No 1108 Monday 29th December - Sunday 4th January 2026
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The Costa Blanca’s oldest ‘FREE’ English language newspaper - WITH THE LARGEST LOCAL CIRCULATION
KING’S CHRISTMAS MESSAGE C A L L S F O R U N I T Y, TRUST AND DIALOGUE
Royal Palace of Madrid. Forty years ago, in this very Hall of Columns at the Royal Palace of Madrid, the treaty was signed that marked Spain’s entry into the European Communities. This year also marks the fiftieth anniversary of the beginning of our democratic transition. These two milestones inspire me, on this Christmas Eve, to speak to you about coexistence—about our democratic coexistence—through reflection on the path we have travelled, and with confidence in the present and the future. The Transition was, above all, a collective act of responsibility. It arose from a shared determination to build a future of freedom through dialogue. Those who guided that process ensured that the Spanish people as a whole became the true authors of their own future, fully assuming their sovereign power. Despite differences and uncertainties, they overcame disagreement and transformed doubt into a firm foundation— without any guarantee of success. That courage—moving forward without certainties, but together—is one of the most valuable lessons they left us. From that momentum emerged our 1978 Constitution: a shared framework of purpose upon which our present and our way of living together are built; a framework broad enough to embrace all of us, in all our diversity. Our decision to join the European integration process was the other decisive and energising step. It too was the result of a collective commitment: that of a country determined to close a chapter of prolonged distance from a Europe with which we share principles, values and a common vision for the future. Europe brought not only modernisation and economic and social progress; it also strengthened our democratic freedoms.
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