The Comisión de Presidencia of the Asamblea de Melilla approved on 26 August 2026 a motion submitted by the Partido Popular expressing solidarity with Ceuta and reaffirming the “españolidad” of Ceuta and Melilla. The city’s president, Juan José Imbroda (PP), accused the PSOE de Melilla of being the only group to vote against the text. He called the vote “disappointing” and thanked the groups that supported the motion.
According to consistent media reports, the motion condemns statements and demands that call Spanish sovereignty over the two North African cities into question. It also calls on the central government to take “extraordinary measures” in response to recent events in Ceuta. Representatives of the Coalición por Melilla and Somos Melilla also helped draft it. The resolution was passed at Comisión de Presidencia level; further parliamentary steps in the Asamblea de Melilla were still pending.
The PSOE de Melilla justified its opposition on procedural and consensus grounds. The Socialists criticised the proposal for not having been adequately coordinated with the other groups and warned that it risked being used for party-political purposes. At the same time, the party stressed that, for it, Ceuta and Melilla’s belonging to Spain was not up for discussion; what was needed, it said, were viable resolutions supported jointly.
The controversy in Melilla comes amid a broader national debate about the political and security response to the situation in Ceuta. In Madrid, the opposition is pressing the government to provide further explanations in parliament about border protection and coordination. Defence Minister Margarita Robles made clear on 25 August that Ceuta and Melilla were “Spain and untouchable”, and promised a firm response to any possible violations of sovereignty. The Partido Popular is also calling for additional measures at the border, while the government points to steps already taken.
Cooperation between local and central authorities is therefore once again at the heart of the debate in Melilla. Politically, the dispute is putting pressure on the city’s parties to reconcile symbolic declarations with practical security and administrative policies. It was initially unclear whether, and in what form, the Asamblea de Melilla would endorse the committee’s text in plenary.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).