Spanish King Felipe indirectly criticizes his father Juan Carlos

The Spanish King Felipe emphasised in his Christmas speech on Thursday evening that the Crown must stand for sincerity, honesty and transparency. That is what he said when he took office in 2014, and that still applies.

He is committed to ” the ethical and moral principles that citizens demand of our conduct” and these principles are “above any consideration, of any kind, even personal or family,” said the King. It was a reference to his father Juan Carlos, who had been compromised this year, without his name being mentioned. His actions were not in accordance with the “integrity, fairness and transparency” that Felipe himself promised to guard when he became king. The King had been pressured by many sides over the past few days to speak out on the behaviour of his father accused of corruption.

According to the Catalan newspaper La Vanguardia, it was also his main message this year. The newspaper El País spoke in advance about the” most difficult speech ” since the 2014 throne change. In particular, from the left and the Republican sides, an explicit condemnation of the irregularities allegedly committed by Juan Carlos who emigrated to Abu Dhabi in August was requested.

Juan Carlos himself had pointed out the responsibilities of people in public office in his 2011 Christmas speech. That was also seen at the time as a reprimand for his son-in-law, Iñaki Urdangarin, who was involved in a corruption scandal. ” Justice is equal for all, ” said Juan Carlos.