Spain's Government Denies Reproach to Felipe VI for Not Visiting Ceuta

Spain's government moved on Tuesday to contain a growing political controversy after Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's remarks about King Felipe VI's absence from Ceuta drew criticism across the Spanish political spectrum. Spokeswoman Elma Saiz, speaking at a press conference following the weekly cabinet meeting, said Sánchez had done no more than "note a reality" when observing that the king had yet to visit the autonomous city in the month since a mass irregular border crossing overwhelmed it.

The controversy acquired fresh dimensions after it emerged that the king and the prime minister had met the previous day for their traditional summer working session — a meeting the government was quick to distance from the public debate. "The appointment had been in the diary for 31 August for a very long time," Saiz said, rejecting any suggestion that the session was convened in response to Sánchez's comments. The spokeswoman described relations with the Royal Household as "good", citing what she called "regular and entirely fluid" meetings between the monarch and the head of government.

On the question of a possible royal visit to Ceuta, Saiz declined to set a timetable, saying details of "a visit that has not been organised" would be announced only once they were known. She noted that the last visit by a reigning monarch to the enclave was made by King Juan Carlos — the king emeritus — some twenty years ago.

Government denies Morocco's role, blames far-right disinformation

The government simultaneously maintained its position that Morocco bore no responsibility for the mass border crossings of 30 and 31 July. Saiz stated that "no evidence or report" pointed to the Moroccan kingdom as an instigator, redirecting attention instead to what she described as an "international far-right movement operating through digital forums" whose goal, she alleged, was to "fracture Europe". The spokeswoman cited internal reports from the Foreign Ministry and documents from the European Commission on disinformation campaigns in support of that contention.

Those allegations have already provoked sharp responses internationally. Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar accused Sánchez of lying "brazenly" to conceal what he characterised as a "shameful failure" in border management. Russia's Foreign Ministry, for its part, rejected any suggestion of interference and demanded that the Spanish government produce evidence to substantiate its claims. Saiz reiterated on Tuesday that Russia, Israel, and far-right forums were behind the spread of disinformation that the government says contributed to the crisis.

Domestically, the spokeswoman challenged the centre-right Partido Popular to declare publicly "which side it is on" — whether it endorsed the position of European Union institutions or that of those who, in the government's framing, had sought to destabilise the European order. The government also addressed rallies organised by the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces in solidarity with Ceuta on the city's national day, expressing respect for the demonstrations while accusing the Partido Popular leadership — which confirmed its participation — of making "partisan use" of the federation.