Melchoir waves to the crowd
It is hard to escape politics in Spain these days, but the controversy sparked by Madrid’s much-loved
Cabalgata de los Reyes parade came as a surprise all the same.
Every year, on the night before the January 6 feast of Epiphany, the
three kings make a triumphant entry into the Spanish capital, at the end
of a vast procession that snakes its way down the Castellana boulevard.
By tradition, the Cabalgata parade offers up a peculiar blend of the
religious (the kings), the commercial (company-sponsored floats with
popular cartoon figures), the military (the Spanish cavalry), the
agricultural (geese) and the circus (elephants and camels).
Tens of thousands line the route, hoping to catch a glimpse of the
kings – and to pick up their share of the thousands of kilos of sweets
that are thrown into the crowd. For children, it is the highlight of
Spain’s festive calendar, made more exciting still by the knowledge that
there is only one more night to go until they can unwrap their
Christmas presents.
This year’s Cabalgata, however, was subtly different. Madrid elected a
new mayor last year, ending more than two decades of rule by the
conservative Popular party. The new chief is
Manuela Carmena,
a veteran left-wing judge and activist, who led an alliance of leftist
groups to victory in May. Though not a member of Podemos, she is a close
ally of Spain’s anti-austerity movement.
Most of the changes made to the Cabalgata seemed harmless enough, and
some were probably long overdue. The role of Balthazar, for instance,
was taken on this year by an actual black man, and not by a (white)
member of the city council with his face painted black. There were no
elephants, camels or geese taking part in Tuesday’s parade – a nod to
animal rights activists.
Instead, there were lots of bicycles, drum groups, a parade of trees,
a homage to Mother Earth, a DJ truck and lots of dancers and musicians
from Africa and the Arab world. Given the eclectic tradition of the
parade, none of the novelties seemed especially out of place. Driving
just ahead of the cavalry, the blinking DJ truck did seem strange – but
not more so than the sight of Darth Vader marching down the Paseo de la
Castellana surrounded by a selection of candy-throwing Imperial storm
troopers. Arguably the most ideologically suspect trucks, those
sponsored by private companies such as Coca-Cola, Disney and Danone,
were part of the parade as always.
The first signs of protest, however, began to stir on social media
even before the three kings had reached their destination. Some bemoaned
the disappearance of beloved participants, others voiced dismay that
the Cabalgata had been converted into a “multi-cultural carnival”.
The modernist dress of the three kings was another high-profile
target. Some even accused the Madrid mayor of ruining the magic of
Christmas for their children. Among them was Cayetana Álvarez de Toledo,
a prominent conservative, who tweeted with a touch of melodrama: “My
6-year old daughter: “Mama, the dress of Caspar is not real.” I will
never forgive you, Manuela Carmena. Never.”
Spain’s right-wing press picked up the theme on Wednesday. “Manuela
Carmena dethrones the magic of the Reyes,” said the headline in La
Razón. The ABC daily quoted a disappointed spectator saying: “A
Cabalgata without camels is no Cabalgata.” Another described the parade
as a “disgrace”, while the paper itself bemoaned that Madrid’s latest
procession marked a further step towards the “de-sacrification” of a
religious holiday.
It is tempting to shrug off this and similar controversies. But they
do point to a serious political challenge faced by Spain’s new left.
Last year, Podemos and its affiliates took power in the city halls of
Madrid, Barcelona and a raft of other cities. Their votes are already
required to prop of regional governments, and soon – quite possibly –
the national government as well. The polemic surrounding the Cabalgata
offers, in miniature, the broader dilemma faced by Podemos: how far can
the movement push its agenda for social and political change without
antagonizing mainstream voters? Is it worth dedicating political capital
to red-button issues such as bull-fighting and religious processions,
or should the new left-wing mayors focus on themes such as housing and
poverty?
For Ms Carmena, at least, there seemed to be no such dilemma. In a
dig at her critics, she tweeted on Wednesday: “The kings have brought me
the opportunity to work for a more just and diverse Madrid. If I did
anything else, they would never forgive me.”
