In the PSOE they have tried to downplay the decision of the party mayors who have expressed their intention to participate in the rallies in support of Ceuta against the town halls on September 2 despite Ferraz having given direct instructions to its officials not to support them. “There are free verses and each one will decide whether they have to be there or not… Our position is clear,” the national spokesperson, Montse Mínguez, has limited herself to point out.
What they argue in the majority party of the coalition at the head of La Moncloa is that the protest is “against Pedro Sánchez” and that it was the president of the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces, María José García-Pelayo (PP), who called it “unilaterally, without agreement and violating the democratic functioning” of the very organization that represents local entities. Also IU-Compromis–Comuns–Podemos, ERC and Junts have pressured for a correction, because they consider that it acted “after the fact, without the support or approval of the rest of the political groups”.
“They are using Ceuta against the president of the Government, as they did with Torre Pacheco, as they do with the fires, as they do with everything…”, they argue at the socialist leadership. “It is not about being concentrated for five minutes in a square of a town hall and then letting Ceuta fall off the flag when Ceuta asks for help and solidarity,” they add referring to the absence of three autonomous communities where the Popular Party governs with Vox -Extremadura, Aragón and Castilla y León- from the meeting in which a budget of 25 million euros was approved for unaccompanied foreign minors who remain in the autonomous city.
Mayors who distance themselves
The mayor of León, José Antonio Diez, is one of those who has publicly expressed his intention to participate. “I think what is important here is to move away from partisanship, which some political parties endorse or do, and what must be demonstrated is a level of State,” said the mayor, who believes that politicians have to be “at the level” and reach State agreements on this matter instead of seeking “advantage” on issues that concern the whole society, reports Europa Press.
The Seville town hall of Espartinas, also governed by the PSOE, has also ignored Ferraz’s directives and has called a public event although it will take place at noon instead of at 8:00 p.m. The decision of the first mayor, Cristina Los Arcos, is interpreted in the Andalusian federation as an act of rebellion for breaking party discipline, reports Chema Rodríguez.
Despite internal criticism about the management of the crisis, even in the PSOE less aligned with Ferraz there are those who share the thesis that the PP has “bypassed the governing bodies of an institution to do partisanship”. This has been expressed by the mayor of Palencia, Miriam Andrés, who has conveyed that what her City Council will do is present a “declaration of support for Ceuta”.
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