The Spanish government has set the timetable for hearings in the Congress of Deputies to address the latest situation in Ceuta set. The schedule begins on 25 August 2026 with Defence Minister Margarita Robles. On 27 August, the Minister for the Presidency, Félix Bolaños, and the Health Minister Mónica García are scheduled to appear. On 28 August, the Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares, the Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska and the Minister for Inclusion, Social Security and Migration, Elma Saiz, are due to appear. The schedule concludes on 31 August with the Youth Minister Sira Rego.
The timetable was announced by Félix Bolaños on social media. According to the government, the appearances will take place in the relevant specialist committees, to explain each department’s measures within its remit. The executive had previously sent a proposal for the week’s meetings to the President of the Congress of Deputies, Francina Armengol, with the appearances by Elma Saiz and Sira Rego added later.
The hearings concern the mass crossing of the border into Ceuta on 30 July 2026, which triggered intense debate about coordination between state bodies, the deployment of security forces and humanitarian assistance. The government says the staggered order will ensure that the topics are organised appropriately and strengthen parliamentary scrutiny. A total of seven ministers will report.
The opposition has criticised the format of the hearings. Representatives of the Partido Popular argue that the planned order and the restriction to committees do not reflect the significance of the events, and are calling for more extensive explanations. Whether a plenary debate or further invitations are added is for the parliamentary bodies to decide.
It is also unclear which specific documents will be presented to the committees or possibly submitted later, and how fully the ministries will set out operational details on deployments, decision-making and coordination with regional authorities. The timetable is clear for now: the government is opting for a coordinated review in the last week of August, with the aim of accounting for its actions across departments and addressing outstanding questions about the response in Ceuta before parliament.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).