Memory, concord and trust

The central point of the speech was the defense of the transition as the foundation of the democracy we enjoy today. This was not a ritual evocation, but a deliberate affirmation of its validity. Recalling that fifty years have passed since the start of this process, Felipe VI stressed that the Transition was above all a collective exercise of rationality, dialogue and renunciation, in which the Spanish people fully assumed their sovereignty. From this momentum was born the 1978 Constitution, defined by the King as a framework broad enough to accommodate our diversity. In an era of self-serving revisionism and systematic delegitimization of the constitutional pact, this explicit defense acquires undeniable political significance.

The chosen setting – the Hall of Columns of the Palais Royal – reinforced this message. The act of accession of Spain to the European Communities was signed there in 1985, another of the great national consensuses. Felipe VI succeeded in linking these two stages: the transition and Europe as pillars of our freedom, our prosperity and our democratic stability. It is no small coincidence that, in a context marked by the crisis of multilateralism and the erosion of democracies, the King reaffirms his attachment to Europe as an area of ​​values ​​and a shared destiny.

But the speech did not remain in memory. The king has come this far with a clear warning: there is a growing tension in public debate that is generating “boredom, disenchantment and disaffection” among citizens. He did not name names, but the recipient of the message was unequivocal. When Felipe VI alludes to the degradation of language, the lack of respect and the inability to listen to dissidents, he draws attention to a political class installed in confrontation, more concerned with immediate profits than long-term coexistence. It is a blow that joins a feeling widely shared by Spanish society.

In one of the most significant passages of the message, the king recalls that Spain “has already been there”. The reference is neither abstract nor banal. When he warns of the risks of distrust and breakdown of coexistence, he alludes to our most painful history, civil war and the devastating consequences of division. Felipe VI did not need to explicitly mention it for the allusion to be clear. This reminder acts as a moral red line: not everything is happening, because we know where the systematic erosion of harmony leads.

Faced with this risk, the King offers a classic and at the same time demanding antidote: trust. Trust between citizens, in institutions and in the common project that is Spain. But not passive trust, but active and responsible. That is why he asked everyone – without exception – about what everyone can do to strengthen coexistence and what boundaries should not be crossed. This call includes in a particular way the demand for exemplarity on the part of public authorities, constant in the civic teaching of Felipe VI since the beginning of his reign. The speech was also sensitive to the material concerns of Spaniards: the cost of living, housing, job insecurity, the impact of climate change. The king, however, avoids transforming the message into an inventory of problems. Its objective was another: to remind that none of these difficulties can be successfully overcome by division and noise, but rather by fundamental agreements and a shared vision of the country.

The brevity of the message did not diminish its depth; On the contrary, it strengthened him. In a Christmas marked by political polarization and social weariness, the King once again exercised his role as arbiter and moderator, offering a moral compass based on historical memory, the defense of constitutional democracy and a serene warning about the dangers of discord. A concise message, certainly, but loaded with meaning and institutional responsibility.