Podcast Summary: Todo Concostrina – "Acontece que no es poco | 'Dimitir, dimitir de quéeee...'"

Host: Nieves Concostrina (with co-host)
Date: July 13, 2022
Podcast: SER Podcast

Episode Overview

This episode of "Acontece que no es poco" is the third summary of the season, where Nieves Concostrina takes listeners through recent episodes that examined the history of the Spanish Bourbon monarchy ("Borbonia"). With her characteristic irreverent and incisive tone, Nieves exposes the pattern of scandals, expulsions, and questionable inheritances that have plagued the Bourbons from the 19th century to today. The central theme? The near-impossibility of getting members of the royal family to resign or even offer explanations for their actions—hence the memorable title quoting "Dimitir, dimitir de quéeee…"

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Long Tradition of Expulsions, Not Exiles

[01:03–03:05]

• Expulsions, Not Voluntary Exile:
  Nieves corrects the oft-repeated narrative that figures like Queen Cristina de Borbón "exiled" themselves, asserting instead that "fue expulsada de España y además por las Cortes" ([01:20]).
• Starting the Royal Fortune:
  She lays out how Cristina "abrió la hucha borbona en los bancos extranjeros" ([01:32]) and each generation kept building upon this private fortune, passing it down (Isabel II → Alfonso XII → Alfonso XIII → Juan de Borbón → Juan Carlos I).
• Myth of Renounced Inheritance:
  She challenges the belief that King Felipe VI renounced his inheritance:

  "Si alguien quiere comerse la milonga que nos contó de que había renunciado a la herencia. Vale. Pues muy bien. La ignorancia es la madre de la felicidad." ([02:55])

2. The “Boomerang” Bourbons: They Always Return

[03:48–05:23]

• Repeated Returns:
  Expelled Bourbons historically always find a way to return:

  "Son los boomerang Borbón. Tú los lanzas lejos, pero siempre vuelven." ([03:51])

• Family Scandals—Alfonso XIII’s Offspring:
  Nieves recounts how Alfonso XIII’s firstborn, Alfonso de Borbón ("el Borbón non grato"), lived a life of scandal, was forced to renounce the throne for marrying a commoner, and died as a result of his hemophilia after a minor accident ([04:14–05:23]).

3. The Succession Mess and Franco’s “Ideal” Family

[05:23–07:09]

• Succession by Default:

  "Hubo ahí que seguir corriendo turno y por eso nos cayó el gordo de la lotería con Juan Carlos al final" ([05:33]): After the primary heirs were disqualified, Juan Carlos ended up as king, not by design but by elimination.

• Franco's "Model" Family:
  Franco promoted Juan Carlos and Sofia as the ideal, impeccable family, in stark contrast with their private scandals:

  "Si Franco levantara ahora mismo la cabeza le daba algo. […] Entre todos se han cepillado los diez mandamientos, no han dejado ni uno en pie." ([06:04])

4. The Marivent Palace Scandal

[07:09–10:00]

• Marivent’s True Origins:
  The Marivent estate was bought by Juan Saridakis in 1922 and willed to become a cultural institution for public benefit. Instead, the Bourbons appropriated it as a private summer residence:

  "Este hombre ordenó en testamento que Maribén se donara a la Diputación Provincial de Baleares… para la instalación de un museo de arte provincial y servicios culturales…" ([07:50])

• Public Rights Stolen:

  "A la sociedad balear le birlaron sus derechos sobre Maribén." ([08:35])

• Ongoing Legal Battles:
  The Saridakis heirs have fought since the 1980s for restitution and have succeeded in reclaiming much of the art and opening the gardens to the public:

  "La prueba de que todo ha sido un robo descarado es que los herederos de Saridakis ya han conseguido que les sea devuelto todo eso, todo lo que había en el interior, porque llevan litigando desde los años 80…" ([08:54])

• Hope for the Future:

  "Quizás el año que viene, 2023, cuando se cumplan 50 años desde que los Borbones disfrutan de lo que no es suyo, pues puede que sea un buen momento para devolver Marivena a sus legítimos propietarios. A los ciudadanos. Pues deberían, a los ciudadanos baleares." ([09:37])

5. The Letter to the Shah of Persia

[10:00–12:54]

• Juan Carlos I’s Secret Request:
  In 1977, King Juan Carlos I wrote to the Shah of Persia requesting $10 million for Adolfo Suárez’s electoral campaign:

  "Aquello fue increíble, además pidiendo 10 millones con todo su papo el tío…" ([10:17])

• Manipulated Context:
  Juan Carlos exaggerated the urgency—municipal elections were actually two years away, not six months as he claimed.
• A Hundred Million Secured:
  The revelations show he obtained not just $10 million but $100 million from the Shah, some of which presumably went elsewhere:

  "No sólo Juan Carlos estaba mintiendo… sino que también acabó sacándole al SA 100 millones, no 10, 100 millones de dólares, algunos para Suárez y quién sabe, no lo sabremos nunca. Cuántos para su propia buchaca." ([12:25])

• Cynical Closing:

  "Así que nada, venga, Viva España. Viva el Rey. Viva el orden y la Ley…" ([12:50])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "No hay forma de que dimitan ni de que den explicaciones. Por eso no queda más remedio que echarlos."
  —Nieves Concostrina ([01:04])
• "La ignorancia es la madre de la felicidad."
  —Nieves Concostrina, about believing the myth of the renounced inheritance ([02:55])
• “Entre todos se han cepillado los diez mandamientos, no han dejado ni uno en pie.”
  —Nieves Concostrina, on the royal family’s scandals ([06:04])
• "La prueba de que todo ha sido un robo descarado es que los herederos de Saridakis ya han conseguido que les sea devuelto todo eso..."
  —Nieves Concostrina ([08:54])
• "Así que nada, venga, Viva España. Viva el Rey. Viva el orden y la Ley…"
  —Nieves Concostrina, closing the episode with irony ([12:50])

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:03] – Expulsions, fortune-building, and the myth of inheritance renunciation
• [03:48] – The repeating cycle of Bourbon expulsions and returns
• [05:23] – How Juan Carlos became king and Franco's idealization of the Bourbon family
• [07:09] – The Marivent Palace scandal: public goods becoming royal property
• [10:00] – The King’s secret letter to the Shah of Persia for electoral campaign funds
• [12:50] – Ironic sign-off: “Viva España. Viva el Rey…”

Tone and Style

The episode combines in-depth historical storytelling with biting humor and skepticism. Nieves Concostrina’s tone is sardonic, irreverent, and direct, continually inviting the listener to question official narratives and reflect critically on Spain's recent royal history.

Summary Value

This episode dissects the persistent and controversial nature of the Bourbon monarchy in Spain—from forced exiles, accumulating secret fortunes, to appropriating public assets and covertly seeking funds from foreign dictators. Nieves Concostrina offers a bracing counter-narrative to mainstream royal history, making it essential listening for those interested in Spanish historical controversies, political scandals, and the real-life consequences of unchecked royal privilege.