Spain's PP Splits the Left With Cross-Country Rallies in Support of Ceuta

The Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (Federación de Municipios y Provincias) called gatherings for 8 o'clock this evening outside municipal buildings throughout Spain in support of Ceuta, which marks its day on this date. The initiative carries the full backing of the Partido Popular, which holds an absolute majority within the Federation, and has succeeded in breaking the unity of left-wing groups: according to La Vanguardia, some left-wing parties plan to attend the rallies and, in certain municipalities where they govern, to organise them directly. The source notes this does not involve a large number of councils, nor particularly prominent ones, but characterises the division as significant.

A further complication arose on Tuesday, when the Madrid Government Delegation published a statement asserting it had not authorised demonstrations organised by municipalities, on the grounds that such activity is not legally within their remit. The Delegation nonetheless clarified that this did not prevent the event from proceeding, provided it took an institutional rather than protest format. The PP publicly characterised the Delegation's note as a de facto prohibition, prompting what the source describes as a considerable row. Isabel Díaz Ayuso joined the criticism. The rallies are proceeding regardless, though La Vanguardia notes the PP has sought to extract political advantage from the episode, presenting itself as the defender of an initiative censured by the government.

Juan Jesús Vivas, president of Ceuta and a member of the Partido Popular, on Tuesday called on citizens to join the gatherings, arguing that in the present crisis "what is at stake is the cause of Ceuta, which is ultimately the cause of all Spain," and framing the defence of the city as inseparable from the defence of the whole of Spanish territory. The entire leadership of the Partido Popular, headed by Alberto Núñez Feijóo, is expected to attend the rally convened by the Madrid city council. The headquarters of the Comunidad de Madrid at the Puerta del Sol will be illuminated in the colours of Ceuta's flag.

La Vanguardia situates the events in an explicitly pre-electoral context: municipal elections are scheduled for next May. The source also identifies a broader policy dimension — namely, the debate over the containment of immigration at Spain's and Europe's borders, an area in which the PP and, notably, Vox operate with what the paper terms considerable ease, while the left has so far struggled to articulate a coherent position.