​Words by President of the Government at event to award Gold Medal for Merit at Work to Gerardo Fernández Albor

Santiago de Compostela

Madam Speaker of the Lower House of Parliament; Mr President of the Regional Government of Galicia; former President of the Regional Government of Galicia, Gerardo Fernández Albor; Mr President of the Regional Parliament of Galicia; Mr Mayor of Santiago de Compostela; Vice-Chancellor of the University of Santiago de Compostela; civilian and academic authorities; ladies and gentlemen; dear friends,

Thank you all very much for organising an event that is so special and so emotional for everyone. I have attended and will attend few events in my life with so much conviction and joy as today's.

As you are aware, Gerardo Fernández Albor celebrated his one hundredth birthday just a few days ago. Anyone who reaches this age is a treasure for us all and someone worth listening to, as the President of the Regional Government of Galicia said in his speech, but in this case what is important goes beyond just this figure because if it is difficult to reach the age of 100, what is truly noteworthy is having filled these years with so much and so well, and in the case of Gerardo Fernández Albor time has merely served to prolong the echo of his merits. That is why, at this heartfelt tribute we make today, we are not merely displaying our admiration and affection, but this is also an act of justice.

We could pay tribute to Gerardo Fernández Albor for many things: for his key institutional role in Galicia, and hence, in Spain from the Transition to the present; for his integrating commitment to Galicia, his proven status as a true Spaniard and an unwavering pro-European; for his scientific and humanistic interests that made him an internationally renowned academic and which, together with his profound social commitments, have always been used to improve the lives of his compatriots, and even for having been, as well as all this, a flight lieutenant.

In short, by paying tribute to Gerardo Fernández Albor we are honouring not only a witness, but also a leading player, always in a positive manner, of a century of Galician and Spanish life, and, above all, we are honouring, as we have heard here, an exemplary man, one of those people whom we are proud to be compatriots, collaborators or simply his friends.

Dear friends,

Today we are bringing to a close the international symposium that has just taken place at the University of Santiago de Compostela entitled "Gerardo Fernández Albor and his times. 100 years of a president". I have absolutely no doubts that the papers and work done at this congress will help contribute to enriching, that is, to assigning the genuine magnitude to the figure who was the President of the Regional Government of Galicia in its fledgling steps as a self-governing region. This symposium is a true vindication, not only deserved but also necessary, because, if by paying tribute to great men gives us the measure of our aspirations as a society, studying his legacy can spur us on to follow down the same path he took, which in itself makes us all better people.

Ladies and gentlemen, dear friends,

At this closing ceremony, we are also going to award the Gold Medal for Merit at Work which, as we heard a few minutes ago, was granted some months back to Gerardo Fernández Albor. As happens in the best of cases, it is not only the award that stands out but also the award-winner who fully justifies receiving it.

It is true that in his career as a public servant our first regional president received many other worthy awards. I myself had the honour of awarding him the Grand Cross of Isabella the Catholic at a touching event at which some of those who form part of this panel were also present, such as the Minister for Education and Culture who back then was a Member of the European Parliament. We cannot hide from anyone the fact that it was necessary to award this Medal for Merit at Work because it is a particularly suitable award for someone who has quoted his vitality precisely in - this is verbatim - "working, being prudent and moderate in everything, servitude and a certain sense of humour" - he has quoted this and I can substantiate it - a phrase which, as well as an attitude, undoubtedly portrays a wisdom on life accompanied, as the case may be, by certain undisputed achievements. Later I will speak about the "sentidiño" which the President of the Regional Government of Galicia mentioned in his speech.

Dear friends,

Some of us have been lucky enough to work alongside Fernández Albor as a close collaborator of his, and we have been able to see firsthand his profound humanity, his elegance - which is also important - and the spirit of achievement that have fuelled his good work in public life. This has given us great joy, as well as his "sentidiño". As I believe I heard in the words of the President of the Regional Government of Galicia in relation to what is happening at this time, and I hope I heard this correctly, I would also like to make a comment on the matter.

It would be good to export a little bit of "sentidiño" and, when you stand against the law, and also against good reason, you must think, above all, if you try to force this through, that nothing good can come of these actions, but when you are also able to correct your path you should also think that all sorts of good can come of this, above all for others. I believe that this is the "sentidiño" applied to the times in which we live.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Well aware of the drama of immigration and of the suffering of the war in Spain, and also in Europe, Gerardo Fernández Albor has seen the very worst of our times, but having lived through dramas back when he was then a young doctor turned him into one of our great humanist doctors. With this humanistic baggage and this political wisdom, the man who saw the worst of our times was also able to play a leading role in the best of what we have had since: a united Europe and the Spain and Galicia of 1978.

We are all aware of his immense work here in Galicia, and in such a special place to talk about Europe as Santiago de Compostela, it is particularly ideal to underscore - this has been done already, but I believe it is good to reiterate this - the role played by Gerardo Fernández Albor in the reunification of Germany as a Member of the European Parliament. As the Speaker of the Lower House said in her speech, the Speaker of the German Bundestag hung his portrait in the hall of fame of the German Parliament and this role that led to the hanging of this portrait in that hall of fame is a role, and I am speaking as someone well versed in the matter, that has not been forgotten in Germany and which, hence, is good for us all to remember here today.

I will draw my speech to a close now.

Characters such as Gerardo Fernández Albor form the best possible defence of the nobility of politics, which is so heavily criticised by so many these days, and the vocation for public service, which some people believe does not exist. His actions in public, political, scientific and cultural life form part of our great collective successes; from the rise of the culture of Galicia - through the leading role played by the publishing house Galaxia - to the expansion of the healthcare system and from the first steps of the Regional Government of Galicia to Spain's membership of the European Union.

It is very difficult to rival his legacy and none of this would have been possible without what we are acknowledging in the Medal for Merit at Work today: his constancy, commitment, ability to undertake and overcome difficulties, something which some people cannot understand either.

It is true that it is difficult for all of us to aspire to his brilliant level or to many of his achievements but, in exchange, as we said years ago when awarding him the Grand Cross of Isabella the Catholic that I mentioned earlier, there is something that we can all learn from Gerardo Fernández Albor, which is his ability to never give up. In short, an inspirational role model.

Thank you very much.

(Transcript edited by the State Secretariat of Communication)

Non official translation