King Felipe delivers annual Christmas Eve address

King Felipe of Spain delivered his annual Christmas Eve address to the Spanish people from the Royal Palace in Madrid.

On this important year for Spain, he began by touching on the 50th anniversary of democracy in the country.

He said the democracy anniversary and the 40th anniversary of joining the European Communities made him think of the importance of coexistence.

Importantly, the King said, “The Transition was, above all, a collective exercise in responsibility. It arose from the shared will to build a future of freedoms based on dialogue. Those who guided that process ensured that the Spanish people as a whole ultimately became the true protagonists of their future and fully assumed their sovereign power. Even with their differences and doubts, they were able to overcome their disagreements and transform uncertainty into a solid starting point, without any guarantee of achieving their goals. That courage—the courage to move forward without guarantees, but united—is one of the most valuable lessons they taught us.”

King Felipe mentioned the transformation of Spain from a dictatorship five decades ago to the democracy that thrives today.

He didn’t forget to recognise that people are going through tough times with the economy and climate.

His Majesty gave a suggestion on how to help one another: “Spain has progressed when we have been able to find shared goals. And the root of any shared project is necessarily coexistence. I have already referred to it on previous occasions, but it is the foundation of our democratic life. Those who came before us were able to build it even in difficult circumstances, such as those of 50 years ago.”

Trust and care are central in making sure coexistence remains through the troubling times the world is facing. He stressed the importance of retaining democracy and dialogue.

“Let’s do it with the memory of these 50 years, and let’s do it with confidence. Fear only builds barriers and generates noise, and barriers and noise prevent us from understanding reality in all its breadth,” King Felipe remarked.