Valencia floods, migration and global instability take center stage in King's Christmas address

The floods in Valencia, migration and growing global instability took center stage in Spain's King Felipe VI's traditional Christmas address on Tuesday evening. 

The monarch paid tribute to the victims of the "terrible" flash flood that hit Valencia in October, claiming the lives of 223 people. 

"Thousands of people saw how what had recently been their town, their neighborhood, their workplace, their home, their business, or their school was reduced to rubble - or even vanished entirely," he said. 

The monarch also highlighted the "overwhelming" wave of solidarity witnessed in the affected area, with dozens traveling to Valencia to aid in its recovery and donations pouring in from across Spain. 

However, the King acknowledged the "frustration and pain" experienced by the victims, as well as their "calls for greater and more effective coordination among administrations." 

In the face of this challenge, he urged the "protection and strengthening" of a shared sense of the "common good" and emphasized the need to "promote consensus" despite differences and disagreements.

Migration and housing

The King also addressed two major issues that "concern and affect" Spaniards: migration and housing.  

While acknowledging that immigration is a "complex and socially sensitive" phenomenon, the King warned that inadequate management could lead to "tensions" that undermine "social cohesion." 

"The effort to integrate, which is everyone's responsibility, respect for the laws and basic norms of coexistence and civility by all, and recognition of the dignity inherent in every human being are the pillars that must guide us in dealing with migration," the monarch said, underlining cooperation with Europe. 

The King also addressed concerns over the difficulty of accessing affordable housing, a topic that has gained significant attention in recent months due to massive demonstrations across Spain, particularly in Barcelona.

Felipe VI urged all stakeholders to "listen to one another" in order to facilitate housing access for young people and the most vulnerable populations. 

"Dialogue must lead to solutions that ensure affordable housing, as this is the foundation for the security and well-being of so many life projects. And we can truly make it happen," he said.  

Unity in 'turbulent' times 

The monarch also addressed the growing international instability, describing the global situation as increasingly "complex, volatile and turbulent." 

Felipe VI expressed concern about the frequent challenges to international law, the use of violence, the denial of climate change and even attacks on democracy itself.  

"In a world that needs strong and cohesive actors, but above all actions inspired by principles and values, Europe remains our most precious reference," he said, calling for unity and leadership.  

On the domestic front, the King called for the preservation of the Constitution, advocating its protection through "dialogue conducted with dignity and calm" and urging "serenity" in an often "deafening" political landscape.  

The King concluded his speech by highlighting the "promising" growth of the Spanish economy, recently recognized by The Economist as the best performing economy of 2024.   

Felipe VI stressed that Spain's "enormous potential" should inspire "hope" in its citizens. 

A decade of King Felipe's speeches

This year marks King Felipe VI's tenth Christmas address since he ascended to the throne in June 2014, following the abdication of his father amid a series of personal scandals.  

In his annual Christmas address, considered the King's most important speech of the year, the monarch, whose powers are largely symbolic, traditionally reflects on the year's most significant events.

In his first Christmas address in 2014, Felipe introduced a notable departure from his father's approach by giving holiday greetings in the co-official languages: Catalan, Basque and Galician.

Since then, the King has frequently emphasized the importance of national unity and the fight against corruption, often addressing controversies involving his own family, including issues surrounding his father and the corruption scandal involving his sister Cristina.  

Catalonia has also been a recurring theme in his speeches. In 2014, Felipe addressed the growing pro-independence movement, warning that Catalonia's challenges could not be resolved through an "emotional or sentimental rupture" and calling for collective efforts to unite Spaniards in a common national project. 

The issue of Catalonia resurfaced prominently as the independence movement gained momentum. This culminated in 2017 with the controversial independence referendum, the subsequent unilateral declaration of independence, and the flight of then-Catalan president Carles Puigdemont and his government. 

In his Christmas address that year, Felipe VI called on the pro-independence movement to embrace "coexistence, serenity, stability and mutual respect," while emphasizing that Spain is a "mature democracy" where everyone is free to express their ideas. 

Catalonia once again took center stage in his 2019 address, following the sentencing of pro-independence leaders to prison, which sparked widespread protests. That year, the king acknowledged that the situation in Catalonia was one of Spanish society's "most serious concerns," and called for "unity" and "understanding" based on "democratic values."  

In recent years, Catalonia has played a less central role in his speeches as other pressing issues such as the Covid-19 pandemic, domestic political developments and the war in Ukraine have taken center stage. 

In his speeches, King Felipe VI has often called on politicians to avoid dividing citizens, defended the country's institutions and highlighted challenges such as the economic difficulties faced by young people and the pursuit of gender equality. 

Declining audiences 

Viewership of the King's Christmas speech has traditionally been lower in Catalonia than in the rest of Spain. In recent years, however, the speech has seen a decline in viewership nationwide.  

In 1992, King Juan Carlos I's Christmas address was watched by 9.9 million viewers across Spain. A decade later, that number had fallen to 8.1 million, and by 2023 it had dropped further to just 6 million.