King Felipe VI of Spain. Spain lodged a formal complaint to Mexico, as King Felipe VI was left out of the new president’s inauguration.
Credit: Shutterstock, Frederic Legrand – COMEO
Spain lodged a formal complaint to Mexico, as King Felipe VI was left out of the new president’s inauguration.
The Spanish government issued a formal complaint on Tuesday in response to Mexico’s decision to exclude King Felipe VI from the inauguration of the country’s first female president, former Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum. Despite Pedro Sánchez receiving an invitation in July to attend the event in place of the King, Spain rejected the offer and lodged a diplomatic complaint.
Spain’s Foreign Affairs Ministry expressed their frustration and reminded Mexico that King Felipe VI is the Head of State of Spain and has attended similar inaugurations in the past, including the swearing-in of President López Obrador in 2018.
In a diplomatic showdown that’s raising eyebrows across both sides of the Atlantic, Spain has fired off a “formal complaint” to Mexico. The Spanish made it crystal clear that King Felipe VI wasn’t just a royal guest; he is Spain’s main representative on the world stage, especially in its dealings with Mexico. This comes hot on the heels of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s public dig from New York, where he expressed “sadness” over the situation while at the UN General Assembly.
Spain Hits Back with Public Rebuke
Spain’s diplomats took it up a notch, sending an official complaint to Mexico’s Foreign Ministry. The message? Spain and Mexico’s close ties deserve better than this, and such important occasions should include their top representatives.
Spain’s dissatisfaction was communicated not only to the Mexican ambassador in Madrid but also by Spain’s ambassador in Mexico, who delivered the complaint in person to the Mexican Foreign Ministry. In a public statement, the Spanish Foreign Ministry described Mexico’s exclusion of King Felipe VI as “unacceptable,” announcing that Spain would not participate in the ceremony at any level.
This formal protest marks the peak of tensions that began on 22nd July when Mexican authorities extended an invitation to Sánchez while simultaneously excluding King Felipe VI from the same event. The King has represented Spain at over 80 similar events across Latin America, both as Prince of Asturias and later as King, as Sánchez noted in his press conference.
