Remembering the past

It was a somber parliament which assembled in Madrid yesterday to mark the 25th anniversary of the swearing-in of King Juan Carlos as head of state in the same chamber two days after General Franco had died in a Madrid hospital. Murder cast its shadow over what should have been a momentous occasion - a quarter of a century which started with the unification of all political parties and the setting out along the road to total democracy. But hours before Basque terrorists marked the anniversary in their own horrific style, murdering former Socialist Minister of Health, Ernest Lluch, in the garage of his home in Barcelona. As flags flew at half-mast in Barcelona the King was grim faced as he and Queen Sofia stood along with the representatives of democracy in silent tribute to the economics professor. Said the King: “There are too few and at the same time too many words to condemn this repugnant crime. I want to reiterate that terrorist violence will never make us renounce the freedom, democracy and rule of law which Ernest Lluch defended with such vigour and intelligence.”