Future king faces Spain’s joblessness, independence movement

Spain’s new king, Prince Felipe, a 46-year-old former Olympic yachtsman, ascends to the throne as his nation struggles with a towering 26% jobless rate, smoldering republican sentiment and a growing independence movement in the northeastern region of Catalonia. In his first public remarks since King Juan Carlos announced an end to this 39-year reign, Felipe urged Spaniards to unite for a better future. “In difficult periods such as these we are going through, past experience in history shows us that only by uniting our desires, putting the common good ahead of individual interests and promoting the initiative, curiosity and creativity of each person, can we manage to advance to better scenarios,” Felipe said.

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