The King celebrates the vaccination and demands “consensus” to “continue progressing”

The traditional message of Felipe VI this Christmas had a patina of optimism, despite the “crossroads & rdquor; in which, he said, the covid-19 virus has placed the entire planet. The Head of State celebrated the process of vaccination in Spain and the “positive & rdquor; of the figure of busy and asked to see the new pandemic reality as “A historic opportunity & rdquor ;. Instead of making politicians ugly by the tension in which they are installed, he demanded “understanding” to bring serenity to society. And regarding the legal and fiscal problems of his father, Juan Carlos I, only pronounced a phrase that can be understood as an allusion to this matter: when he highlighted the role that institutions play in the progress of a country, he assured that all positions public must “respect and comply with the laws and be example of public and moral integrity & rdquor ;.

The King recorded the address in a room of the Palacio de la Zarzuela adjacent to the Audiences. With a scenery more bright and modern than in previous years (he included two contemporary art paintings and placed glass tables), Felipe VI addressed the Spanish for 12 minutes in a speech that began with a memory of the clappers who have suffered the eruption of Old Summit for three months and then went on to address the “challenges & rdquor; what the coronavirus has meant. He first celebrated the success of science with a vaccines obtained in record time and had words of remembrance for the victims who died from covid and also for him health personnel. “We thank them immensely, with all our support and encouragement,” he stressed.

Felipe VI stressed that this health crisis has shown that “solutions are required at the global level & rdquor; and it has affected the “principles of social organization and coexistence in freedom & rdquor; generating a scenario “full of uncertainties Y contrasts& rdquor ;. “Do we have to get carried away by pessimism? Should we fall into conformism, hoping that problems will resolve themselves? I think not & rdquor ;, he replied. The monarch advises a “Fast & rdquor; acceptance of changes, because from them arise “initiatives full of ambition to improve & rdquor ;. What is at stake is “to continue progressing together with the most advanced nations & rdquor; or lose “step & rdquor ;, he warned. And in this dilemma, he stressed the role of institutions, which he urged to reach “consensus& rdquor; and facilitate “understanding” to give “the necessary peace of mind to families & rdquor ;. An appeal to politicians that comes after months in which the dialogue between the Government and some communities and leaders has been full of clashes and rudeness on account of the decisions to try to stop contagion by covid.

This is the second year that Juan Carlos I will spend the holidays outside of Spain, after he left the country in August 2020 due to information about his supposed hidden fortune. Last year, Felipe VI barely made a veiled mention and, this time, the reference has been even more indirect, stating that all public officials must “comply with the laws and be an example of integrity and morals & rdquor ;.

Without references to the independence movement

Nor did the King want to announce measures to update the “ethical criteria & rdquor; of the monarchy and bring it closer to the 21st century. Since June 2015, the head of state has not approved any initiative in this regard. The head of the House of the King, Jaime Alfonsin, met on several occasions with the former First Vice President Carmen Calvo, between September 2020 and the beginning of this year, to clear that new path, but the ideas that they are even “written & rdquor;, as this newspaper has learned, they are still in a drawer.

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Another topic that was left out of the speech was the challenge of the Catalan independence movement, after almost a decade in which the ‘procés’ was part of the nucleus of the Christmas messages of the Crown. The Monarch did make several references to the “great project & rdquor; of the Constitution and the spirit of “unity & rdquor; and “dialogue & rdquor; which he summons before closing with a final message of hope: “History teaches us that Spaniards have known how to overcome adversity (& mldr;) I have no doubt that with determination, drive and character we will achieve it & rdquor ;.