The president of the PP, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, maintains that the King "wants to go to Ceuta" because "it corresponds to him" as head of State in the face of the "humanitarian, public health, and public order crisis" that the autonomous city is experiencing, and for this reason, he has demanded that Pedro Sánchez's Executive "authorize" that trip.
In an interview with Europa Press, Feijóo has valued the "gesture" of Felipe VI in receiving at the beginning of August at the Palace of Marivent (Palma) the president of Ceuta, Juan Jesús Vivas. As he has recalled, the Ceuta leader made "very eloquent" statements in which he pointed out that the monarch wishes to travel to the city and that he will do so "when the Government considers and accepts that trip."
The leader of the PP has emphasized that, within the framework of his constitutional functions, Felipe VI is "guarantor of the sovereignty and territorial integrity" of Spain. "I am convinced that the King wants to go to Ceuta and he will do so when the Government of Spain authorizes that trip," he has reiterated.
Questioned about whether the Executive should allow that visit now, he admitted that, if he were president, "he would announce that the King of Spain will go to Ceuta," although he specified that, as head of the opposition, he does not have "all the data" and there are "many unknowns" regarding the massive entry of more than 70,000 illegal migrants on July 30 and 31.
In this context, he pointed out that he "would need information" to be able to "concretize" a date for the trip. "But what is very clear is that the president of the Government has to say that the King of Spain, obviously, in the face of a humanitarian, public health, and public order crisis like the one we are experiencing, unprecedented in our recent history, as head of State corresponds to him to go to Ceuta, as to any place in Spanish territory where it could occur," he emphasized.
Criticism of the Government's management and relationship with Morocco
When asked if a crisis like that of Ceuta would have been avoided with the PP in power, he responded that, if they were governing, they would have "information from the CNI, from the immigration police station of the Police and from the Civil Guard." "And we would have contacted Morocco immediately to avoid an avalanche and an invasion of 70,000 people," he stated.
After accusing Sánchez's Government of acting "with enormous indolence and incompetence," he indicated that he does not want to believe that there has been "complicity" because, if so, it would be "before a supposed gravest situation." "Indolence and incompetence are confirmed, and I do not want to think that complicity with Morocco is a possibility," he insisted.
The popular leader emphasized that "even today they do not know why this 'invasion' has occurred and been consented to" nor "why it continues to be said that collaboration with Morocco is exemplary." "The president of the Government is with his flip-flops on the beach while President Vivas is managing a problem that does not depend on him with his boots on from day one," he added.
Regarding the reliability of Morocco as a partner, Feijóo defended a relationship of "neighborhood and friendship" with the neighboring country, but warned that this relationship "requires reciprocity," "loyalty," and "respect between both," making it clear that "there is no room for" "either threats or blackmail" to Spain. "We have no interest in having a problem with anyone, much less with a neighbor. We are not behind creating a bad relationship with Morocco nor having a stance of permanent enmity with that country. However, what we cannot accept is either threats or blackmail, neither from Morocco nor from anyone," he emphasized.
As he pointed out, "what is clear is that Morocco either consented to or encouraged the invasion" at the end of July. "And what is also clear is that the Government, knowing about it, did not act," he emphasized. When asked if there are blackmail or pressures on the Spanish Executive, Feijóo responded that they do not know "what is happening between Pedro Sánchez's Government and Morocco," although he warned that they will end up "knowing" what is behind it.
Territorial integrity, migration policy, and Western Sahara
In his opinion, Sánchez "behaves more like a subject of Morocco than as the president of the Government of Spain." "His policy or his hidden diplomacy with Rabat has resulted in this invasion of a Spanish territory," he denounced, also reproaching that he called the Italian ambassador for consultations and not the Moroccan ambassador.
After Morocco claimed the "historical right" over Ceuta and Melilla, Feijóo considers that Spain comes out "weaker" from this crisis and has argued that a message of unity should have been promoted "to guarantee territorial integrity." "The president of the Government should have summoned all political parties to make a unanimous declaration, without fissures, in defense of the territorial unity of Spain and our sovereignty," he pointed out, accusing Sánchez of "trying to divide, confront, and insult as always."
Feijóo has warned that the Government's migration policy has "perverse effects, which is the pull effect," and "goes exactly in the opposite direction to the agreements of the European Union." In his view, the letter signed by 22 European leaders after the assault in Ceuta constitutes "a very clear wake-up call towards the protection of European borders." In this context, and after the decision of the Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, to temporarily suspend the Schengen area, he has considered the reaction of the Spanish Executive imposing border controls on travelers from Italy to be "exorbitant." "This is solved with a call and a conversation between the two prime ministers. But asserting that for Spain the attitude of the Italian Government is more irresponsible than the attitude of the Moroccan Government is a provocation to our partners," he indicated.
The leader of the PP has advocated for Ceuta to have representation in the EU Committee of the Regions and for Spain to resort to community instruments to safeguard its borders. "Why don't we use Frontex? To not upset Morocco? That is a question that the Government also does not want to answer," he lamented.
Regarding Western Sahara, and asked if he would reverse the shift made by the Government in 2022 to return to the traditional position or maintain support for Moroccan theses, Feijóo has accused Sánchez of having reached an understanding with Rabat whose content is unknown. "Any position of the Government of Spain on this matter must be submitted to the Cortes. Therefore, if we have the responsibility to govern, we will find out what the Government of Spain has agreed upon, which is not Spain, and based on the content of that agreement, we will reveal it, we will take it to Congress, and the Government will specify what the position of our country is," he explained.
In this line, he has made it clear that he will not assume agreements of which he is unaware of "their content" nor will he accept "linking decisions that the Courts have not authorized." After demanding "to shed light and have stenographers on the decisions that change the history of the relationship between Spain and the Sahara" and "the balance in the Maghreb," he has reminded that the UN acted as "an arbitrator" and has defended returning "to the appropriate forums" to address this issue.