King Filip delivers Christmas speech: "Let's be confident for the future"
King Filip has encouraged Belgians not to give up during a corona crisis that seems endless. The Belgian monarch did so in his traditional Christmas address: "Despite all the adversities, we have moved to a better position now than where we were one year ago."
Filip admitted that these are hard times due to the pandemic and the (sometimes controversial) restrictions the government has to impose but also underlined some positive points.
"Thanks to the daily efforts from everyone of us, our country keeps going and keeps making progress," he said: "Given the situation, this goes with ups and downs, but in the end we get some concrete results. (...) The Belgian economy is standing strong, reaching a milestone of 5 million jobs, and scientists are getting more grip on corona virus. (...) We are now in a better position than one year ago."
The monarch said working together is a must in times like these. We must stay united, he said: "We can escape this crisis by showing we are worthy of the other one's trust, by acting responsibly and with an eye on the long term. (...) Let's not be afraid of the future and be confident."
The king also highlighted climate change and the serious impact it had in Belgium last summer. He hopes that the victims of the unprecedented floods in eastern Belgium will all be helped soon, finding a warm and comfortable home again.
We have to show we are worthy of each others' trust