In the speech, the king encourages all Dutch people.
Last Monday the day arrived: Willem-Alexander traditionally addressed the country with his self-written Christmas speech. Reportedly, the king himself was enjoying the Argentinian sun at the time of the broadcast, but of course we watched faithfully. And because Wim-Lex was not exactly short of material, we briefly summarize what he said.
Settlement culture
Of course, Willem-Alexander subtly pointed out some problems that are currently going on in the world. He also talked about, among other things, a ‘hard settlement culture’. “Intimidating, threatening and insulting people is out of order. Anyone who chooses to do so degrades themselves and damages our community,” the king said. “If we were to spend our energy on finding solutions together, we would go much further. If the major world problems exceed our strength, we can at least ensure that we live together peacefully in our own country and bridge differences.”
The Netherlands
According to Wim-Lex, Christmas could symbolize a new start. “Don’t constantly judge each other strictly as people. But embracing the human dimension, with understanding for personal doubts, concerns and shortcomings.” Of course, a little self-promotion could not be missed: “There is no second Netherlands. We make this country together. And it is still one of the very best places in the world.”
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Constant factor
2023 was the year in which Wim-Lex celebrated his 10th anniversary. In the Christmas speech he therefore looked back on the past ten years he has experienced as king. According to him, the constant, positive factor at that time was “people who, based on their personal ideals or beliefs, committed themselves to bridging contradictions and contributing something positive to society. They make the future habitable.” The king’s overarching message was to make a joint contribution to this. “Then there is every reason to look to the future with hope and confidence.”
All in all, another inspiring speech from the monarch, who has probably just finished the Argentinian Christmas dinner. On to an equally wonderful New Year!
Source: Blue Blood | Image: NL Image, Instagram @koninklijkhuis
