August faces its last days. The return to school and the Congress of Deputies gradually returns to activity. And it will do so with the focus on the migratory crisis in Ceuta. Several ministers will parade before their respective committees in the Lower House to explain the political response to the massive entry of people from Morocco.
The agenda will start on Tuesday, August 25, coinciding with the first Council of Ministers after the summer break. From then on, seven ministers will go through different parliamentary committees to report on the management of a crisis that, far from disappearing from the political debate during the summer, has been accumulating new fronts: security, relations with Morocco, humanitarian aid, pressure on health services, management of minors, and the situation of women in the autonomous city.
The calendar will extend until Monday, August 31, when the Minister of Equality, Ana Redondo, will close the round. Her appearance comes after the Popular Party demanded explanations for the increase in reported sexual assaults in Ceuta and requested to know the protocols activated for the protection of women. Redondo has requested to appear at her own request to inform about the actions developed by her department.
Tuesday: Defense opens the week
The first appearance will be that of the Minister of Defense, Margarita Robles, on Tuesday the 25th at 12:30 before the Defense Commission.
Robles was the only minister who initially accepted to attend the Senate at the PP's summons; however, shortly after, she changed her mind and sent a letter to the President of the Senate, Pedro Rollán, informing him that she needed “more time” to be able to have more and better information and to provide content for the appearance.
Thursday: Bolaños and García
Thursday the 27th will be the day with a double session. At 10:00, the Minister of the Presidency, Justice, and Relations with the Cortes, Félix Bolaños, will appear before the Joint Commission of National Security. His intervention will allow addressing the institutional response of the Government and the coordination of the different administrations in the face of a crisis that has quickly transcended the strictly migratory dimension.
Two hours later, at 12:00, it will be the turn of the Minister of Health, Mónica García. Her appearance comes preceded by the controversy surrounding the healthcare situation in Ceuta, where different organizations and health officials have warned of the pressure on the system. García has rejected the existence of a “healthcare collapse,” although she has acknowledged particularly tense areas and the need to reinforce certain devices.
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Mónica García, between the front of Ceuta and the traffic jam of its health laws
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Friday: Interior, Foreign Affairs, and Migration
The most intense day will come on Friday the 28th, with three consecutive appearances.
At 09:00 hours, Fernando Grande-Marlaska will attend the Interior Commission. The actions of the State Security Forces and Corps, border surveillance, and the response to mass entry will be some of the central issues of an appearance especially awaited by the opposition.
At 12:00 hours, it will be the turn of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union, and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares. His presence will have a different dimension: the relationship with Morocco and the diplomatic management of the crisis.
The day will close at 16:00 hours with the Minister of Inclusion, Social Security, and Migration, Elma Saiz, whose appearance will presumably focus on the reception and care of the people remaining in Ceuta.
Her department has announced the installation of new humanitarian care devices to expand the reception capacity of the autonomous city, one of the main concerns since the mass entry occurred.
The closing: Equality and Youth enter the crisis
The round will continue on Monday the 31st with Ana Redondo and Sira Rego. The Minister of Equality will appear to explain the actions of her department in response to the crisis in Ceuta. The PP had demanded explanations to understand the measures taken in response to the reported sexual assaults in the autonomous city.
On the same day, Sira Rego, the Minister of Youth and Childhood, will do the same to account for the episode from the perspective of the situation of minors.
More things?
Ceuta has become the first political test of the return from vacation. And the Government will have to respond, ministry by ministry, about a crisis that began at the border but has ended up spreading through a good part of its structure. But they may not be the only issues. The Permanent Deputation meets on Wednesday the 26th. The agenda will be closed upon the conclusion of the deadline for groups to register their requests, which ends on Monday the 24th.