The Spanish government has announced that Pedro Sánchez will appear before the Congreso de los Diputados over the Ceutacrisis, but has not set a date. Government spokesperson Elma Saiz said on 26 August that the prime minister would report to Parliament; several ministers are due to appear before committees first. The Diputación Permanente of the Congreso set procedures in motion on Wednesday to help arrange a date quickly.
At the same time, an internal dispute over the information available before the mass entry into Ceuta is escalating. Defence Minister Margarita Robles said in Parliament that the Centro Nacional de Inteligencia (CNI), which comes under her department, had passed on information about a possible large-scale movement towards the city and shared it with the security forces. Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska disagreed, stressing that his ministry had received no reports predicting an event on that scale. The government describes the differing accounts as a “normal need for clarification”; the opposition is demanding access to documents and a clear allocation of responsibility.
The previous day, Sánchez had convened the Consejo de Seguridad Nacional to coordinate the assessment of the situation, the protection of public order and operational measures. A mando único appointed by decree is also coordinating police, civilian and military forces in Ceuta; the arrangement remains in force until 31 December 2026 and may be extended following an assessment by the Consejo de Seguridad Nacional.
The prime minister is also under pressure over his public silence. Since his visit to Ceuta on 31 July, he has made no further statements to the press; Moncloa instead released images of subsequent steps, including two virtual meetings on 7 and 17 August and his chairing of the National Security Council. The government points to ongoing measures to provide for and repatriate people in Ceuta, as well as increased cooperation with regional and local authorities; exact figures are currently being updated continuously.
The Partido Popular is calling for an immediate plenary debate with the prime minister, while other parliamentary groups are calling for a wide-ranging examination by the relevant committees. The Interior and Defence departments are independently reviewing what information was available, how it was distributed and what lessons should be drawn for alerts and operational planning. Whether the disagreements lead to political consequences will depend on the forthcoming committee hearings, the release of relevant documents and Pedro Sánchez’s promised statement to the plenary.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).