Spanish King Felipe indirectly criticizes Juan Carlos | Royals

entertainment">He was committed to “the ethical and moral principles that citizens demand of our behavior,” and these principles are “beyond any consideration of any kind, even personal or familial,” said the king. It was a reference to his discredited father this year Juan Carlos, without being mentioned by name. His actions were inconsistent with the “integrity, honest and transparent conduct” that Felipe himself promised to guard when he became king. The king had been pressured from many quarters in recent days to speak out about the behavior of his accused father.

entertainment">According to the Catalan newspaper The vanguard it was partly for this reason his most important message of this year. The newspaper The country spoke beforehand about the ‘most difficult speech’ since the accession to the throne in 2014. Especially from the left and republican angle, an explicit condemnation had been asked for the irregularities that Juan Carlos allegedly committed to Abu Dhabi in August.

Christmas speech Juan Carlos

entertainment">There was also a precedent for this. Juan Carlos had highlighted the responsibilities of people in public positions in his own Christmas address in 2011. At the time, this was also seen as a reprimand of his son-in-law involved in a corruption scandal Iñaki Urdangarin. “The law is the same for everyone,” said Juan Carlos at the time. Those were words that government coalition partner Unidas Podemos was happy to remind in recent days.

entertainment">But also Felipe himself had spoken in that sense when he ascended the throne. “Today, more than ever, citizens rightly demand that moral and ethical principles inspire and exemplify our public life.” In his speech Thursday evening, Felipe referred to this when he raised the issue.

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