The spokesperson of the PSPV in Les Corts, José Muñoz, has reiterated that he "respects" that different socialist mayors from municipalities in the Comunitat Valenciana have organized for this Wednesday concentrations of support and solidarity with Ceuta in light of the migration crisis, emphasizing that these are initiatives "far removed" from those called with a "partisan" tone by the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (FEMP), which is presided over by the PP.
At the same time, he has defended that there are no "contradictions" between these local initiatives and the decision of the PSPV leadership to distance itself from the call of the FEMP, supported in the Comunitat by the Valencian Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (FVMP). In this regard, he recalled that the general secretary of the PSPV, Diana Morant, already clarified that the organization had not "urged anyone" to stop attending those concentrations.
Muñoz has expressed himself "convinced that the socialist mayors who today are proposing demonstrations of support for Ceuta are also going to propose solutions to alleviate the migration crisis, especially in the case of minors." He stated this in remarks to the media when asked about the first mayors of the PSPV who have opted for alternative acts to the concentrations promoted by the FEMP before all the municipalities in the country.
The parliamentary spokesperson has assured that the PSPV "is obviously going to be in the solution with Ceuta" and not "in confrontation," but "in cooperation," and has insisted that the socialist mayors who have promoted acts "are going to be in the solution." "What I want to see is how this develops. Today there is going to be a concentration, but what is important is how the municipalities are going to act, whether through the FEMP or individually in the migration crisis situation in Ceuta," he pointed out.
Socialist mayors and the reception of minors
In this context, he has expressed confidence that the mayors of Gandia, Sagunt, or L'Eliana —three councils governed by the PSPV that have called for concentrations— "are going to be favorable to making available places for those unaccompanied minors who are in the city of Ceuta." He recalled that "they are estimated to be approximately 1,800 and, complying with the law, they cannot be returned to Morocco if they are not with their families."
"I am convinced that these people from the Socialist Party, mayors who are in favor of cooperation to solve the migration crisis, will also help in this regard, enabling the necessary instruments to solve this situation," Muñoz added.
Criticism of the partisan use of FEMP and FVMP
Later on, he warned the president of the FEMP, María José García-Pelayo, and the president of the FVMP, Paqui Bartual, both from the PP, that these entities "cannot be an organ of confrontation and partisan use, which is what the PP and Vox are doing with the Federation of Municipalities and Provinces." He emphasized that "they cannot be in any case, especially when we have unaccompanied minors in a situation of extreme vulnerability who need solutions."
In the face of this scenario, the socialist spokesperson defended that the Government of Spain is addressing the migration crisis "in accordance with the law, seeking the affiliations of the people who are there and having a special treatment for migrant minors." In his opinion, "this must end with respect for the law and with coordination among the different institutions. And that is what we ask of the Spanish Federation, not to use those institutions to promote either hatred or racism."
Alert about the advance of the far-right discourse
Muñoz has also alerted about the "problem" that "the far-right discourse is imposing." He pointed out that "we are seeing it with the acceptance of the PP of that 'apartheid' introduced in the different regional regulations," referring to the so-called 'national priority' demanded by Vox and assumed by the 'popular' in the Comunitat Valenciana.
He added that "we are seeing it on the street where the attorney general who fights against hate crimes is saying that xenophobia and racism are increasing because there are hate speeches promoted by both the PP and Vox with approvals of criteria that are clearly racist."
Call to Feijóo and to the FEMP
In this framework, he has called on the president of the FEMP and the leader of the PP, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, to "reconsider" their strategy. In his view, "one cannot reach governments at any cost, because no matter how well this may turn out electorally, the crisis of coexistence that is going to occur throughout Spain and that is being produced by the acceptance of the extreme right's postulates by the PP and Feijóo is going to be a point of no return."
At the same time, the socialist spokesperson in Les Corts has asked if "the same ones who are demonstrating today at eight in the evening, the mayors of the Popular Party, the gatherings that are being called by the federations of municipalities and provinces, will also be in the solution." And he has raised: "Beyond the gatherings, what do we do tomorrow?".
In this regard, he has questioned whether "those beds" will be made available to accommodate unaccompanied migrant minors, whether "those places" will be made available, and whether "they will help Ceuta to get out of this situation of abnormality."
He concluded by reminding that "because Ceuta needs more than just the support of demonstrations and responses. Ceuta needs solutions and the solutions will come from the Government of Spain, united with the municipalities and also with the autonomous communities. And that is the question that should be posed to the president --of the FEMP-- and also to Feijóo."