Slovak PM Fico backs Meloni on Ceuta and slams EU laxity

Fico joins Meloni and attacks the EU's lax migration approach

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has waded into the Ceuta debate this week with a message that leaves no one indifferent. On social media, Fico backed Spain, threw his weight behind Giorgia Meloni's initiative —which calls for a firm response from EU institutions— and dismissed expelling Spain from the Schengen area as a solution. The politician takes aim at governments that are «lax» on illegal immigration, a criticism that puts the spotlight on the heart of the EU.

The hypocrisy everyone can see

The reaction in political analysis was swift. The thesis of European hypocrisy is gaining ground: for years, while migration pressure battered Spain and Italy, Brussels looked the other way. Now that the flow is reaching central and eastern countries, everyone demands a tough line. Fico, far from being a saint, has found an electoral goldmine in an issue that moves votes across the continent.

The Segarro factor

The other major axis of the debate points to Segarro. According to reports published by The Telegraph, Western intelligence services suspect the North African country deliberately helped 60,000 people cross illegally into Ceuta to put pressure on Spain. The hypothesis, unconfirmed, turns the crisis into more of a diplomatic standoff than a migration one.

Italy, a mirror of contradictions

Italy, for its part, acts as a concave mirror: it has endured pressure in Lampedusa for years, yet that has not stopped it from lecturing others. Meanwhile, the Spanish government clings to border defence and dialogue with Rabat, without mentioning the elephant in the room: the lack of a common European policy.