MADRID — Spain’s King Felipe VI called for national unity and a defense of Spain’s Constitution that have been put under strain by the Catalan secession crisis in his traditional Christmas Eve address Tuesday. “It is the result, ultimately, of the millions of Spaniards, who thanks to our Constitution, have been able to share the same values that set the foundation for our peaceful co-existence, our greatest common gains, our feelings and ideas,” he said. Spain has been embroiled for years in a political crisis caused by the separatist movement in wealthy northeastern Catalonia, which saw its first bouts of violent protests in 2019. Spain’s Constitution recognizes Catalan and other minority languages as co-official with Spanish, but many Catalans who favor secession say they no longer feel represented by the Constitution or the Royal House. Read NextLATEST STORIESMOST READ

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer December 24, 2019 20:15 UTC