Briefing
Melilla, 9 November 2026 – The deputy secretary for Regeneración Institucional of the Partido Popular, Cuca Gamarra, announced during an appearance at Melilla’s border fence that a government led by Alberto Núñez Feijóo would take direct responsibility for defending and protecting Spain’s national borders in Ceuta and Melilla after an election victory. Gamarra said that this core responsibility must not be made dependent on cooperation with a third country, specifically Morocco.
The announcement follows the party’s campaign line ahead of the parliamentary elections on 29 November 2026. Gamarra called for a stronger state presence in the two autonomous cities and announced that Partido Popular would consider immediate legislative steps to ensure that Ceuta and Melilla are treated not only as Spanish, but also as Europe’s external border. She gave no specific proposals or timetable.
In her account, Gamarra accused the current central government of effectively delegating control of the external border to Morocco; instead, she called for increased staffing for the police and Guardia Civil. No independent, binding decisions on the announced measures have been made so far. Whether and to what extent a future government can implement measures will depend on parliamentary majorities, the European legal framework (in particular the rules governing the Schengen external border) and practical cooperation with Morocco.
Alongside security issues, the debate also touches on migration and human rights standards at the border. Critics stress the need for bilateral and European coordination and warn against unilateral measures that could affect fundamental rights and international obligations.
It should be noted that these are campaign announcements. The verifiable details — the place, date, speaker and general substance of the announced responsibility — are supported by press releases and agency reports dated 9 November 2026; no detailed legislative proposals or binding implementation plans were presented.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).