KING Felipe VI's annual Christmas Eve speech once again included a covert appeal to secessionist politicians, as well as raising concerns about young adults' struggle to afford housing and violence against women.
Ex-defence minister and ambassador in London resigns over damning Yak-42 air-crash report
13/01/2017
SPANISH ambassador in London and former PP defence minister Fernando Trillo has been replaced following a damning report claiming his department 'could have prevented' the Yak-42 military aircraft crash which killed all soldiers on board, the worst peacetime tragedy in Spain's Armed Forces history.
The aircraft went down in Turkey en route home from Afghanistan on May 26, 2003, killing all 62 Spanish military men and women travelling in it.
According to the Council of State's recent paper, the crew were not sufficiently trained to have been placed in charge of the aeroplane.
Trillo, who has just announced he will be leaving today (Friday), claims he told Spanish president Mariano Rajoy (PP) 'some time ago' that he would be standing down, since ambassadors only spend a set number of years in their role.
Former MP for Alicante and PP politician for over 23 years, Trillo, 64, has been ambassador in London since May 15, 2012, and says he played a major role in the organisation of the Olympic Games in the UK capital that summer.
Trillo points out that he has been working as ambassador to Spain in Britain during some 'critical moments' in the latter country's political history, including the Scotland independence referendum – where the northern region voted to remain part of the UK – and the 'Brexit' referendum on June 23 last year, where 51.9% of eligible voters able to cast their ballot chose for Britain to leave the European Union.
He says he has been 'working hard to ensure the two great countries remain close friends, partners and allies' and highlights the 'major and growing presence' of Spanish firms and workers in the UK.
Spain's PP government had planned to replace 72 ambassadors, moving them into different diplomatic positions, in accordance with the usual turnover period for these international representatives.
But Trillo says he asked Rajoy to do so in his case 'sooner rather than later', now that the current ministry of defence has agreed to take the Council of State report seriously.
New minister in charge, María Dolores de Cospedal, has agreed to meet with the loved ones of the Yak-42 victims and says it is 'clear' that the government needs to 'accept responsibility' in light of the report.
Trillo says he wishes to stand down now, so as 'not to hinder the government in their work' in this respect.
The main opposition party, the PSOE (socialists), says Trillo's resignation is 'too little, too late' and has demanded 'at least a formal apology'.
As yet, no replacement has been decided for Trillo, meaning his second-in-command will take over his duties temporarily.
Trillo was defence minister during the reign of right-wing PP president José María Aznar – whose wife Ana Botella was mayoress of Madrid for three years until May 2015 – which ran from 1996 to 2004.
Related Topics
SPANISH ambassador in London and former PP defence minister Fernando Trillo has been replaced following a damning report claiming his department 'could have prevented' the Yak-42 military aircraft crash which killed all soldiers on board, the worst peacetime tragedy in Spain's Armed Forces history.
The aircraft went down in Turkey en route home from Afghanistan on May 26, 2003, killing all 62 Spanish military men and women travelling in it.
According to the Council of State's recent paper, the crew were not sufficiently trained to have been placed in charge of the aeroplane.
Trillo, who has just announced he will be leaving today (Friday), claims he told Spanish president Mariano Rajoy (PP) 'some time ago' that he would be standing down, since ambassadors only spend a set number of years in their role.
Former MP for Alicante and PP politician for over 23 years, Trillo, 64, has been ambassador in London since May 15, 2012, and says he played a major role in the organisation of the Olympic Games in the UK capital that summer.
Trillo points out that he has been working as ambassador to Spain in Britain during some 'critical moments' in the latter country's political history, including the Scotland independence referendum – where the northern region voted to remain part of the UK – and the 'Brexit' referendum on June 23 last year, where 51.9% of eligible voters able to cast their ballot chose for Britain to leave the European Union.
He says he has been 'working hard to ensure the two great countries remain close friends, partners and allies' and highlights the 'major and growing presence' of Spanish firms and workers in the UK.
Spain's PP government had planned to replace 72 ambassadors, moving them into different diplomatic positions, in accordance with the usual turnover period for these international representatives.
But Trillo says he asked Rajoy to do so in his case 'sooner rather than later', now that the current ministry of defence has agreed to take the Council of State report seriously.
New minister in charge, María Dolores de Cospedal, has agreed to meet with the loved ones of the Yak-42 victims and says it is 'clear' that the government needs to 'accept responsibility' in light of the report.
Trillo says he wishes to stand down now, so as 'not to hinder the government in their work' in this respect.
The main opposition party, the PSOE (socialists), says Trillo's resignation is 'too little, too late' and has demanded 'at least a formal apology'.
As yet, no replacement has been decided for Trillo, meaning his second-in-command will take over his duties temporarily.
Trillo was defence minister during the reign of right-wing PP president José María Aznar – whose wife Ana Botella was mayoress of Madrid for three years until May 2015 – which ran from 1996 to 2004.
Related Topics
More News & Information
'BRAVE' servicemen and women who will spend Christmas overseas are 'making Spain proud', president Pedro Sánchez assured them during his annual festive message via video-call.
NEWLY sworn-in national president Pedro Sánchez is now starting the challenging task of building his cabinet among a very divided coalition, although several names from his previous tenure are tipped to be returning to...
A NEW and limited-edition €2 coin will be in circulation in Spain until the end of this year to mark the country's Council of Europe presidency 'shift', the Royal mint has revealed.