And Pedro Sánchez ordered a stop. When the option of a PP-PSOE pact was already in sight, in the distant -seen from Moncloa- Ceuta, Ferraz aborted the agreement. With consequences that are not minor, since they affect a border city, marked by the Moroccan neighbor, and where the political situation spilled over several times during the last legislature, putting coexistence at risk. “The situation in Ceuta is a matter of State,” insists Juan Jesús Vivas, the president of the autonomous city, abandoned by Sánchez in a sudden maneuver that Vivas breaks down in detail, revealing its scope, in the reconstruction that he drew up this Friday in different media.
President of Ceuta since 2001, his conclusion is clear: the national leadership of the PSOE “vetoed” any agreement with the PP, without providing any argument, he says. His goal of ensuring “stability” for four years was suddenly thwarted. Because he won the elections, but four seats from the majority. “In a city like ours, which is part of the national security strategy due to its unique risks and threats, it is essential that political forces demonstrate responsibility and a willingness to agree to guarantee stability and the government’s capacity to face challenges” , he argues.
Last week the PSOE “expressed its willingness to reach an agreement through a coalition government.” Although said alliance had not materialized, the negotiations did advance. “However, surprisingly and unjustifiably, we received the news that the national leadership of the PSOE was vetoing any agreement, without presenting any argument, which surprised me.”
The Ceuta PSOE issued a statement that put an end to the talks. In that note, he stated that “there is not and cannot be a government pact with Feijóo’s PP”, in clear reference to Sánchez’s strategy for his inauguration, where he intends to isolate the popular leader despite being the most voted on 23- J.
The political agreement seeks to restore tranquility in a city that experienced intense political and media pressure during the last legislature, when it witnessed that massive assault of immigrants (12,000 people) with the acquiescence of Morocco. In parallel, the entry of Vox into the autonomous institution in 2019, with an even harsher discourse than in the rest of the country, shook the fragile harmony in the city, generating political conflicts with everyone, and with greater intensity against left-wing councilors. or Muslims. In this way, he pointed to half of the population, of the Muslim religion, who resides in this city in North Africa.
«I spoke with Juan Gutiérrez, leader of the PSOE in Ceuta, and the impression I got is that he had received a direct order from the national leadership of the party, since he did not provide any explanation. Meanwhile, we have always received the message from Núñez Feijóo that the interest of Ceuta and Spain prevails over the interests of the PP”, explains Vivas, who has always defended the image of a city that is an example of coexistence and a benchmark in cultural diversity.
Feijóo joined the criticism this Friday of the PSOE’s decision to reject the pact with the PP and categorically stated that Sánchez “blocks an agreement for stability”, while “the PP is a party committed to the State.” «Our responsibility is to strengthen social cohesion and protect citizens, against the desire to stay in power. Ceuta is not just any town, it is a matter of State », he stressed on Twitter, praising the historical trajectory of Vivas.
The president of Ceuta claims in this sense: «If someone was loyal to the Government during the assault from Morocco in May 2021, it was me. This is what Ceuta [de Sánchez] receives as thanks ». At that time, Vivas assumed the response to the migration crisis in close collaboration with the central government. He received the President of the Government and they shielded the unit in terrible hours.
What way out does the PP have to stabilize its government? With nine representatives and the majority at 13, he expected to add the six from the PSOE and, in a nod to the Muslim population, approach the three from the MDyC, the formation led by Fatima Hamed. Sánchez’s sit-in -at least, until after his alleged investiture- would push the PP towards Vox (five representatives). But close sources rule out any approach, they say, to those who “contributed to disrupting coexistence in Ceuta.”
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