European socialists refused to approve a joint resolution with the European People’s Party (EPP) on the Ceuta crisis. They did so because they did not want to participate in a document “against the Government of Spain,” according to its president, Iratxe García, and also to try to shield Morocco and prevent criticism from the European Parliament towards this country. But what their refusal ended up causing is that the EPP has agreed with ECR, which is Giorgia Meloni’s group, and Patriots, to which Vox belongs, a much tougher text. In which the president of the Spanish Executive, Pedro Sánchez, is pointed out as partly responsible for the massive arrival of immigrants to the autonomous city and even economic sanctions against the Moroccan regime are proposed.
“It calls for the establishment of a stricter and more transparent framework to regulate the disbursement and supervision of the Union’s development and cooperation funds to third countries; insists on the introduction of robust mechanisms that allow for the immediate suspension and full recovery of funds in case of lack of cooperation or when the interests of the Union or Member States are at stake,” states the resolution that the Eurochamber approved yesterday despite the socialists’ veto. Including the Spanish ones.
And the document adds “that preferential access to the Union market, Union financing and strategic cooperation must be conditioned on effective cooperation, also in border management, combating illicit trafficking and migrant smuggling, and must seek the assumption of clear and measurable commitments aimed at preventing illegal crossings, ensuring effective returns, and protecting the Union’s external borders.”
The S&D had already made clear on Tuesday its rejection of a common text and its desire not to upset Morocco with a very mild resolution proposal, so on Wednesday there were many doubts within the European People’s Party itself about whether they could get a resolution through. It was not at all ruled out that it would be left for a future plenary of the European Parliament. But after securing ECR’s support, the PP began negotiating with Patriots. Relations between the two groups are not the best currently, but the Spanish delegation of the populars, which is the main responsible and promoter of the text, spoke directly with Vox and the document ended up passing much more comfortably than expected with the favorable vote also of some liberal MEPs.
In return, Santiago Abascal’s party demanded some modifications and amendments. The most important, the one already mentioned about development funds. And ECR did the same, introducing a very harsh criticism of the Prime Minister himself, Pedro Sánchez. Directly.
Read more Aznar accuses Sánchez of «betrayal» and calls to «deploy» the Army in Ceuta
“It expresses deep concern about the policy of large-scale regularization applied by the Government of President Pedro Sánchez, which generates a call effect and sends the wrong message to potential migrants and illicit migrant trafficking networks,” the text states in an amendment that seems to be remotely directed from Rome. From the Italian Executive and its Prime Minister, with whom Sánchez had a significant confrontation during the Ceuta crisis.
The document also points out that Ceuta was “invaded“, and that the Spanish Government had received “repeated warnings from local authorities and security and intelligence services, according to confidential reports disclosed on September 9, 2026, indicating that pressure at the border had intensified long before those days.” It also draws attention that it “recognizes that a large number of unaccompanied minors remain in Ceuta” and “insists that Spanish authorities must ensure the protection and proper care of unaccompanied minors.” Striking because it does not exactly fit the position usually defended by Vox.
The approval of the resolution also ends a week in which Ceuta was also very present in the speech on the State of the European Union that the Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, delivered on Wednesday in the Parliament itself. “All our external borders are European borders. That is why I want to address the people of Spain directly. The Ceuta border is a European border. Because Ceuta is Spain. Ceuta is Europe. And Europe will stand by your side,” said the senior German official.
But not only that. The President of the Community Executive also presented a “European Emergency Response Framework” for situations like Ceuta’s. “It will allow for temporary and strictly limited flexibility” in crisis situations, she explained. In terms of returns, for example, which will allow countries to return illegal immigrants more quickly or even immediately. Exactly what could not be done in the autonomous city, where hundreds or even thousands of immigrants in irregular situations still remain.
