Prince of Asturias Awards 1981–2014. Speeches

3 P rince of A sturias A wards 1981-2014. S peeches Laureates. Excerpts Above all else, the transition was, in my opinion, a political and social process of acknowledgement and understanding of the “distinct”, the “different”, the “other Spaniard” who does not think like me, who does not share the same religious beliefs, who was not born in my region, who is not motivated by the political ideals that driveme and yet who is my complement rather thanmy enemy, the person who completes my identify as a citizen and as a Spaniard, and the person with whom I have to coexist, for only within this coexistence can we both defend our ideals, practise our beliefs and fulfil our ideas. I do not believe that anybody in democratic politics possesses the absolute truth. Truth always implies an arduous quest that we must pursue together based upon an agreement to coexist and work together. Not only our distant past but also the present and the future steer us of necessity towards this free, peaceful coexistence. This consensus is founded upon shared economic, social and political realities that in my opinion are unquestionable. As Spaniards, we all had to reach an essential agreement, a fundamental pact for consensus that must be renewed daily, without reneging on our own ideas and beliefs. I believe we did so under the auspices of the Crown. I further believe that we should continue to do so under the Constitution and its implementation and around the Monarchy and this shared reality called Spain. Such an agreement should logically reflect the need we all have to face a future that is of concern to us all together and in solidarity, as it should also perhaps reflect the energy, hope and optimism with which to face that future. I believe that the cornerstone upon which democracy was built during our transition consisted precisely of the establishment in politics and in general life of a civil consensus. This had to be achieved from the position of pluralism that existed amongst us, from a position of tolerance and freedom. (…) I believe that in the future Spain will manage to overcome whatever difficulties it might face and will make a decisive contribution to consensus amongst nations. To do so, I believe that as Spaniards we need only do one thing: nurture the fine seed of consensus daily wherever we might find it. Adolfo Suárez González — Prince of Asturias Award for Concord 1996 Adolfo Suárez was President of the Government of Spain from 1976 to 1981. He was the first president of the newly founded democracy. — Excerpt from the speech given on the occasion of receiving the Prince of Asturias Award for Concord on 8/11/1996.