At an academic ceremony presided over by the King, Félix Bolaños said some critics seek to erode institutional credibility when officeholders do not share their views. He also warned about online disinformation.
At the opening of the 2026-2027 academic year on 26 October, jurist Manuel Aragón warned that democracies can be weakened by failures among those meant to defend them. Aragón, an academician and emeritus magistrate of Spain’s Constitutional Court, delivered the inaugural lecture, titled “Significado y valor de la Constitución.” Félix Bolaños raised the same concern afterward, saying some critics try to undermine institutions when their officeholders do not share the critics’ ideas.
The minister for the Presidency, Justice and Relations with the Cortes spoke at the opening of the academic year of the ten Royal Academies within the Institute of Spain. King Felipe VI presided over the ceremony at the Royal Academy of Jurisprudence and Legislation of Spain in Madrid. Luis María Cazorla Prieto, president of the host academy, also took part. Bolaños said some political forces were challenging basic consensuses, including those underpinning institutions he described as fundamental to the rule of law. He warned that critics seek to erode institutional credibility when people hold public office through legitimate democratic processes but do not share their views.
He argued that political forces operating within the Constitution comply with it, while acknowledging that challenges remain. EFE reported the remarks. Senior judicial and institutional officials also attended the ceremony. They included State Attorney General Teresa Peramato, Court of Auditors president Enriqueta Chicano and Constitutional Court vice-president Inmaculada Montalbán.
Bolaños also pointed to the speed at which false information circulates online: a lie spreads 20 times faster than the truth on social media, he said. That leaves societies vulnerable to disinformation and falsehoods. He argued that the Royal Academies’ work is needed to support access to verified knowledge. The academies bring together expertise across Spain’s sciences and humanities, as well as the arts. Bolaños called for more knowledge, and for better verification.
Political disputes over officeholders have also surfaced in Madrid. An earlier report covered the government delegate’s resignation after PSOE left him off its congressional and Senate lists.
State Attorney General Teresa Peramato and Court of Auditors president Enriqueta Chicano were among those attending. Constitutional Court vice-president Inmaculada Montalbán was there, as were Supreme Court magistrates. Chief of the Defence Staff Teodoro López Calderón attended alongside the presidents and directors of the ten Royal Academies in the Institute of Spain. King Felipe VI formally declared the 2026-2027 academic year open at the ceremony’s conclusion.
