(*) Published in Spanish as Un futuro para la Comunión Tradicionalista y un espacio para la acción política carlista (I)

Neither the noblest causes, nor the most generous ideals, nor the best intentions are capable of influencing, of transforming reality, of changing their environment, without a program of action that materializes their aspirations, and without an operational unit that gathers adherents and coordinates initiatives. In this sense, politics is not so much the art of doing the possible as the art of making the necessary possible. The movement spreads and the organization inevitably attracts wills and minds. What is proposed here is a reflection that awakens in the reader a commitment to a project: to prepare a future for the Traditionalist Communion that will materialize in Carlist political action. This proposal, which is just that, a proposal, is spurred by the impression that Carlism evokes in the collective imagination great ideals and theorizing or heroic war efforts, but less so calculated tactics of political and social influence. This must be corrected: the brilliant genius of Mella or Aparisi and the audacity and courage of Zumalacárregui or Savalls are no more admirable than the political and organizational talent of a Cándido Nocedal, a Marquis of Cerralbo or Manuel Fal Conde. If what follows has any virtue, it is none other than to stimulate the imagination, to recreate a possible future that might become a reality, even if it is only a “castle in the sky” at the moment.

First of all, in order to know where we are going, we must be aware of where we come from, otherwise it is not possible to undertake coherent action with sufficient virtue to be prolonged in time. It has been repeated ad nauseam what Carlism is (the famous work of Elías de Tejada comes to mind), but less often, on the other hand, has it been specified precisely what the Traditionalist Communion is. It has been rightly said that the Traditionalist Communion is not a political party (at least not in the modern sense), which is true, but less effort has been devoted to defining exactly what it is. And here we must give an answer which, not because it seems pretentious to outsiders, ceases to be true in its deepest sense: the Traditionalist Communion, through the preservation of dynastic legitimacy, legal basis of the duty of loyalty that crystallizes in its own spheres of association, is the continuation of the Spanish monarchy reduced to its minimum expression. This statement is not gratuitous, since there are only two essential elements of the monarchical principle: a legitimate King of origin and exercise, and a people bound by this legitimacy.

The Traditionalist Communion is the collective enterprise that crystallizes the fulfillment of this commitment. It is a moral entity that, in the course of its centuries-long history, has assumed very different names and forms (“Catholic-Monarchist Communion”, “Traditionalist Communion”, “Carlist Party”, “Carlist Traditionalist Communion”…), but which has never ceased to fulfill, in whatever environment, the loyalty owed to the legitimate King. These are the historical-legal guidelines on the basis of which every Carlist militant in the TC must carry out his reorganization, bearing in mind that the restoration of the monarchical principle is essential to guarantee the common good.

This leads us to define the scope of truly Carlist political action. In the first place, we must be aware that it is very difficult for the Traditionalist Communion to adapt to the typology of juridical and associative forms that the current legislation allows and protects, since the State cannot recognize the current monarchical legitimacy, the foundation of loyalty that underpins the relations in the Communion, without mowing the grass under its feet. On the other hand, this does not mean that the Carlists should not exert great effort to find those juridical and associative forms that are better adapted to this configuration of the TC. In this regard, the predominant role must be played by what in the past were called “auxiliary organizations” to the central structure: civil and cultural associations with full autonomy, among which the Circles stand out, conveniently coordinated by the corresponding regional headquarters through a calculated statutory system of appointments and incompatibilities, without prejudice to this full and legitimate autonomy according to the social purpose of each entity.

The immediate future of the Traditionalist Communion is therefore to consolidate this “central core”, which is structured as follows, always in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity:

(To be continued)

Manuel Sanjuán, Círculo Cultural Juan Vázquez de Mella