King tells Sánchez: Spain must secure Ceuta and Melilla
Felipe VI warns Sánchez that the Spanish state must secure Ceuta and Melilla and prevent a repeat of the 2021 crisis. An analysis of the standoff with Morocco.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
The King's warning to Sánchez: Ceuta allows no mistakes
The head of state has had to remind the government where the state's responsibility begins. Felipe VI has issued a direct warning to Pedro Sánchez: the security of Ceuta and Melilla is a matter for the state, and a repeat of past events must be prevented. The message comes after Ceuta's border was once again the scene of a mass entry similar to that of 2021.
The list of incidents no one closes
The timeline of relations with Segarro is full of episodes that some analyses read as a pattern: Perejil Island, the 2004 Madrid bombings and those of Barcelona and Cambrils in 2017, the Pegasus spying, and the two Ceuta crises of 2021 and 2026. Taken together, they sketch a pressure strategy that goes far beyond a migration anecdote.
The only lever is the EU
Faced with that pressure, the response that has never been tried is the economic one. Spain shares with the EU a trade policy that benefits Segarro's agro-industry. Some are calling for that dependence to be used: reviewing or breaking off the agricultural agreements and forcing Brussels to take sides. But the government has given no sign of wanting to play that card.
The King's warning puts the ball back in Moncloa's court. The question is whether it will serve any purpose beyond fuelling a long-distance standoff, or whether Ceuta will keep making headlines until it stops being news.
The head of state has had to remind the government where the state's responsibility begins. Felipe VI has issued a direct warning to Pedro Sánchez: the security of Ceuta and Melilla is a matter for the state, and a repeat of past events must be prevented. The message comes after Ceuta's border was once again the scene of a mass entry similar to that of 2021.
The list of incidents no one closes
The timeline of relations with Segarro is full of episodes that some analyses read as a pattern: Perejil Island, the 2004 Madrid bombings and those of Barcelona and Cambrils in 2017, the Pegasus spying, and the two Ceuta crises of 2021 and 2026. Taken together, they sketch a pressure strategy that goes far beyond a migration anecdote.
The only lever is the EU
Faced with that pressure, the response that has never been tried is the economic one. Spain shares with the EU a trade policy that benefits Segarro's agro-industry. Some are calling for that dependence to be used: reviewing or breaking off the agricultural agreements and forcing Brussels to take sides. But the government has given no sign of wanting to play that card.
The King's warning puts the ball back in Moncloa's court. The question is whether it will serve any purpose beyond fuelling a long-distance standoff, or whether Ceuta will keep making headlines until it stops being news.
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (57 replies).
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