The king praises the “efficiency and speed” of the military in the face of the catastrophes of 2021

Felipe VI He celebrated the eighth Military Easter of his reign this Thursday with a speech full of praise for the members of the Armed Forces and a reaffirmation to the President of the Government and the Minister of Defense of Spain’s commitment to NATO.

Five times during his salutation he has repeated the term “efficiency” and twice the word “pride” to refer to the work carried out by the military in the face of the worst events of the year just ended.

The members of the armies, in the King’s words, have shown a “quick and effective response to situations as demanding as those we have experienced”, said in reference to the Baluarte mission against COVID, the missions carried out in the face of the disasters of the storm Filomena, the summer fires and the eruption of the La Palma volcano, and the “humanitarian drama” in Afghanistan.“Humanitarian drama”

The rescue mission in Kabul of Afghan collaborators from Spain and the European Union carried out last August was an occasion in which this country “reacted with leadership,” said the head of state, for the “organization of the European reception center and the immediate response to the difficult and delicate challenge of evacuation”.

Of what happened in Afghanistan, the “internal collapse” of the country despite the “fight against terrorism and insurgency” by Spain and its allies, “it will be necessary to extract the necessary lessons and teachings, “he warned.

Before a Throne Room of the Royal Palace with limited influx, one more year, due to the anticovid measures -16 decorated soldiers and three dozen high-ranking commanders of the Land, Civil Guard, Air and Navy-, the King has not only referred to that international mission completed in 2021, “the longest in our recent history”; has also used his greeting to reaffirm the Atlantic military vocation of Spain.

It has been in the chapter on forecasts, underlining as the main Defense event this year the celebration of the NATO Summit scheduled for June, a quarter of a century after the first one held in Madrid, in the midst of the post-cold war period.

This time the Summit, he said, “arrives in a crucial moment for the plans and strategic direction of the coming years “, and” represents an important recognition of the Spain’s commitment to NATO, and the extraordinary role of our troops in the missions and structures of the Alliance. “

In another reference to the Army’s foreign action, he called Libre Hidalgo a “mission of special importance and priority”, the deployment of Spanish units in Lebanon under the command of the UN, which has completed 15 years.

Pride and memory

One day after his father’s second birthday, Juan Carlos I, celebrates in his Arab exile, and still on Christmas dates in which he recalled the value and duty of “public and moral integrity”, Felipe VI has repeated allusions to the “legitimate feeling of admiration and appreciation” to refer to the image of the military. “I want to express the pride of Spanish society towards the military institution, “he said.

This year, King Philip has hardly included citations to political concepts in his speech. Yes, he has referred to the military, as he usually does, to the Constitution. He has told them that his “dedication to Spain” and his “strong vocation to serve” has “guidance and constant moral encouragement” in military principles and values, “and under the protection of our Constitutional Order.”

This year marks the 240th anniversary of the creation of the military Easter, and this has been recalled by Felipe VI, but he has begun his speech to the Armed Forces citing another anniversary. On the tenth anniversary of the “cessation of the brutal violence of the terrorist group ETA”, has had words to “honor with great emotion the memory and dignity of the victims terrorism “, to whom he has sent” a message of encouragement and admiration. “

Afghanistan, NATO and Strategic Compass

Queen Letizia and three members of the Government – Pedro Sánchez, the Minister of Defense, Margaret Robles, and the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska– have participated in the ceremony, which began with a brief military parade of the Royal Guard and a salvo of cannon shots in the Patio de la Armería of the palace.

Minister Robles seconded the King’s words on the Atlanticist orientation of Spanish military and foreign policy. The next Alliance Summit comes at a time “that is suing NATO huge and momentous decisions on its orientation, “he said in allusion -but without citing- the internal tensions, many of them from Washington and others from Ankara, of the organization.

Robles recalled “with emotion” the 102 members of the Armed Forces and Civil Guard who “died working for peace and freedom“In Afghanistan. On the tense days of the evacuation lived last summer, the Defense Minister said:” We will never forget the images of thousands of people crowding to enter the Kabul airport “, after going through the crowd and” that channel , which will always remain in our memory “.

Robles recalled what was said then by the president of the European Commission, Úrsula Von der Layen: “Spain in those days became the soul of Europe”.

Speaking about the fight against the pandemic, the minister extended her praise to the civilian population, “a caring and responsible citizenry who go massively to get vaccinated“.

Robles also recalled the work “pick and shovel in hand” of the soldiers against the frozen snow of Filomena or the hot ashes of the volcano of Cumbre Vieja. “They have been a few more palm trees and palm trees.” He has given his opinion on the work of the military in La Palma.

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The minister has stated that “for this Government the modernization of our Armed Forces is a priority,” when speaking of the various industrial military projects -S80 submarine, F110 frigates, Future Combat System with France and Germany …- from which “the creation of jobs” is derived.

Among the future commitments of the Defense, he has cited support for the creation of a European Military Medical Corps after the lessons learned in the pandemic, and the participation of Spain in the approval of the Strategic Compass, “a key document for the future evolution of the Common Security and Defense Policy of the European Union”, he explained.