Adelante Andalucía has attacked this Saturday the mayor of Jerez de la Frontera (Cádiz) and president of the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (FEMP), María José García-Pelayo (PP), for the decisions she has made regarding Ceuta "without the necessary consensus within the institution" that she heads, and has accused her of "using the tension" generated in the autonomous city after the massive entry of immigrants at the end of July to "benefit politically."
In a statement, the spokesperson for Adelante Andalucía Jerez, Carlos Fernández, has warned that "Pelayo is confusing the presidency of an institution that represents the entirety of Spanish municipalism with her condition as a leader of the Popular Party."
Fernández has emphasized that "The FEMP is not the headquarters of the PP, nor the political office of García-Pelayo, nor an instrument at the service of her party strategy. It is an institution that represents all municipalities, regardless of who governs in each municipality."
Following the call from the FEMP for support concentrations for Ceuta in front of the town halls next Wednesday, September 2, the Andalusian spokesperson has described as "especially concerning" that "institutional actions related to Ceuta are announced without a prior process of dialogue and consensus" within the municipal federation.
In this line, he has defended that "Of course we must show solidarity with Ceuta and its citizens. But precisely because of the seriousness of what is happening there, we need more coexistence, more serenity, and less political confrontation. We cannot foster a climate of hatred that ends up pitting neighbors against each other because of their origin," insisting that the institutional response must help to reduce the tension.
Call for institutional responsibility in the face of tension in Ceuta
The spokesperson has stressed that the current moment demands "special institutional responsibility in the face of the situations of violence and hostility that are occurring against migrant people in Ceuta."
In his opinion, "We are seeing situations of violence against migrant people and, in this context, calling for concentrations from an institution like the FEMP can contribute to further fueling the tension and hatred. The people who arrive seeking a better life cannot become the scapegoat of a situation that demands responsibility and a broader perspective."
From Adelante Andalucía Jerez they maintain that support for Ceuta must imply "defending coexistence and the rights of all the people who live in the city."
Thus, Fernández has emphasized that "Supporting Ceuta means supporting all its neighbors. Those who have been living there for generations and also those who arrive seeking a better life. What we cannot do is use a situation of enormous tension to point out a part of the population and fuel hate speech."
In this context, he added that "the best help to Ceuta is not to oppose the enforcement of the law and to welcome the migrant population in the different communities, which the Popular Party opposes, mimicking the most genuine discourse of Vox."
The spokesperson has demanded that "If Pelayo wants to oppose the Government, let her do it as mayor of the PP. If she wants to defend her party's positions, let her do it from the PP. But when she leads the FEMP, she has to represent all the municipalities, not just the interests of her party."
Criticism of the partisan use of the FEMP and request for rectification
Adelante Andalucía Jerez also sees "concerning" that the Jerez mayor "is using the national projection provided by the presidency of the FEMP while the real problems of the municipalities continue to wait for solutions."
Fernández has denounced that "The municipalities need funding, public housing, social services, transportation, and resources to address problems such as access to housing. However, Pelayo seems much more concerned with using the FEMP as a showcase for political confrontation than with defending the real needs of the municipalities."
For this reason, the spokesperson has demanded that the president of the FEMP "rectify and return to placing dialogue, consensus, and plurality at the center of the institution."
In this regard, he has reminded that "The minimum that can be demanded of someone who presides over the FEMP is institutional respect, dialogue, and loyalty to all municipalities. Solidarity with Ceuta cannot become a partisan tool or an excuse to fuel confrontation."
From Adelante Andalucía Jerez they also consider that García-Pelayo should "also clarify whether the decisions made regarding Ceuta respond to agreements of the governing bodies of the FEMP or to personal decisions of her presidency."
Fernández has concluded by stating that "Pelayo cannot be president of the FEMP for all the municipalities when it suits her and president of the PP when it is convenient for her. The FEMP is not the property of any party nor the loudspeaker of García-Pelayo."