Eliminating corruption would be the focus of the reign of King Felipe VI, the new monarch of Spain who delivered his first speech since he assumed the throne in June after his father's abdication.

His Christmas Eve speech, shown over national television, did not name his sister Cristina de Borbon, who was indicted on Monday on two counts of tax fraud. But he said that public figures do not have a right to profit or become rich.

Like Us on Facebook

He assured, quoted by Chron, "There must not be favored treatment for those occupying a position of public responsibility."

The king pointed out that some known Spanish are now being investigated by the courts for their irregular conduct. One of them is his sister and her husband, Inaki Urdangarin, who are accused of using a scheme to fund their expensive lifestyle in their Barcelona home.

If the royal couple are convicted, they could be jailed up to eight years. A non-profit organization set up by Urdangarin, an Olympic handball medalist who became a businessman, allegedly stole public money and placed it in Aizoon, a real estate and consulting company owned by the pair.

According to the judge investigating the case, the money they embezzled was used to buy their mansion in Barcelona, to pay for salsa dancing classes and accommodations at expensive hotels during their vacations.

Other prominent Spaniards being investigated are politicians, such as Rodrigo Rato, who was the head of the International Monetary Fund from 2004 to 2007.

The bulk of the corruption cases happened during the term of King Felipe's father, King Juan Carlos, who was criticized in 2012 for going on a secret elephant-hunting trip in Botswana while Spain was then undergoing a financial crisis.

The king also said the 24 percent unemployment rate is unacceptable because it pushes young Spaniards to get jobs overseas, while those who get employed locally are paid very low wages even if they are college graduates.

Tagsking felipe VI, cristina de borbon