France awards Juan Carlos I's career

BarcelonaWhile in Spain the definitive return of Juan Carlos I continues to be a heated and uncomfortable debate, the emeritus king has found recognition in the most unexpected place: the French Republic. Just a few days after receiving the warmth of the public in the Las Ventas bullring in Madrid, where a part of the audience was demanding his return and the normalization of his figure, the emeritus is preparing to be honored in a setting steeped in symbolism. It will not be the first time he visits the French National Assembly: he already did so in 1993. It is paradoxical that France, the nation that forged its modern identity on the overthrow of the Bourbon monarchy, now opens its doors to him at the seat of its national sovereignty. The image of Juan Carlos I entering the National Assembly of Paris to be awarded represents an ironic twist of history: the Bourbon who, in his own country, generates institutional and political division, is received in the most republican France as a historical asset worthy of praise.

The association Lire la Société, in collaboration with the French National Assembly, announced this Tuesday the awarding of a Special Jury Prize to the monarch within the framework of the 35th edition of the Journée du Livre Politique (Day of the Political Book). The reason for this award is his memoir, titled Reconciliation (Editorial Planeta), which was co-written with the Franco-Venezuelan historian and writer Laurence Debray. The book is presented by the organizers as a reflective immersion into his career, with a special focus on his fundamental role during the Spanish democratic transition.

This year's jury is chaired by Annette Wieviorka, one of France's most prestigious historians, a specialist in the Holocaust and the history of Jews in the 20th century. According to the verdict, the jury has decided to grant this singular distinction by valuing the exercise of “transmission and narration of a political and historical trajectory” of international scope. The work is defined as a key testimony that is situated at the intersection between the personal account of the one who was head of state between 1975 and 2014 and the contemporary political history of Europe.