Spain’s King Felipe VI delivers his traditional Christmas Eve speech at the Royal Palace in Madrid and publicly broadcasted on December 24, 2024. (Photo by Andres BALLESTEROS / POOL / Agence France-Presse)
Madrid, Spain — King Felipe VI urged Spain to draw lessons from this year’s catastrophic floods to “strengthen society and make us grow” in his Christmas message broadcast on Tuesday.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in documents that it opened the probe on Thursday after the company reported four crashes when Teslas encountered sun glare, fog and airborne dust.
omm slotThe October 29 disaster killed 231 people and devastated swathes of the eastern Valencia region, with thousands of victims now spending Christmas without loved ones, homes or property.
Article continues after this advertisementThe tragedy was “an event difficult to accept, but from which we must all be able to draw the necessary lessons that strengthen us as a society and make us grow”, Felipe said from Madrid’s Royal Palace.
FEATURED STORIES GLOBALNATION China tells PH: What we need is peace, not a mid-range missile system GLOBALNATION One nurse’s journey: How a nation loses its caregivers GLOBALNATION On Christmas Eve, Pope Francis launches holy Jubilee yearREAD: At least 95 people die in devastating flash floods in Spain
The European country’s deadliest natural disaster in decades unleashed popular anger at the national and regional authorities for their perceived mismanagement.
Article continues after this advertisementMany residents received telephone alerts after water was already engulfing their homes and some municipalities went without aid for days, relying on volunteers for immediate rescue work.
Article continues after this advertisementFelipe and Queen Letizia felt that fury on November 3 during a visit to the ground-zero town of Paiporta, where survivors pelted them and Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez with mud in images that stunned the world.
Article continues after this advertisement“We have realized — and understood — the frustration, the pain, the impatience, the demands for a greater and more efficient coordination by the administrations,” Felipe said in a subtle reference to the unrest.
The 56-year-old monarch pleaded for restraint in politics amid a climate of polarization exacerbated by the floods.
Article continues after this advertisement“It is necessary that the political battle, legitimate but occasionally deafening, does not prevent us from hearing an even more clamorous demand: a demand for calm,” he said.
Felipe also referred to the divisive topic of immigration as irregular arrivals to the Canary Islands broke records for a second year running, straining authorities on the Atlantic archipelago.
Migration was a “daily reality” that could “lead — without the right management — to tensions that erode social cohesion”, he added.
Felipe marked his 10th anniversary on the throne this year after his father Juan Carlos I abdicated in disgrace in 2014.
Subscribe to our daily newsletter
The message concluded with a wish for a merry Christmas in Spanish, Catalanslotbet, Galician and Basque, the country’s four official languages.
READ NEXT Biden signs bill officially making bald eagle national bird of US On Christmas Eve, Pope Francis launches holy Jubilee year EDITORS' PICK Biden signs bill officially making bald eagle national bird of US Economist sees inflation settling at 2.6% in December NBA Christmas Day: Wemby at Garden, LeBron vs Steph Cave in Kinatarcan Island: Have you heard about it? China tells PH: What we need is peace, not a mid-range missile system Christmas traditions: Filipinos complete ‘Simbang Gabi’ in Canada MOST READ PH has right to allow US missile system despite China’s opposition – DND LOOK: Filipino celebrities' Christmas 2024 family portraits Heavy to intense rains forecast in 4 Luzon areas from Dec. 26 to 28 Cagayan de Oro family lose 5 members in pre-Christmas road tragedy Follow @FMangosingINQ on Twitter --> View comments
