Felipe VI defends the Constitution as the fundamental law of the Spanish State

USPA NEWS - For the tenth consecutive year, the King of Spain, Felipe VI, addressed his Christmas message to the nation this Christmas Eve. “A tradition that I like to maintain and that also allows me to bring to your homes some reflections on our present and the challenges that we face as a country,” explained the monarch.

“The economic and social difficulties that affect the daily lives of many Spaniards are a concern for everyone. A concern that is expressed, especially, in relation to employment, health, the quality of education, the price of basic services. Of course also with the unacceptable violence against women or, in the case of young people, with access to housing,” the King began by saying, who announced “the Constitution and Spain as the axes of his speech.”

This year, the Spanish Constitution has turned 45 years old. “During these years of democratic life, the Constitution, which the Princess of Asturias swore on last October 31, has been uninterruptedly present in our lives. And it is, without a doubt, the best example of union and coexistence between Spaniards,” stressed Felipe VI. “We cannot forget that one of our great assets in democracy is, precisely, that coexistence based on shared feelings and the common search for the well-being and prosperity of all,” he added.

“In Asturias last October, I pointed out - and I believe so - that it is with unity, with collective effort and with attitudes of solidarity that great works are built, those that transcend people, those that last and remain in time. This is how a country progresses,” the monarch continued. And he added: “Naturally, in Spain every citizen has the right to think, express himself and defend his ideas with freedom and respect for others. But democracy also requires basic and broad consensus on the principles that we have shared and that have united us for several generations.”

And that union, which has deep historical and cultural roots, “must rest above all on the values that govern all democratic coexistence: freedom, justice, equality, political pluralism,” explained the King of Spain. “Those are the values that unite us, that give strength and permanence to a democratic system like ours. And this is how our Constitution defines and establishes them, which has been the greatest political success in our recent history, and which represented the culmination of a process that deserved extraordinary admiration and international recognition,” he added.

Thanks to the Constitution “we managed to overcome the division, which has been the cause of many errors in our history; that opened wounds, fractured affections and distanced people. Overcoming this division, therefore, was our main success almost five decades ago. Therefore, preventing the germ of discord from ever establishing itself among us is a moral duty that we all have. Because we can't afford it,” he warned.

And there is another dimension of the Constitution “that we often do not notice and that, without a doubt, is also very important: the one that allows us to ensure our model of life, our way of living and understanding life. Expressing yourself freely, receiving an education, having a job, or protecting yourself from illness is undoubtedly key in our daily lives. It is also important to access housing, start a family, have social help or have a decent retirement. All of these daily events – and many more – are what the Constitution protects, guarantees and protects,” the monarch recalled.

For this reason, he vindicated the Constitution not only as a democratic value for the present and future, but also as an essential instrument and guarantee so that the lives of Spaniards can continue to flow with confidence, stability and certainty. So that we can freely enjoy a life in which each one - with their circumstances - can see their legitimate expectations, ambitions, projects and needs reasonably satisfied,” said Felipe VI.

But it is evident that for the Constitution to fully develop its mission "it requires that we preserve its integrity as a place of mutual recognition, acceptance and encounter approved by all Spaniards, as legitimate holders of national sovereignty," he explained. “Outside respect for the Constitution, there is no democracy or coexistence possible; there are no freedoms but imposition; There is no law, but arbitrariness. “Outside the Constitution there is no Spain in peace and freedom.”

“The ultimate reason for our successes and progress in recent history has been precisely the unity of our country,” stated the King of Spain, “based on our democratic values and cohesion, on the solid ties of the State with our Autonomous Communities. and in solidarity between all of them. “Also based on our openness to the outside world with a deep Ibero-American and European vocation.”

To address the future, “all State institutions have the duty to conduct ourselves with the greatest responsibility and always seek the general interests of all Spaniards with loyalty to the Constitution. “Each institution, starting with the King, must place itself in the place that constitutionally corresponds to it, exercise the functions attributed to it and comply with the obligations and duties that the Constitution indicates.”

“We should become more aware of the great country we have, so we can feel it more and take care of it together,” urged the monarch. “This way we will be able to better fulfill the obligation that I spoke about a few weeks ago in the Parliament: that of guaranteeing to the young generations the legacy of a united, cohesive Spain, with a will to understand and solid in its democratic, civic and moral convictions; “the legacy of a respected Spain, of a beloved Nation in which they can continue to develop their lives freely, safely in an environment of stability and trust.”