The Spanish government and senior opposition figures on Wednesday sought to play down recent protests in Catalonia against King Juan Carlos, even as young Catalan nationalists vowed to continue campaigning for the abolition of the Bourbon monarchy and the independence of their region.

With less than six months to go before a general election in which regional issues are set to be a campaign theme, the Socialist government of José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, prime minister, wants to prevent disaffected nationalists in Catalonia and the Basque country from using the monarchy as a proxy for attacking the national unity of Spain.