The Chief of the Defence takes part in the series of lectures marking the 500th anniversary of the Council of State

• Admiral General López Calderón has spoken about the relationship that has existed, since its inception, between the Council of State and the Armed Forces

The Chief of the Defence and ex officio member of the Council of State, Admiral General Teodoro López Calderón, has delivered a lecture entitled ‘The Council of State and the Armed Forces in the 21st Century’, as part of the series ‘The Legacy of the Council of State’, through which the institution is commemorating its 500th anniversary.

The event, which took place in the Auditorium of the Army Museum in Toledo, was attended by the Minister for Education, Milagros Tolón; the President of the Council of State, Carmen Calvo; and the Permanent Councillor and Commissioner for the commemoration, Fernando Ledesma, who introduced the Chief of the General.

During his lecture, Admiral General López Calderón emphasised that the relationship between the Council of State and the Armed Forces is not merely a matter of protocol, but a centuries-old bond dating back to the Council’s origins, when war and the defence of the Empire were central concerns of the raison d’état. This military presence has endured for five centuries and is today enshrined in the Constitution.

Regarding the relationship between the Council and the Armed Forces in the 21st century, the Chief of the General has pointed out that  the challenges to be faced in this century, such as overseas operations, hybrid warfare and disinformation, emerging domains such as cyberspace and outer space, and autonomous systems and artificial intelligence, amongst others, require the institution’s advisory role to be strengthened and to anticipate developments, whilst always ensuring the legality of the Armed Forces’ actions.  In this regard, he has advocated that the Council, and in particular its Research Committee, should act as a think tank capable of accelerating legal reflection without compromising democratic integrity.

The Chief of the Defence concluded by reiterating that the relationship between the Council of State and the Armed Forces has a noble history, a fruitful present and a necessary future. Spain needs its institutions to function as effectively, coherently and within the legal framework as possible, and the Council of State, with its five-century tradition of serving the Crown and the State, is an irreplaceable institution within that system.