The European Council on Tolerance and Reconciliation (ECTR) has bestowed upon His Majesty Juan Carlos I, the King of Spain with the first ever European Medal of Tolerance at the Zarzuela Palace, his main residence, in recognition of His Majesty’s lifelong dedication and devotion to tolerance and political reconciliation.
ECTR President Moshe Kantor and ECTR Chairman, former Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski awarded the medal.
“Moral leadership symbolized by the recipient of our European Medal of Tolerance is especially significant at a time when tolerance appears to be waning in Europe in favour of racism and xenophobia,” Kwasniewski said. “King Juan Carlos personally led the transformation from dictatorship to democracy in Spain while uniting the people through a very difficult period.”
“In Europe, there are major changes, whether it is the ongoing economic crisis or changes within the European Union, which the forces of intolerance are utilizing for their benefit, and we need leadership to steer us through these challenging times.” Kantor said. “We need a strong and powerful leadership in Europe today to stand against the growing tide of extremism and hate.”
