"You are all ambassadors of the armed forces": The Equestrian Circle bids farewell with honors to the army inspector general
Lieutenant General Manuel Busquier ends his four-year tenure in Catalonia and has not yet been named as his successor.
BarcelonaLieutenant General Manuel Busquier, Inspector General of the Army, has had a "fantastic" experience in Catalonia over the past four years. Now he is leaving for a posting yet to be determined, and in the final stretch of his Catalan tenure, he was given a send-off with full honors this Tuesday by the Equestrian Circle. The exclusive club in the Catalan capital opened its doors to bid him farewell at a luncheon discussion where its president, Enric Lacalle, asked him about the challenges facing the armed forces in a changing geopolitical context and in the age of AI. He also inquired about his experience in Catalonia. Busquier, who arrived in Catalonia in 2022, explained that he found institutions and civil society that welcomed him with open arms and provided him with every possible assistance. "I'm leaving because there's no other option, due to the military career law, but I would have stayed another four years in a heartbeat," he stated. The lieutenant general thus refuted the narrative that is still often repeated by forces such as Vox, who claim that the Generalitat has sought to expel the army from the country or exclude it.
The high-ranking military officer witnessed the final throes of the Catalan independence movement and the transition from the Catalan Interior Ministry, from Joan Ignasi Elena (ERC) to Núria Parlon (PSC). A representative from that early period was present at the table today: Mossos d'Esquadra commissioner Eduard Sallent. However, Busquier acknowledged that, in Catalonia and Barcelona, a certain amount of proselytizing in favor of the military is necessary, according to the armed forces, to break down "stereotypes" and convince citizens that the military is there to defend their interests as "Spaniards." And that is where he expressed his gratitude for the support of the Circle: "You are all ambassadors of the armed forces," he declared.
The event was attended by fifty members and prominent figures in Barcelona politics, such as the Deputy Mayor for Security, Albert Batlle, and the PP councilor Daniel Sirera. The more veteran attendees nodded knowingly when Busquier shared anecdotes and routines that, he said, would resonate with those who did their military service. Lacalle proudly highlighted his rank as a second lieutenant, a position he attained in Toledo.
"The empathy of the Spanish soldier"
Pere Navarro, the State's special delegate to the Barcelona Free Trade Zone Consortium and former leader of the PSC, also attended the event. During the luncheon, as Busquier explained, both men emphasized that recent geopolitical conflicts, with the war in Ukraine as the main focus, have forced Spain and Europe to come out of the "closet" regarding defense. This occurred despite the Spanish government's initial reluctance. to increase defense spending to more than 2% to comply with the demands of NATO and Donald Trump. Without going into detail, the lieutenant general emphasized that, at this time, the army's greatest challenge is its modernization and the acquisition of new equipment. However, international political tension does not always translate into operational issues. The officer asserted that Spain is a "reliable" partner, highly valued by the United States. "The empathy shown by Spanish soldiers is immense. They not only want us to stay, but also to return," he affirmed.
The most heartfelt farewell to Busquier came from his colleagues in the National Police and the Civil Guard. Representatives from both forces presented him with a gift to take with him to his next post: the Civil Guard handcrafted a tricorn hat for him, while the National Police gave him a miniature replica of one of their officers. The Circle presented him with a commemorative plaque and, while awaiting news of his successor, has already extended an invitation to the institution's 170th anniversary celebration. Lacalle announced that it will be a gala dinner and, as such, they expect members of the armed forces to wear their dress uniforms. "Everyone loves to see them in full dress uniform," he added. As part of the 170th anniversary celebrations, Lacalle announced that Pope Leo XIV will receive them in audience on May 25th.
