BARCELONA -
Spanish monarchists outraged at the removal of a bust of their ex-king from Barcelona city hall hit back Friday by putting a portrait of his successor Felipe VI in its place.
The new left-wing mayor Ada Colau had the bust of former King Juan Carlos taken down on Thursday in the debating chamber in a gesture of republicanism that fed into high political tensions between Barcelona and Madrid.
She said the bust was an "anomaly" since Juan Carlos was no longer head of state, having handed over the throne to Felipe last year.
On Friday members of Spain's conservative ruling Popular Party posed for the cameras while holding a portrait of Felipe up on the pedestal where the bust had stood, then left the picture propped up nearby.
A council official later came and took the portrait away.
The squabble came at one of the most sensitive moments in decades for Barcelona and its surrounding Catalonia region due to tensions over Catalan leaders' drive for independence from Spain.
The removal of the Juan Carlos bust irritated Spain's national government, which has sharpened its tone recently against Catalan nationalists.
Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo called Colau's gesture "extremely nasty" since Juan Carlos was widely credited with helping steer Spain to democracy in the 1970s.
Colau has said she supports Catalans' right to decide on their political future but has not said openly whether she backs independence.
Barcelona is one of several towns and cities where left-wing protesters took power after regional elections in May.
They have changed Spain's political landscape and pose a tough challenge to Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy in a general election due around November.
The two main parties in the rich northeastern region of Catalonia have formed a pro-independence alliance ahead of regional elections in September.
They want the vote to serve as a plebiscite on breaking away from Spain and have threatened to unilaterally declare independence if Madrid tries to block them.
Rajoy has warned he will stop them doing so, branding any such declaration illegal.
Felipe added his voice to the warnings on Thursday, urging "respect for the law" during a speech in Catalonia.
COMMENTS