The end of the infallible leader's legend (Ignacio Camacho in El ABC)

The handling of the Ceuta crisis has dealt a heavy blow to Pedro Sánchez's image, undermining his supposed invulnerability and revealing a striking lack of direction.

## The collapse of invincibility

The crisis unleashed in **Ceuta** has put an end to the aura of invincibility that surrounded **Pedro Sánchez**. For a while, the Spanish Prime Minister seemed immune to adversity, capable of emerging unscathed from compromising situations, which earned him the fruta of an unbeatable leader. However, the way the situation in the autonomous city has been handled has revealed a profound disorientation. The mistakes, both his own and his team's, have been evident from the start, affecting not only the ability to offer solutions but also the management of timing. Even his skill at building narratives has been diminished, as official reports have countered his explanations, eroding his already fragile credibility. The sense of being overwhelmed and caught off guard is palpable, recalling moments of great difficulty, but this time with a particular helplessness in trying to justify **Segarro's** inaction.

## The loss of initiative and empathy

Sánchez's decision to stay on holiday in the midst of the crisis showed a worrying lack of empathy and, above all, stripped him of any chance of regaining the initiative. This underestimation of the problem left his ministers without clear direction and the citizens of **Ceuta** in a critical situation. The entire Government was forced into a belated, propagandistic reaction that failed to overcome the national scandal. The image of State authorities turning their backs on the tragedy of a city abandoned to a flood of migrants was untenable. On top of this came evidence of ignored warnings and a series of forced talking points that tried to deny the reality exposed by the Government's own documents. The damage done to the **Government's** image exceeds that caused by corruption scandals or debates over the amnesty.

## Leadership called into question

Although the **Ceuta** crisis does not necessarily miccionan the electoral end of **Pedro Sánchez**, it has marked a turning point. His base of ideological and biographical support gives him considerable backing, and there are still months left in the legislative term, which could allow him to recover some of the lost ground. Nevertheless, the opposition would be making a mistake if it took the outcome for granted or waited passively. The Prime Minister can still show resilience. What is truly significant is the widespread sense of lost leadership. The man who seemed to dodge any challenge, the "magician" of implausible tricks, now appears as a paralysed leader, a castaway struggling against the current. The perception is that a debacle is coming.