The Alimentaria and Hostelco joint congress, dedicated to the agri-food industry, hospitality, and catering, opened its doors this Monday at the Fira de Barcelona, ​​on the very day that Brussels announced the provisional entry into force of the free trade agreement between the European Union and Mercosur, a treaty that could change the food sector in the years to come. The congress, which takes place every two years, expects around 110,000 attendees, according to organizers last week. It would surpass both the Mobile World Congress and Integrated Systems Europe in visitors. (ISE), currently the two trade fairs with the highest visitor numbers held in Barcelona. However, unlike these two congresses, where the majority of attendees come from abroad, Alimentaria has a majority of visitors (approximately three out of four) from within Spain.

The US Congress passed two formal resolutions in 2008 (the House of Representatives) and 2009 (the Senate) apologizing to African Americans for slavery and racial segregation. In 2022, Belgium also apologized in the Congo for colonial abuses. Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, and the United Kingdom have also made similar gestures. In contrast, in Spain, every step in that direction infuriates the right wing. This is precisely what happened after King Felipe VI said on Monday, at the opening of an exhibition on indigenous women in Mexico, that during colonization there was "much abuse" and "ethical controversies." In response to these words, the leader of the People's Party (PP), Alberto Núñez Feijóo, called it "nonsense" to pass judgment on what happened in the 15th century. And Vox spokesperson Pepa Millán asserted that the colonization of America is "the principal evangelizing and civilizing work in universal history" and that the rights of the "subjects" were always respected. Feijóo's words demonstrate a complete lack of empathy for the peoples of the American continent, where the legacy of colonialism is still visible today. And Millán's are simply false and lack the slightest historical rigor. However, both harbor the outdated vision of Spanish national Catholicism and an undisguised Western supremacism, which considers the indigenous peoples of America to have been culturally inferior and in need of being "civilized" by Europeans.

For several years, Spanish state nationalism breathed a sigh of relief: it had found in Felipe VI a king even more suitable and more devoted to the unyielding principles of Spain's sacred unity than his father, Juan Carlos, who was too frivolous and too fond of money, women, and the high life. More austere and more preparedAs they often repeated (nationalisms always tend to thrive on believing their own lies), Felipe VI ascended to the throne in 2014, precisely as a consequence of a scandal involving skirts, elephants, and money starring his father, and had his baptism of fire—perhaps it would be more accurate to call it that—in 2017, when he delivered an infamous speech criminalizing Catalan independence just after the equally infamous police actions of October 1st. It was, as it has been called countless times, one How scary! pronounced by the head of Spain, which kicked off the judicial and police persecution, and the media and social breakdown of Catalan separatism, which has taken place during the following years (and to which a part of the separatists themselves have collaborated, with idiotic fervor).

He Felipe VI's acknowledgment of the "abuses" in the conquest of America The monarch's remarks have been positively received by Mexico. The country's president, Claudia Sheinbaum, stated at a press conference on Tuesday that these words represent "a gesture of rapprochement" from the head of state, acknowledging "the excesses and exterminations that occurred during the arrival of the Spanish." She added that "we must recognize this and continue to move forward with the dialogue," in a process that "requires further work." On the other hand, the monarch's statements have not been well received by Vox, as expected, and have also generated discomfort within the People's Party (PP). Both parties made this clear in their reactions on Tuesday to the monarch's words, with which he intended to make a gesture toward Mexico. He has been asking for an apology from Spain for years. because of its colonial past. Although neither the right nor the far right have sought a direct confrontation with the head of state, both parties have distanced themselves from his position and have reaffirmed "the pride of the Spanish legacy" in Latin America.

The Spanish royal household has posted a video on social media showing and featuring Felipe de Borbón. Recorded standing in a circle with the Mexican ambassador to Madrid, he informally comments that yes, during the Conquest, there were "many abuses" and "controversies." Pope Francis has already apologized to Mexico for the atrocities committed in the name of the Catholic Church during evangelization, not to mention the apologies offered by the King of England to his former colonies. In other words, Spain is very late. So late, in fact, that to turn things around, it must begin with a gentle communication maneuver: in the supposedly informal realm of social media, without the weight of an official statement, much less a retraction of the narrative of October 12th, so as not to disrupt the breakfast of readers of theABC nor to Aznar, who made that clever joke about the name of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador:Andrew, on the part of the Aztecs; Manuel, on the part of the Maya; López, a mixture of Aztecs and Incas, and Obrador"From Santander," celebrated by the claque that listened to her.

Closer relations between Spain and Mexico after the clash over the colonial pastKing Felipe VI admitted this Monday in a conversation with the Mexican ambassador to Madrid, Quirino Ordaz, that Spain committed "many abuses" during the conquest of America, despite the "desire to protect" of the Catholic Monarchs. This is evident in a video posted by the royal household on its Instagram and X accounts, where the Spanish monarch uses his knowledge of history to learn lessons for the future.

The traditional pre-Mobile dinner, with King Felipe VI and the country's main political and business personalities, was held this Sunday evening at the National Art Museum of Catalonia (MNAC) to kick off the most important technology and connectivity congress, the Mobile World Congress (MWC). This year, the congress celebrates its twentieth edition in Barcelona, from this Monday until Thursday, March 5th. Long gone are the meetings where the news was the (non-)greeting between the Catalan government and the monarchy; now the talk is of international geopolitics.

This week has been a new test for the parliamentary monarchy system that Spain adopted with the approval of the Constitution. The declassification of documents related to the attempted coup d'état of February 23 has generated several debates, especially regarding the possible return of the emeritus king and the conditions under which it could take place. In the face of the controversy, the royal household has been quick to react. From the Zarzuela Palace, it has been made very clear that Juan Carlos I can return to reside in Spanish territory whenever he decides. But the message contained a warning. If he does, he must be aware that this step implies that "he would have to reestablish his tax residence in Spain". This may be the decisive factor preventing his return. The investigations by the Prosecutor's Office into the emeritus king, which came to nothing, should not imply that once he is settled here again, a kind of guarantee of confidentiality and disinterest regarding his finances and assets will operate. Under these conditions, it is unlikely that Juan Carlos I will abandon the possibility he now has of coming and going as he pleases and settling here again peacefully, which in his case means being able to dispense with the public treasury's attentions that citizens usually receive.

If former King Juan Carlos I wants to return to Spain, he should renounce his tax residency in the United Arab Emirates. This is the advice of sources at the Royal Household consulted by ARA, who believe that to "safeguard his image and reputation from speculation and potential criticism, and consequently, the image of the Crown, he should regain his tax residency in Spain." This would automatically mean paying taxes to the Spanish state and, therefore, returning to the scrutiny of the Spanish tax authorities. But in the case of the former king, there are other implications beyond contributing to the public coffers.

Carmen Calvo speaking with José María Aznar. Felipe González and Miquel Roca. Or the Queen greeting Cayetana Álvarez de Toledo. These are images only seen at celebrations like the one held this Tuesday in the Congress of Deputies, where all the institutions of the State come together to commemorate an anniversary. This Tuesday's event was special, as the Senate and Congress convened jointly to reaffirm that the 1978 Constitution is the longest-lasting in Spanish history. The Speaker of the Congress, Francina Armengol, offered words of praise, calling for everyone to "honor" the Constitution and "not let their guard down" in ensuring its effectiveness, while King Felipe VI affirmed that the path has been "brilliant" and will continue to be so "if we keep writing it." However, the attendance at the event alone suggests that this "together" journey has many nuances.

On the Spanish right, it is taken for granted that the Spanish government is attempting to "colonize" all state institutions, including the royal household. A theory circulating widely, particularly among the far right, is that the monarch has been kidnapped by Pedro Sánchez's Spanish executive, which dictates his every move. Another version, supported by the People's Party (PP), suggests that the Moncloa Palace (the Prime Minister's office) is trying to influence all areas of Felipe VI's actions, but that this has not been successful due to alleged resistance from the Zarzuela Palace (the Royal Palace). The PP continues to staunchly defend the monarch—despite some contradictions—but Vox has distanced itself from the king and only defends the Crown as an institution, according to several sources consulted by ARA.

Donald Trump's recent attack on Venezuela, which continues to shake the international community, also cast a shadow over the traditional Military Easter celebration at the Royal Palace in Madrid. Without explicitly mentioning it, King Felipe VI underscored the need to strengthen the armed forces, invest in defense, and generate a "credible deterrent" in the face of the "growing sense of threat." In his year-end address, the Spanish monarch noted that we are living in a "complex geostrategic era." In his view, the past year has once again "demonstrated how valuable and necessary" it is to have a well-prepared and well-equipped army, one that is "up to the challenge." The monarch praised Spain's "firm and unequivocal commitment" to its EU and NATO allies, as well as to organizations such as the UN and to "multilateralism and, ultimately, the rules-based global order."

"A society is measured by how it treats

This past Christmas has been marked by official speeches full of good intentions and calls for dialogue, but also by parallel declarations that have had little or no resonance with these kinds of aims. We are ending the year still grappling with the results of the regional elections in Extremadura, and we face another in which Aragon, Castile and León, and Andalusia will complete the picture. The big question is whether this cycle will translate into the beginning of a new political era and whether the PP and Vox will truly be its main protagonists, or whether what was once described as a progressive alliance will be able to withstand the pressure.

King Felipe VI, in his annual speech from this palace that infuriates so many, made "an appeal" to preserve"democratic coexistence"in the face of "extremism, radicalism, and populism." Felipe's voice, by the way, is high-pitched and delicate, like Franco's. Very different from Juan Carlos's nasal, snoring tone. If the monarchy weren't a bastion of machismo, this speech would be given by the Queen, who is far more adept at reading the teleprompter as if she weren't, and has a pleasant and, above all, convincing voice.

After a few years with a declining audienceKing Felipe VI's message has reversed the trend. The monarch's speech, broadcast this Wednesday at 9 p.m., drew an average of 5,921,000 viewers across Spain and a 65.7% audience share. Both figures are slightly higher than last year's, when the King's address attracted 5,908,000 viewers and a 62.4% audience share. In Catalonia, the audience is also growing. This year it drew an average of 548,000 viewers and one share The King's speech drew a 40.8% share, compared to 546,000 viewers and a 37.2% share in 2024. The channel with the highest average audience share was La 1, with a 14% share, followed by Antena 3 with a 10.3% share and Telecinco with a 4.5% share. A total of 6.7 million viewers tuned in to the speech at some point across Spain, compared to 6.8 million in 2023. This year's improved viewership can be attributed to it being Felipe VI's shortest speech since his coronation in 2014. The message lasted just over nine minutes and was broadcast on 26 television channels, including those belonging to the Televisión Española group, Atresmedia, and Mediaset. TV3 didn't broadcast it, but 3CatInfo did, attracting 25,000 viewers and a 1.8% share.

King Felipe VI's call to preserve "democratic coexistence" The King's remarks against "extremism, radicalism, and populism" in his traditional Christmas Eve address have been strongly refuted by pro-independence parties. During the floral offering at the tomb of former president Francesc Macià, who died on Christmas Day in 1933, the sovereignist parties questioned the monarch's conciliatory discourse. The Secretary General of Junts, Jordi Turull, considered it "surreal" that Felipe VI would appeal in his traditional Christmas address to eliminate extremism when he himself was "the most extremist and the most radical against democratic coexistence" in the lead-up to the referendum of June 1st. He recalled that Felipe VI appealed to the "they are afraid "Judicial," he asserted that the king has "zero credibility" and encouraged people to instead follow the legacies of the former president of the Generalitat and Pompeu Fabra, whose death anniversary is also being commemorated today. Finally, he urged the independence movement to unite in the face of the "weakness of the State" and to achieve "the maximum for."

"Coexistence" has been the central theme of King Felipe VI's traditional Christmas Eve message. Specifically, he emphasized the "fragility" with which it can break down: "Coexistence is not an imperishable legacy. It is not enough to have received it: it is a fragile structure." To prevent this from happening, society needs "trust," argued Felipe VI, who not only acknowledged its current shortcomings but also pointed the finger at those who exploit it. "In this turbulent world, where multilateralism and the world order are in crisis, societies are experiencing—we are experiencing—a disturbing crisis of trust. And this reality seriously affects the morale of citizens and the credibility of institutions [...] Extremism, radicalism, and populism thrive on this lack of trust, on misinformation, on the future," the King warned.

President Isla accompanied the King of Spain to L'Hospitalet wearing a khaki tie. A green tie, when accompanying the King, signifies that you wouldn't start a French Revolution and slit the throats of several monarchists as in the past. On the contrary. In Castilian Spanish—and We read it in AHORA– the initials VERDE mean "Long live the King of Spain"Green tie means monarchy.