Girona City Council's approach to circumventing the order to hang the King's photo

GironaA surprising and unprecedented portrait of King Felipe VI has presided over the plenary hall of Girona City Hall since Monday. It is a photograph of the monarch created from a combination of images from the October 1 referendum in the city, which, when placed side by side, draw the silhouette of the Bourbon.

This was the council's response to the judicial requirement that forced the current government team, formed by Guanyem, Esquerra, and Junts, to replace the photograph of Felipe VI in a presidential space in the hall, after they had decided to remove it. The only Vox councilor took the case to court, and before the summer, the Girona administrative court ordered the City Council to restore the image within two months. "It is the bold compliance with a ruling issued by the far-right Vox party and by the Spanish justice system. We abide by it, but on the offensive," explains the mayor, Lluc Salellas.

The ruling—as has also occurred in other city councils such as Barcelona—speaks of a bust portrait in a prominent place, upright, and visible from anywhere in the hall. However, according to the council, the wording leaves room for interpretation, because in no case does it refer to images made from mosaics or collages.. The City Council, with the support of its legal services, has opted for this approach rather than allocating resources to new litigation and filing an appeal against the ruling. It remains to be seen what the judge's response will be to this unprecedented case, and also whether any of the opposition councilors will resort to further legal action.

The image is composed of dozens of photographs of ballot boxes, pro-independence voters, Esteladas (the "estaladas"), and police charges, provided copyright-free by various photographers. Just below the image is a text denouncing the monarchy's "grievances" toward Catalonia. "We understand that we are complying and, at the same time, we are making a stand against a figure who objectively has to do with Francoism and who has positioned himself against the people of Catalonia," the mayor states.

The Spanish flag, hanging in a "noble" but hidden place

The ruling also required the Spanish flag to be placed in a "noble" location on the municipal building, after it had been removed from the façade. The City Council claims to have complied with the mandate, but has not specified where it was placed, and it is currently not visible to the public.

The placement of the new portrait of the king coincided with the inauguration of the adjoining room dedicated to Republican councilors, featuring images of the councilors from 1936 and the Second Republic. "In this room of freedom, republic, and national aspiration, we freely decide what we display and what public works inspire us," said the mayor, in contrast to the plenary hall, where the image of the king was placed "by legal imperative."

The motion on the image will be voted on tonight, and in parallel, the Anti-Monarchy Coordinator has organized a rally in support of the motion in the Plaza del Vi, where a giant banner depicting King Felipe VI upside down has been flying since early this morning, right next to the City Hall building.