Alberto Núñez Feijóo Presses Spanish Government to Authorize King Felipe VI’s Visit to Ceuta Amid Migration Crisis
Alberto Núñez Feijóo, leader of the PP, has urged Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s administration to formally authorize a royal visit by King Felipe VI to Ceuta. The proposed journey addresses a security and humanitarian emergency following the arrival of more than 70,000 migrants in late July.
The Constitutional Role of the Monarchy in Territorial Sovereignty
Speaking during an interview with Europa Press, Feijóo emphasized that as head of state, King Felipe VI serves as a guarantor of Spain’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. According to the PP leader, the monarch wishes to visit the autonomous city to witness the public health, humanitarian, and public order challenges facing the region.
The call follows a meeting at the Palacio de Marivent in Palma, where Felipe VI received the president of Ceuta, Juan Jesús Vivas. During that early August audience, Vivas made remarks indicating the monarch wishes to visit and will do so when the government considers and accepts the displacement.
“I am convinced that the king wants to go to Ceuta and will do so when the government of Spain authorizes that movement,” Feijóo stated, noting that if he held the presidency, he would announce that the king of Spain will go to Ceuta. However, acknowledging his position as leader of the opposition without access to all data, Feijóo stressed that the executive must state that as head of state, it corresponds to the king to go to Ceuta, as to any place in Spanish territory where it could occur.
Accusations of Incompetence and Diplomatic Strain With Morocco
The political fallout from the July 30 and 31 border breach remains intense. Feijóo launched criticisms against Prime Minister Sánchez, accusing his administration of “enormous indolence and incompetence.” He asserted that an executive would have had information from the CNI, the immigration commissariat of the Police, and the Guardia Civil, and would have contacted Morocco immediately to avoid an avalanche and an invasion of 70,000 people.
“What is clear is that Morocco either consented to or encouraged the invasion,” Feijóo remarked, adding that while he favors a relationship of neighborliness and friendship, Spain must reject external threats and blackmail unequivocally. According to coverage by El Español, the PP leader contrasted the posture of the national government with that of regional president Vivas, noting that the prime minister is on the beach while Vivas is managing a problem that does not depend on him.
Further compounding diplomatic friction, Feijóo criticized the government’s response to European partners, particularly its decision to impose border controls on travelers arriving from Italy after Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni suspended the Schengen agreement. Describing the government’s measures as “exorbitant,” he argued that international disputes should be resolved through dialogue between the two prime ministers. Additional reporting by Lanza Digital highlights Feijóo’s insistence that Spain should use instruments of the Union, such as Frontex, to protect its borders.
Historical Precedents and the Call for Domestic Political Unity
Since the restoration of democracy, only one official institutional journey of the kings to Ceuta and Melilla has taken place. In November 2007, King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofía traveled to the cities under the government of José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero. That displacement provoked a strong diplomatic crisis with Morocco, which temporarily withdrew its ambassador in Madrid. Since his proclamation in 2014, King Felipe VI has not traveled in an official capacity to either of the two autonomous cities.
In light of Morocco’s claims of “historical right” over Ceuta and Melilla, Feijóo argued that Spain has emerged from the crisis weakened. He faulted Sánchez for failing to cite all political parties for a declaration in defense of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Spain.
As political pressure mounts, the central question remains whether the executive will grant the necessary clearance for the monarch to visit Ceuta, a move Feijóo believes corresponds to his role as head of state.
