AUME denounces that the yearly act of the military in the Royal Palace, called PASCUA MILITAR (“Military Easter”), is going to be held for another year without the presence of the representatives of the Professional Associations, which means ignoring a fundamental instance of the Armed Forces in a democratic state.

The Royal House and the Ministry of Defence show an authoritarian mood by hiding and not recognizing the professional associative movement of the military, through professional organizations that are the leverage of change for the recognition and development of rights, as well as a fundamental piece in the democratic structure of the Armed Forces and internal source of constructive criticism.

AUME highlights in its statement that the military associations have achieved significant improvements in many fields such as family reconciliation or the regulation of working hours, proposing measures for the solution of temporary personnel, and demanding the dignity of remunerations, as well as reporting about the main concerns of the soldiers and all kinds of irregularities or anomalies in the barracks that it is aware. Recently, AUME has warned the ministry over the potential danger of the incursion of partisan ideologies within it, as well as the need to incorporate training programs in democratic and constitutional values.

The work of the Professional Associations, in compliance with the competences on economic, professional, and social issues granted by the Organic Law of rights and duties of the members of the armed forces, continues without being adequately recognized as is shown by this traditional act of the representation of the military services at the Royal Palace.

Madrid, 5 January, 2021

Original text in Spanish is available here.

For further information, please contact AUME.