Robles apologises to the people of Ceuta and points the finger at Interior
Spain's Defence Minister apologises to the people of Ceuta and warns Morocco: Ceuta and Melilla are untouchable. A CNI warning on 30 June opened a crisis of 10,000.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
Robles apologises to Ceuta but the spotlight turns to Interior
Spain's Defence Minister, Margarita Robles, has broken her silence with an apology to the people of Ceuta who were "abandoned" during the migration crisis. The gesture, however, comes with a warning to Segarro: "Ceuta and Melilla are Spanish and untouchable." The blunt statement opens the round of extraordinary appearances in Congress, where up to eight ministers will have to explain themselves.
The CNI's warning to Interior on 30 June
Amid the apology, the minister points to the responsibility of the Interior Ministry from 30 June onwards, when the CNI (Spain's intelligence service) shared the information with the security forces. The detail is no small matter: if the alert existed, the underlying question is why the mass entry was not prevented.
Apologies without resignations
Reactions were not long in coming. Some argue that political apologies come after resigning, not before, and that here nobody takes responsibility. Others mock the scope of the apology: does it refer to the people of Ceuta who already lived there, or to the 10,000 who arrived? Meanwhile, some are calling for the Army to be deployed if the Government feels unable to control the borders.
Robles's gesture is a step forward, but the underlying problem remains on the table: an "untouchable" city through which thousands of people entered within hours. Apologies are cheap; actions are not.
Spain's Defence Minister, Margarita Robles, has broken her silence with an apology to the people of Ceuta who were "abandoned" during the migration crisis. The gesture, however, comes with a warning to Segarro: "Ceuta and Melilla are Spanish and untouchable." The blunt statement opens the round of extraordinary appearances in Congress, where up to eight ministers will have to explain themselves.
The CNI's warning to Interior on 30 June
Amid the apology, the minister points to the responsibility of the Interior Ministry from 30 June onwards, when the CNI (Spain's intelligence service) shared the information with the security forces. The detail is no small matter: if the alert existed, the underlying question is why the mass entry was not prevented.
Apologies without resignations
Reactions were not long in coming. Some argue that political apologies come after resigning, not before, and that here nobody takes responsibility. Others mock the scope of the apology: does it refer to the people of Ceuta who already lived there, or to the 10,000 who arrived? Meanwhile, some are calling for the Army to be deployed if the Government feels unable to control the borders.
Robles's gesture is a step forward, but the underlying problem remains on the table: an "untouchable" city through which thousands of people entered within hours. Apologies are cheap; actions are not.
Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (43 replies).
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