The main opposition party in Spain, the People’s Party (PP), holds Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez as the “main responsible” for the crisis in Ceuta, briefly mentioning the role of Morocco. According to the PP’s general secretary, Miguel Tellado, the crisis triggered by the arrival of 60,000 people from Morocco to Ceuta last Thursday has a “main responsible, and this main responsible is named Pedro Sanchez.”
On Monday, Tellado accused the head of government of “prolonged, chronic negligence” in three areas: migration policy, security, and foreign relations. He argued that the “failure” of Sanchez’s management in these areas explains last week’s events in the autonomous city, which Tellado described as a “mass occupation” and a “great invasion.”
Responsibility of the Spanish Government
During a press conference on Monday in Madrid, Miguel Tellado emphasized the Spanish government’s responsibility for the situation, without directly accusing Morocco of any role in preventing or stopping the influx of people at the border. While the president of the autonomous community of Madrid Isabel Diaz Ayuso and the leader of Vox Santiago Abascal had pointed fingers at Rabat the day before, Tellado refrained from making direct accusations, stating that “the Spanish government is responsible for Spain’s international relations.”
At the same time, Tellado’s remarks partially reflect the national PP’s stance on the neighboring country. “The government must demand respect for the country it serves, for the country it represents,” he said, criticizing the presence of Spanish ministers at an event at the Moroccan embassy during the mass arrival of people. “Probably, the Spanish government, since it does not respect itself, does not respect Spaniards, and does not respect the country, finds it very difficult to achieve respect from third countries,” he added.
Earlier, Tellado supported the comments made by PP leader Alberto Nunez Feijoo last Saturday, stating that “any good relations between states require reciprocity, mutual respect, transparency, and good faith.” “It is important to find out what exactly went wrong in cooperation with Morocco. This should not have happened, and it cannot be repeated,” said the PP representative, emphasizing that “the responsibility for ensuring that this does not happen again lies with the Spanish government.” Thus, Tellado limited his statements regarding the role of Morocco, avoiding direct accusations against the neighboring country.
Failure in Prevention and Response
“The one who manages Spain’s foreign policy is responsible for resolving a crisis of this nature,” said the deputy leader of PP, again criticizing Sanchez’s government: “Of course, he did not do it.” According to Tellado, the central government failed in two key aspects regarding the events in Ceuta. First, “it performed its duty to prevent this crisis very poorly,” and second, “it responded to it even worse with the necessary determination.”
The PP representative also questioned the statement made by Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska regarding the lack of information about the influx of people to Ceuta. “We cannot believe that our country’s intelligence services did not have information about what was happening,” he said. “There is a real risk that these events could be repeated at any moment,” added Tellado, linking this threat to the ongoing “negligence in the performance of duties by Sanchez’s political course.” Additionally, the number two of PP, who visited Ceuta this weekend, called the government’s statements that the city “has returned to normal life” an “insult.”
Source: El Mundo
