The political scene in Spain continues to be closely linked to developments in the case of the mass incursion into occupied Ceuta. This time, the right-wing opposition is attempting to exploit the issue of Moroccan warships entering Ceuta's waters against the government, having taken the matter to the courts and the European Union.
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warships, including the frigate "Mohammed VI," entered Ceuta's waters during the mass incursion involving approximately 80,000 people, mostly Moroccans, on July 30 and 31. Despite the Pedro Sánchez government's attempts to downplay the incident, the opposition is seeking to exploit it, particularly with the upcoming elections scheduled for November 29.
In this context, opposition leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo, Secretary General of the conservative People's Party, stated on Wednesday, according to the Europa Press news agency, that the incident involving Moroccan warships entering the waters off occupied Ceuta was "extremely serious." He demanded that the Prime Minister appear before the Standing Committee, the body that replaces Parliament in emergencies or when it is dissolved due to legislative elections. He added that his party had referred the matter of the Moroccan warships to the National Court in Madrid, which is investigating the incursion, considering the presence of these ships in Ceuta's waters an attack on Spanish national sovereignty. In practice, the National Court's investigation is based on the premise that the incursion constitutes an "attack on the unity of Spain" from abroad.
Not content with these legal and political initiatives, Viejo also brought the issue of the Moroccan warships to a meeting of the European People's Party (EPP) on Thursday. The EPP, which comprises conservative right-wing parties in the European Union and represents the largest bloc in the European Parliament, had previously spearheaded the condemnation of Morocco in the European Union's landmark statement of September 17, which declared Ceuta and Melilla to be Spanish territories whose Spanish status Morocco could not dispute. The possibility of referring the matter to the European Parliament for a statement on the issue cannot be ruled out.
The People's Party is considered the frontrunner in the upcoming legislative elections, according to most opinion polls. It has pledged to review relations with Morocco, accusing the current Socialist government of being too lenient with Rabat instead of taking a firm stance on sovereignty issues such as Ceuta and Melilla and immigration.
Contrary to the opposition's exploitation of the issue, Justice Minister Félix Bolaños, in statements to Channel 6 yesterday, denied any connection between the migrants' storming of Ceuta and the entry of warships into its waters. He justified the initial silence on the incident by stating that it "concerns national security," explaining that sensitive information cannot be made public. He emphasized that dialogue with Rabat contributed to a swift resolution of the incident.
Meanwhile, Spain has not provided the coordinates of the Moroccan warships—a frigate and several patrol boats—which appear to be positioned between international waters and waters that Spain considers its own territorial waters, some distance from the coast of Ceuta. the Moroccan warships were monitoring the mass incursion after the wave of migrants took everyone by surprise.
Morocco does not recognize the territorial waters of Ceuta and Melilla, as it does not recognize Spanish sovereignty over the two cities, and demands their return. However, its current focus is on the Western Sahara issue, which is before the Security Council and is expected to issue a resolution on it at the end of October. This focus is what led Morocco to remain silent regarding the visit of Spanish King Felipe VI to the occupied cities of Ceuta and Melilla last Tuesday and Wednesday.
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