The Government has categorically denied that Pedro Sánchez has made any reproach towards King Felipe VI for not having visited Ceuta yet, a month after the massive influx that overwhelmed the autonomous city.
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After the controversy generated yesterday by the words of the Prime Minister, the spokesperson minister, Elma Saiz, responded to the criticisms during the press conference following the Council of Ministers, assuring that Sánchez merely “stated a reality.”
The controversy has taken on a new dimension in recent hours, after it became known that the monarch and the Prime Minister held their traditional summer meeting yesterday, just a few hours after Sánchez’s statements. The Government has denied, however, any connection between the two events and emphasized that the meeting “had been scheduled for August 31 for a long time.”
Saiz also defended that “relations with the Royal House are good” and pointed as proof the “usual and absolutely fluid meetings” between the King and the Prime Minister. Regarding a possible visit of Felipe VI to Ceuta, the spokesperson avoided specifying dates and explained that the details of “a visit that is not organized” will be given “only when they are known.”
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“There is no reproach, but simply the fact that it has been 20 years since the last visit of the emeritus king to Ceuta,” Saiz emphasized. The spokesperson appealed to the institutional framework and defended the Government’s respect for the Crown, while censuring the interpretation of Sánchez’s words: “Spanishness demands respect for institutions. And the Government does that at all times.”
When asked if a possible visit of Felipe VI to Ceuta and Melilla could provoke a contrary reaction from Morocco, Government sources dismissed any concern. “Spain is a sovereign country and Ceuta and Melilla are Spanish territories,” they stated.
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In this same context, the Government insisted on dissociating Morocco from any responsibility in the recent migratory crisis in Ceuta. Saiz assured that “there has been no evidence or report” pointing to the Alawite kingdom as the instigator of the massive entries. Instead, the spokesperson placed the focus of destabilization on the international level and, specifically, on the “international far-right through digital forums,” to which she attributed the intention to “fracture Europe.”
The Government’s accusations have already provoked international reactions. Israel’s Foreign Minister, Gideon Sa’ar, accused Sánchez of having lied “blatantly” to hide what he called a “shameful failure” in border management. Meanwhile, the Russian Foreign Ministry rejected any interference and demanded that the Spanish Government present evidence supporting its claims.
Saiz insisted that Russia, Israel, and far-right forums were behind the spread of hoaxes that, according to the Government, contributed to unleashing the migratory crisis. “I refer to internal reports from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” said the spokesperson, who also referred to reports from the European Commission on disinformation campaigns. Saiz reiterated, at the same time, that there is no evidence that Morocco was behind the massive and irregular entry of migrants on July 30 and 31.
In this scenario, the spokesperson directly challenged the Popular Party, urging it to decide “which side it is on” and whether it supports the criteria of the community institutions or those who, according to the Government, have tried to destabilize the European framework.
Finally, the Government also referred to the gatherings called by the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (FEMP) in support of the autonomous city on the occasion of Ceuta Day. The spokesperson expressed the Government’s respect for the mobilizations, although she censured what she called “a partisan use” of the federation by the Popular Party, whose leadership has confirmed its participation in the events.
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