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Periodista del EMAD

The Speaker of Congress, on behalf of the Spanish Parliament, presides over the flag hoisting on Constitution Day

Madrid
December 6, 2021
  • The speaker of Congress was accompanied by the Chief of Defence Staff, admiral general Teodoro Esteban López Calderón

The Speaker of Congress Meritxell Batet, on behalf of the Spanish Parliament, presided over the hoisting of the National Flag at the 'Jardines del Descubrimiento' in Columbus Square, on the occasion of the 43rd anniversary of the Spanish Constitution.

The Speaker of Congress was accompanied by the Chief of Defence Staff (JEMAD), Admiral General Teodoro Esteban López Calderón.  The Chief of the Army Staff Amador Enseñat y Berea, the Chief of Staff of the Navy Admiral Antonio Martorell Lacave, the Chief of Air Force Staff Javier Salto and the Director General of the Civil Guard María Gámez were also present at the event.

The guard of honor was made up of four platoons, with 24 members each, Command, sappers and a Music Unit belonging to the General Air Command Headquarters.

Specifically, the Sections belong to the Regiment "Inmemorial del Rey" nº 1 of the Army, Marines, the Security Unit of the Air Force Headquarters and the Reserve and Security Group nº 1 of the Civil Guard.

The sequence of events was as follows:

  • Honours to the Speaker of Congress
  • Reviewing the Guard of Honour
  • Flag hoisting
  • The Guard of Honour parade

The flag hoisting ceremony at Columbus Square is held every third Wednesday on a monthly basis. Four times per year, the hoisting is performed on an extraordinary manner and is called Solemn hoisting. The first of those four takes place on May 15, on the occasion of San Isidro holyday. The second one on June 19, the anniversary of the proclamation of H.M. the King. The third is on 12 July, on the anniversary of the Constitutional Court, and the fourth is on 6 December, the Day of the Spanish Constitution.

The Flag is 300 square meters (21x14) and weighs 35 kilos. It was hoisted for the first time in 2001, when the previous 21-meter flagstaff was replaced by the current 50-meter one. This flagstaff has a rotating head to spin in the same direction as the wind, thus preventing the flag from wrapping around it, which weighs almost 20 tonnes and is anchored on a base that rests on four pillars of Columbus Square underground car park.

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