Alberto Núñez Feijóo, chair of the Partido Popular, reaffirmed on 18 September in Melilla, Spain’s sovereignty over Ceuta and Melilla, to be defended “at any cost”. He called on the Government to take a resolute line on protecting the security and territorial integrity of the two autonomous cities. Addressing his party’s leadership, Feijóo also announced a “Plan específico” to bring together economic measures for both cities and make their affairs a permanent item on the agenda of the Consejo de Ministros .
The announcement came at a time when the government says it is working to embed both cities more closely in EU structures. Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares recently spoke of greater “Europeanisation” of Ceuta and Melilla. Steps towards integration into the European Union’s customs territory were among those mentioned. No specific timetable or financial commitments had been made public by Friday.
The previous day, tensions arose at the official Día de Melilla : the Minister for Inclusion, Social Security and Migration, Elma Saiz, was heckled during an appearance, while Feijóo received applause. Both camps attribute the sharper tone to increased migration pressure since the start of September and its political consequences. No officially confirmed figures on the number of recent arrivals were released on Friday.
Feijóo accused the government of acting too slowly and, in the event of a change of government, promised “a greater presence” of state security forces and “physical borders” at the land borders. These demands are a party-political position; he did not present a detailed implementation plan in Melilla.
The government, for its part, pointed to operational measures and aid already approved for the two cities. Coalition sources said Madrid was coordinating migration management with the authorities in Ceuta and Melilla and was relying on European support. What additional resources could be mobilised from Brussels remained unclear.
Politically, Feijóo’s initiative aims to put border protection, asylum procedures and the cities’ economic links with the European Union at the top of the agenda. Whether his announced “Plan específico” will gain traction beyond the announcement stage in the parliamentary contest depends on the development of concrete measures and the government’s response. The dispute over responsibilities and priorities is likely to continue.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).