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Unidentified Flags and Ensigns (Spain)

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Spanish European Presidency Flag or nationalist UFE?

image by António Martins-Tuválkin, 23 May 1999

During the Sant Jordi 1999 celebrations, I saw a Spanish nationalist flag: white flag with letter "Ñ" in center. I believe the letter is red-yellow-red or only red.

Jaume Ollé, 25 Apr 1999

I think that was simply the emblem of the Spanish Presidency to the European Union (c.1996) on a bedsheet. The President of the European Union is chosen on a biannual rotatory basis among the prime ministers of the member states. When this happens, the country in question uses a certain logo to denote "it is their turn." In the case of Spain, the letter "ñ" was chosen as something unique to Spanish.

Santiago Dotor, 03 May 1999

I have made a reconstructed version of this, assuming the "ñ" is Arial Black lower case, approx. 2/3 hoist high, and centered.

António Martins-Tuválkin, 23 May 1999

The symbol used by Spain when it was our turn in the Presidency of the European Comunity was an "e" with the "~" (the symbol on the "ñ") over it. The background was blue, and the "e" was surrounded by 12 stars (like the European Union flag).

Gonzalo O'Kelly, 16 Feb 2000

Here is a phonecard with the "e~" logo on it, on a white background (that of the phonecard, by the way). The caption at the right reads Presidencia Española del Consejo de la Unión Europea i.e. Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

Antonio Gutiérrez, 18 Feb 2000

The presidency of the European Union is taken by the Head of State (usually the Prime Minister) of each Member State for six months on a rotating basis. I still think that we are not talking about the same flag Jaume Ollé reported. The Spanish European Union presidency flag was blue (with yellow stars), this UFE is white; the Spanish European Union presidency flag had an "ẽ," this UFE has a "ñ." They are two completely different flags – no way Jaume Ollé could have confused these two. Please note this letter, an "e" with a tilde, is no Spanish letter but rather the country's initial (España) with a tilde on it. Spanish tend to regard this diacritical and the letter "ñ" as a symbol of hispanity, both in land and abroad.

António Martins-Tuválkin, 18 Feb 2000

As far as I know the Spanish European Union Presidency chose the "e~" symbol to be used in official papers but not intended as a flag though it might have been used occasionally. Its colour was dark red (note that each country has an identification colour within the European Union). The tilde was somehow big in comparison with the "e" to stress its presence and apparent contradiction. The font and colour are those shown in the telephone card, so I think the above GIF shoud be redrawn accordingly. I do not think the "ñ" flag ever existed.

I remember the design was specially made shortly after a conflict between Spain and the European Union arose when Spain tried to make it compulsory for all computers to be sold in Spain to bear the "ñ" character, something which was considered illegal by the EU because it was an offence against the freedom of circulation of goods within the Union.

M. V. Blanes, 18 Feb 2000

Military UFE (Cádiz)

image by Santiago Dotor

A sky blue over dark blue flag with a white letter C in center is flown in the military dependencies in Cádiz castle.

Jaume Ollé, 21 Sep 1999

Spanish Flag with Grey Latin Cross

image by António Martins-Tuválkin, 01 Sep 2006

At requetes.com, a photo of a regular CoA-less Spanish national flag "defaced" with a dark grey latin cross with rounded tips centered on the yellow area. This was directly added to the image; it is not an actual flying flag photo nor a representation of it.

António Martins-Tuválkin, 01 Sep 2006

Rightist Flag (?) (Granada)

image adapted from Wikipedia, 13 Dec 2010

Seen on a Spanish leftist blog, a photo captioned "protest against fascist assembly in Granada," of a person in a top hat waving a flag a from the balcony of a building while a mass of leftist protesters mill underneath. The flag is red with a large monochrome yellow/black CoA, a heavily divided shield over an eagle, plus smaller shields in the corners. The arms are not those of either the province or municipality of Granada, nor do they resemble the Franco-era national arms. Carlists, maybe?

Eugene Ipavec, 22 Aug 2010

It looks similar to the simplified (!) arms of King Charles I, 16th century king of Spain and Holy Roman Emperor (as Charles V), but not identical. So Royalist, yes, and "Carlist" perhaps, but not in the usual sense, IIRC.

James Dignan, 23 Aug 2010