“The times [que vivimos] they force us to remain very alert on a stage, without a doubt, full of uncertainties and contrasts. In this situation, what to do? Do we have to get carried away by pessimism? Should we fall into conformism, hoping that problems will resolve themselves? I do not think so”. In a situation marked by uncertainty, with the pandemic hitting again and with the multiple challenges (economic, environmental, equality …) that Spanish society faces, King Felipe VI dedicated his traditional Christmas Eve speech to urge citizens to “take the initiative and try to go ahead of the events ”, because these turbulent times that we live, the King emphasized, are also full of “new ideas and opportunities.” «The challenges that lie ahead represent for Spain, as for many other nations, a real crossroads; but they are without a doubt a historic opportunity […] to update and modernize our country, “said Felipe VI.
The optimistic message – but attached to reality, with references to the difficult situation of La Palma and to those who live in vulnerable situations – is more than welcome at a time when, after two years of fighting COVID-19, frustration and pandemic fatigue are rampant. The King correctly recalled the path traveled between his 2020 Christmas Eve speech and this Friday, and emphasized the main difference: the vaccination process (of the one who said: “We can feel especially satisfied”) without which the situation this Christmas, in the heat of the omicron variant, would be very different. The monarch highlighted that the economy has grown again, He underlined the “positive” evolution of the occupation and praised the health personnel, this last fact always to be appreciated but more at a time when some institution has questioned the professionalism of a group without whose responsibility and sacrifice the ravages of the pandemic would be even worse. Also noteworthy is the reference to the “unique occasion” that European funds represent for the modernization of Spain.
Beyond this welcome message of optimism, it is inevitable that the King’s speech will be scrutinized for references to the situation in which his father, Juan Carlos I, finds himself, who lives his second consecutive Christmas outside of Spain, in Abu Dhabi. Felipe VI did not make any direct reference to the situation of the emeritus king, but he did say clearly that among the obligations of the institutions are: «to assume, each one, the obligations that we are entrusted with; respect and comply with the laws and be an example of public and moral integrity ”. Of course, the Monarch did not speak of the modernization or the transparency of the Monarchy, undoubtedly the great challenge that his reign faces today.
Nor did the Monarch mention Catalonia, which in itself is almost a symptom of institutional normality after a decade of ‘procés’. Of course, the King dedicated an important part of the speech to praise the Constitution, whose reform is the subject of political debate. «The Constitution has been and is the main beam that has favored our progress, the one that has sustained our democratic coexistence in the face of crises […] and therefore deserves respect, recognition and loyalty ”. Fair words that it would not be convenient to confuse with immobility.
Reference-www.elperiodico.com