Editorial: The King's speech

IT was a big moment for the newly crowned King Felipe when he addressed the nation last week in the royal festive speech. Now, making a televised address to the nation is no easy task in the first place but when your sister has just been ordered to stand trial it makes the whole episode even more complicated. All eyes were on the monarch and he passed the test with flying colours. King Felipe said that there would be zero tolerance of any form of corruption and said that it must be rooted out at all levels. His speech came just a few days after it was revealed that his sister would stand trial relating to an alleged embezzlement scam run by her husband, the Duke of Palma. The new King is certainly an asset to Spain and at a time when Spanish politics appears to be rather lost I think we should hear more from the monarch and his views on Spain and its future. These are obviously difficult times for the Spanish royal family.  But I think that King Felipe has managed to come out fighting from a scandal which threatened to hit his first year as the new King of Spain. It was a speech which perhaps the Prime Minister, Mariano Rajoy, should have made two or three years ago. Everyone across the country wants to see zero tolerance on corruption and also justice must be done.  So while his sister and her husband will continue to make the headlines for all the wrong reasons I think the King will be making them for all the right reasons. He is certainly the man for the job.