The Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares, has criticized Italy this Friday for its "lack of solidarity" in the crisis generated by the massive influx of immigrants in Ceuta, reproaching the Government of Rome for having acted with a partisan approach to gain political benefit.
During his speech before the Foreign Affairs Committee of Congress, Albares emphasized that the Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, decided to impose controls on travelers coming from Spain immediately after the episode of massive arrival to the autonomous city.
The Foreign Minister has described this decision as "arbitrary" and insisted that it constituted an "unjustified and unjustifiable grievance," reminding that the Italian Executive is fully aware that, "due to the double filter system that operates in Ceuta and Melilla, the Schengen area is fully guaranteed."
In this context, he denounced the "lack of solidarity" shown by Rome during the crisis, contrasting it with Spain's behavior when Italy has faced strong migratory pressures or other complex situations, such as the war in Ukraine, which has caused the arrival of thousands of Ukrainian refugees to European territory.
Spain supported Italy in the Lampedusa crisis
"In 2023, when thousands of irregular migrants arrived on the Italian island of Lampedusa, Spain, which was also holding the Presidency of the Council of the European Union at that time, supported Italy," the minister recalled. "We did not consider it then an Italian problem, but a crisis situation in the EU, defending a common stance based on solidarity," he added.
Albares attributed the reaction of Meloni's Government to "reasons of internal Italian electoral politics," to "demagoguery," and to "trying to gain partisan advantage with such a serious issue," an attitude that, in his opinion, "is not responsible, but also not politically profitable."
The minister also pointed out the "lack of solidarity" from Denmark, contrasting it with Spain's position, which has "firmly" defended its territorial integrity and sovereignty against U.S. claims over Greenland, to emphasize that this solidarity is an essential pillar within the European Union.
In this line, he has concluded that "Europe is solidarity and without solidarity there is no Europe, that is what Italy and Denmark must understand," making it clear that, for the Spanish Government, the response to migration and geopolitical crises must be shared and based on mutual support among community partners.