No Surprise Spanish Royals Spending More Than Stipulated in State Budget

Jose Morales, spokesperson for the United Left, said that the real cost to the Spanish government of supporting the monarchy is closer to 40 million euro.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Spain’s United Left coalition told Sputnik that there was no surprise in the fact that the country’s Royal Family was spending much more than officially stipulated in the state budget.

"There is nothing new, the Royal House have always spent more than officially budgeted," Jose Morales, spokesperson for the United Left, told Sputnik.

On Thursday, secretary general of the Communists of Catalonia party, Joan Josep Nuet, said that the actual expenditure by Spanish royalty exceeds the officially declared sum by a factor of five, reaching some $45 million a year.

According to Morales, as much as 7.86 million euro (almost $9 million) is allocated to the monarchy in the state budget, but this amount excludes travel, maintenance costs, security and personal staff. According to him, the real cost to the state of supporting the monarchy is closer to 40 million euro.

The United Left called for a 30-percent reduction in the amount of money assigned to the royals in 2016.

In 2014, the Spanish Parliament approved a 2-percent cut to the Royal Family budget, compared to the previous year. The family has recently come under fire, with the King’s daughter, Infanta Cristina, suspected of involvement in fraudulent activities carried out by her husband, Inaki Urdangarin, who was accused of embezzling $7.3 million in public funds.