned more towards that embodiment of British sensibility, a symbol of national identity, that has accompanied British society since her first radio broadcast at the age of 14, when she was still a childhood-facing princess during The Second World Warto modern events such as Brexit, the Covid-19 pandemic, the scandalous exit from Prime Minister Boris Johnson or the arrival of the third prime minister Liz Truss.

However, his successor Carlos III comes to the throne at an advanced age, without the overwhelming popularity of his mother and with a number of criticisms accumulated throughout his principality, with conflicting convictions and a politically louder voice regarding what he considers to be errors in public administration. This phenomenon requires analysis in relation to a possible rethinking of the monarchy of this country, not only in representative symbolism, but also in the political sphere within this parliamentary system, which relies on the monarchy to maintain stability and a sense of continuity, despite the political inclinations of the opportunistic moment.

It is impossible to draw comparisons with this political-state model due to various circumstances, but I find very salutary those symbolisms that unite the values ​​of the concept of the nation, those that Queen Elizabeth II personified and promoted for a whole generation. Regardless of the liberal or conservative nature of the ideologies and priorities of the heads of government who accompanied the Queen, they did their job with the confidence that at the end of the day they were all sleeping under the cloak of identity principles of the same nation.

Unfortunately, I find it increasingly difficult to find these similarities within our borders. Polarization, damage to institutions, improvisation, and the exacerbation of poorly focused nationalism harm us as a society beyond identifying with our fellow human beings.

BLUE ETCHEVERRY
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