Spain’s monarch pays tribute to the victims of Valencia floods in his Christmas Eve speech

Associated Press

MADRID (AP) — Spanish King Felipe VI has used his traditional Christmas Eve speech to remember the victims of the catastrophic Valencia flash floods. He also urged the country to remain calm while addressing hot-button issues such as immigration and housing affordability. Felipe acknowledged the frustration of many of the flood victims at the government’s handling of the disaster in a pre-recorded speech that usually reviews the year’s most relevant issues. He also addressed immigration and the country’s housing crunch and high rents, which have become leading concerns in the southern European Union country that is the eurozone’s fourth-largest economy. The speech was broadcast on Tuesday.