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King Felipe VI became head of state in Spain at a time of great uncertainty, with the institution of the Crown questioned by scandals and a Parliament in which the traditional forces were in decline, while those who challenged "the regime of '78" were on the rise. Ten years later, the political situation remains unstable, but the image of the Monarchy seems to have been restored and the supporters of a republic have lost strength. In this multifaceted context, and as part of the celebrations marking the tenth anniversary of his reign, the King made a vindictive gesture today. "To the Constitution and its values I have adhered, and will always adhere, in the fulfilment of my responsibilities", he proclaimed in his speech .
The Head of State took advantage of the event, at the Royal Palace, of the Order of Civil Merit to 19 people from all over Spain considered to be examples that project themselves onto society to make a brief assessment "with serenity and perspective" of the decade that has passed since his proclamation on 19 June 2014.
"I have always believed in the importance of being consistent with the commitments made. This attitude is the basis of integrity and implies being true to our principles and values in all our decisions and actions; it implies making an effort to listen, to discern what is right from what is wrong, and to act responsibly with that discernment, even at personal cost," he reflected.
It is not difficult to work where those last words were aimed. During this time, the monarch has faced challenges of enormous importance for the country. Among them, and probably the most important, the independence challenge in Catalonia consummated with the illegal referendum of 1 October 2017, to which he responded with a message to the nation on 3 October and whose criminal consequences have now been erased by the controversial amnesty law.
But behind closed doors Felipe's task has been no less important. In his proclamation speech, he sent a message of regeneration - "A renewed Monarchy for a new time" - and this has led him to take decisions that have affected his own family relationship, such as when he revoked the use of the title of Duchess of Palma to his sister Cristina, then accused (later acquitted) in the 'Nóos case', or when, more recently, he withdrew his father Juan Carlos I's allowance and renounced his inheritance.
"During these years, service, commitment and duty have been the pillars of my performance as king," the head of state added. That, "service, commitment and duty" is also the motto chosen for this anniversary, whose commemoration ceremonies began today with the raising of the flag at the Zarzuela Palace and, later, at the Royal Palace, with the solemn changing of the Royal Guard in the Patio de la Armería, witnessed by Don Felipe, Doña Letizia and their daughters from the central balcony of the Throne Room.
The King also thanked them, the Queen, the Princess of Asturias and Princess Leonor, for their support. But it was the laureates, representatives of civil society, who were the real focus of the second part of his speech.
The proclamation of Felipe VI took place in June 2014, as befits a parliamentary monarchy, in Congress. This Wednesday, however, there were no events in the Lower House, which early in the morning was the site of a new and tense session of government control. "The Crown owes its duty to society, and that is why today you are the protagonists," said King Felipe.
The monarch used the example of the 19 men and women from all the region of Spain, including Ceuta and Melilla, recognised for their "civic virtues" in the fields of education, culture, health, volunteering, engineering, sustainability, agriculture, livestock farming and tourism, to highlight values that do not dominate the political scene today, and to call for unity, but in terms different from those that are customary in his speeches.
"There are millions of Spaniards who, like you, are working hard to be better and to make us better; to achieve a freer, more responsible, more diverse and more tolerant society," he praised those citizens before him, and among others, the Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez; President of the Congress, the socialist Francia Armengol; President of the Senate, Pedro Rollán, the President of the Constitutional Court, Cándido Conde Pumpido, and the President of the General Council of the Judiciary, Vicente Guilarte - A hopeful future that is being built every day and that portrays us as the great nation that we are".
"Unity, which is born and strengthened on the basis of that solidarity and that service to others full of respect and tolerance, is the greatest value we have, because a strong and cohesive society is capable of facing any challenges that may arise," he concluded.
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