This Sunday, October 12, Madrid hosts the traditional military parade of the , presided over by King Felipe VI, captain general of the Land, Navy and Air armies, accompanied by Queen Letizia, Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofía. 3,847 members of the Armed Forces – 524 women -, 74 aircraft, 162 motorized vehicles and 229 horses will participate in the military parade.
This year, in addition, marks the 20th anniversary of the Military Emergency Unit (UME), so two battalions will march on foot instead of one as in previous editions. The parade will travel through the districts of Chamberí, Salamanca, Centro, Retiro and Arganzuela between 11:00 and 14:00 and in which 80,000 people are expected to attend, according to the capital’s City Council. The Mirlo Training, made up of flight instructors assigned to the General Academy of Air and Space, will replace the Eagle Patrol in the air parade this Sunday, with the new training aircraft for the aviators, the Pilatus PC-21.
The solemn event is also a meeting day between the leaders of the political parties and regional leaders. But this year he will not be present on the authorities’ balcony nor will he attend, so as not to “whitewash a corrupt and dangerous Government.” The president of the ultra formation will follow him “from the street.” “I have no doubt that His Majesty the King is not going to interpret it as an offense,” Abascal assured the media this morning, in the Plaza de Colón.
Nor will the regional presidents of the Balearic Islands, Marga Prohens, travel to Madrid for the parade; from the Region of Murcia, Fernando López Miras, nor the Valencian, Carlos Mazón, due to the passage of the Dana Alice. They had previously announced that the heads of the executives of the Basque Country, Imanol Pradales, would not attend; from the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, and from La Rioja, Gonzalo Capellán. Yes, the president of the Generalitat, Salvador Illa, has gone again, who already participated in these events in 2024 after several years without Catalan representation.
On this occasion, the Kings have invited 78 mayors of the municipalities affected by the Valencia disaster, which left 229 fatalities almost a year ago.
