The candidate of the Partido Popular for the Congress of Deputies in Melilla, Sofía Acedo, has warned ahead of the Spanish parliamentary elections on 29 November that Ceuta their territorial integrity would be at stake that day. Acedo made the remarks at appearances and in statements in Melilla during the first week of November. According to reports by Europa Press and El Faro de Melilla she bases her warning on what she believes to be Morocco’s annexationist ambitions.
Acedo explicitly places her statement in the context of the ongoing election campaign. According to the cited reports, she is calling for a stronger state presence at the external borders and more support from national and European institutions. She does not specify any concrete legal steps or changes in international law beyond election day. Her wording is intended to mobilise voters in the two autonomous cities, which are geographically located in North Africa and belong entirely to Spain.
For decades, the Spanish government has maintained that Ceuta and Melilla are integral parts of Spanish territory. Morocco makes political claims at regular intervals, but no formal change in status is on the horizon. Acedo’s warning refers to this continuing tension and to security debates surrounding the border fences in both cities. The evidence she cites does not quote independent bodies or international organisations using the same wording.
The reference to territorial integrity is therefore the candidate’s attributed assessment, not a finding that a change in status is imminent. In substance, the proposal aligns with calls by the Partido Popular for tighter border security, firm action against violent border crossings and greater involvement by European authorities. It remains to be seen which measures can secure political majorities after the election.
Acedo’s appearance marks the latest sharply worded contribution to the security and sovereignty debate in Melilla ahead of the vote. By the time the reports were published, it was not clear whether other nationwide parties would adopt similar language. The statements are documented as the candidate’s election rhetoric; the available sources contain no independent confirmation of an immediate threat to Ceuta and Melilla.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).