Murcia Study Reveals Monarchy Dissatisfaction

Spain was the least satisfied country with its monarchy among seven European parliamentary monarchies in a University of Murcia study published by El País on May 20. The report said Spain was the only country in the comparison where more than half of respondents said they were little satisfied or not satisfied with the institution and would prefer a republic. The research was financed by Spain’s Ministry of Science and carried out under a comparative project on European monarchies, according to El País. ### What exactly did the Murcia study say about Spain? El País reported that 51.5% of Spanish respondents preferred a republic, while 48.5% preferred the monarchy. The newspaper said those were the main findings of a University of Murcia study comparing attitudes in Spain, Britain, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Belgium and the Netherlands. (elpais.com) The seven-country comparison excluded Luxembourg, Liechtenstein and Monaco because of their small size, El País said. The article described Spain as the only country in the group where a majority wanted to replace the monarchy with a republic. ### Who carried out the research, and when was it fielded? Antonia Martínez, a professor of political science at the University of Murcia, was identified by El País as part of the team behind the work. (elpais.com) The newspaper said Martínez and her colleagues began the project after finding little systematic, comparable public-opinion data on European monarchies. Moncloa.com, citing the same project, said the research was conducted in the autumn of 2025 under the title “European Monarchies in Comparative Perspective (THE CROWNS).” The project website describes THE CROWNS as a comparative research initiative on European monarchies. ### Why did the researchers say this kind of survey was needed? Antonia Martínez told El País that there were very few studies in the field and that those that existed were tied mainly to legal and constitutional comparisons rather than systematic public-opinion research. (elpais.com) El País also said Spain’s Center for Sociological Research, or CIS, had not included questions on perceptions of the monarchy in its surveys for about 10 years. (moncloa.com) A 2021 research note on a separate monarchy survey in Spain said the lack of data on citizens’ preferences for monarchy or republic had hindered analysis of public opinion on the issue. That earlier note was not the 2025 cross-European study, but it shows the same research gap the Murcia team said it was trying to address. ### Does this settle the debate over support for the crown? (elpais.com) A 2024 Telegraph report, citing a separate poll, said King Felipe VI was more popular than any Spanish politician. That result came from different polling and measured the king’s standing rather than a direct monarchy-versus-republic preference, so it is not directly comparable with the Murcia study’s headline figure. (e-archivo.uc3m.es) El País framed the Murcia findings as new comparative evidence rather than a final verdict on the institution. The paper said the researchers were trying to produce scientific, comparable data across countries where existing polling had been scattered or inconsistent. ### Where can readers find the underlying research? (telegraph.co.uk) The University of Murcia lists related monarchy-republic research by A. Garrido Rubia, A. Martínez Rodríguez and A. Mora-Rodríguez in the International Journal of Iberian Studies. The broader project is presented online under THE CROWNS, a site devoted to comparative research on European monarchies. El País published its report on May 19-20, 2026, and identified Antonia Martínez as a key researcher behind the work. (elpais.com) Further project materials are expected to come through the University of Murcia and THE CROWNS research pages. (portalinvestigacion.um.es)