King "enormously concerned" over son-in-law's corruption case

King Juan Carlos on Saturday night admitted his enormous concern over the criminal investigation surrounding his son-in-law, Iñaki Urdangarin, and the reflection the case has on the Spanish monarchy.

In his annual Christmas address, the king took the opportunity to stress that "everyone is equal under the law" and that "censurable conduct must be penalized."

"I am enormously concerned over the mistrust that appears to have spread to some sectors of public opinion with regard to the credibility and prestige of some of our institutions," the monarch said in his 36th annual address. "We need rigor, responsibility and exemplariness among those who represent public institutions. All of us, above all those persons with public responsibilities, have the obligation to comply with adequate behavior, exemplary behavior."

Urdangarin, the husband of Princess Cristina, is under investigation for allegedly diverting public money to his private firms from some six million euros in contracts awarded to his non-profit Nóos Institute by the Valencia and Balearic Islands governments. He is expected to be subpoenaed in the coming days to give testimony as an indicted suspect before Balearic investigating Judge José Castro and anti-corruption prosecutor Pedro Horrach, say judicial sources.

"The king once again knows how to rise above the circumstances," said Socialist Party secretary Marcelino Iglesias on Sunday in response to the speech. The monarch also called for unity among political parties to tackle the crisis, and for ETA "to turn over its murderous weapons and disappear."