A nation progresses only if it is united

USPA NEWS - "The constitutional spirit is still the best way to address the problems we face," President of the Congress of Deputies of Spain, Jesus Posada, said Sunday during his speech to mark the institutional 37th anniversary of the Spanish Constitution.

A commemorative events were attended by all members of the Government, deputies and senators, presidents of regional governments and leaders of political parties represented in Parliament, including over a thousand guests to the Lower House. They did not attend despite being invited, the presidents of the regional governments of Catalonia and the Basque Country, nor representatives of the Catalan nationalist parties. By contrast, emerging leaders did attend Albert Rivera, the centrist Citizens, and Pablo Iglesias, the populist Podemos.

Jesus Posada began his speech by recalling that "with the 1978 Constitution we give ourselves a framework of coexistence in which, for the first time, accommodated all Spaniards." Catalan secessionist challenge was present at the time and the chairman of the Congress of Deputies referred to him, saying that "a nation progresses only if it is united in achieving their great collective targets." Posada called to "make known to the Catalans that their aspirations and desires have place in Spain."

"The recent history of Spain shows us that the Spanish have been able to face major challenges," said Jesus Posada at the beginning of his speech. Later, he highlighted "the opportunity" of the recently signed by nine Spanish political parties anti-jihadist pact. With this pact, he said the President of the Congress of Deputies, "evidenced a willingness to deal with terrorism in the only way possible: with unity and firmness." In this regard, he invited other political parties to join the pact.

The institutional workshop on the anniversary of the Constitution was first held to coincide with an election campaign, the legislative Dec. 20. Posada said that "the next Parliament is expected to be more plural" and expressed his hope that "this will translate into more dialogue." Regarding this issue, the Prime Minister, Mariano Rajoy, said in statements to journalists who accept to discuss a reform of the Constitution, but "when the opposition made a concrete proposal."

The celebrations began in the morning with the hoisting of a flag of Spain in Madrid's Colon Place, attended by the presidents of the Congress of Deputies, Jesus Posada, and the Senate, Pio Garcia Escudero, with the head of the High Chiefs of Defense and representatives of the Army, Air Force and Navy. Several thousand people attended the flag-raising.