The president of the Autonomous City of Melilla, Juan José Imbroda (PP), has urged the head of the Executive, Pedro Sánchez, to adopt a "firm" and "forceful" stance towards Morocco, emphasizing that Spain must maintain direct contact with the neighboring country to demand "loyalty, firmness, and reciprocity."
"One must sit down in a firm and forceful manner with Morocco. We need to sit down," insisted Imbroda, who criticized that Spain continues to offer collaboration while, in his view, it receives from Rabat responses that are not up to par.
"You cannot just be giving, giving and receiving disdain and stumbles and slaps," pointed out the Melilla leader, blaming Morocco for the situation at the border and referring to the departure towards Spanish territory of tens of thousands of people from the neighboring country.
Imbroda has also reproached the Government of Spain for leaving Ceuta and Melilla aside when designing certain economic initiatives that, he warned, will directly impact both autonomous cities.
In his opinion, any decision with repercussions in these two enclaves must take into account their particularities and he has asked the central Executive for closer coordination with the governments of Ceuta and Melilla.
Likewise, he has demanded Sánchez ensure an "unwavering" support from the State to both cities in the area of security, with special attention to the possibility of episodes like the one that occurred in Ceuta at the end of July being repeated.
In this regard, Imbroda has maintained that, if a situation of that kind were to occur again, the State would have to act with all necessary resources to safeguard the security and territorial integrity of the two autonomous cities.
"SÁNCHEZ IS KNOCKED OUT"
The Melilla president has also questioned the way the central Government managed the Ceuta crisis and has stated that Pedro Sánchez is "knocked out" in the face of this scenario.
He has also reproached the president of the Government for not having turned to the leader of the Popular Party, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, to face a crisis that, in his opinion, is a State matter and has direct implications for the security and territorial integrity of Spain.
The statements of Imbroda occur in a context of high tension in the relations between Spain and Morocco, after the events recorded at the border last July and the recent statements of several members of the Moroccan Executive regarding Rabat's territorial aspirations in relation to Ceuta and Melilla.
Finally, Imbroda has referred to the concentration held on September 2 in support of Ceuta, which prompted mobilizations in different Spanish cities.
The president of Melilla has positively assessed that social response and has highlighted the message of national unity that the call conveyed.
"It was a song to Spain and a total embrace of solidarity to our Ceuta brothers," Imbroda has emphasized, who understands that the mobilization evidenced the broad support existing throughout the country for the defense of the Spanish identity of Ceuta and Melilla.