Pedro J. Ramírez accuses Sánchez of exploiting Ceuta crisis to boost Vox and cling to power
Pedro J. Ramírez alleges Prime Minister Sánchez is using the migrant surge in Ceuta to raise Vox’s vote share and preserve his own political influence.
During a Telecinco AR program, one outlet executive Pedro J. Ramírez accused Prime Minister Sánchez of "playing with fire" by allowing migrant settlements in Ceuta to swell, warning this could spark a crisis. He argued the government’s strategy is to inflate Vox’s electoral result, ensuring Sánchez remains a power broker even if he leaves the premiership, and to force a fragmented parliament where the PP wins only narrowly.
Ramírez said Sánchez is deliberately polarising society, jeopardising Spain’s territorial integrity, and could have declared a state of emergency but chose vacation instead. He also faulted foreign minister Albares for diplomatic inertia with Morocco. In contrast, Ramírez praised Ceuta mayor Juan Jesús Vivas for his handling of the migration issue.
Why it matters
The accusations highlight potential political manipulation of a humanitarian crisis that could affect Spain’s stability and electoral landscape.
How this story developed
- Aug 21 Spanish police detain five suspected migrant smugglers operating from Ceuta
- Sep 8 The Spanish Interior Ministry confirmed that its communications unit created a confidential dossier ranking dozens of journalists by political orientation and stance toward Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s government.
- Sep 8 Alberto Núñez Feijóo says the government will release a trimmed version of the pre-invasion reports on Ceuta, omitting key details.
- Sep 8 The Council of Ministers scheduled a vote on declassification Tuesday, with the documents to be released to the public on Wednesday.
- Sep 9 Ceuta mayor‑president Juan Jesús Vivas publicly urged the EU to boost funding and security for the enclave’s border.
- Sep 9 The EU approved a financial package for Ceuta border controls and pledged additional Frontex support.
- Sep 9 The interior ministry publicly acknowledged creating the dossier.
- Sep 10 Government criticized for declassifying security alerts and for claiming the warning was only a low‑level WhatsApp message.
- Sep 10 Judge María Tardón filed a request for copies of the declassified intelligence reports.
- Sep 10 Regional economy minister asserted that the national government possessed advance intelligence on the Ceuta crossing and did not implement preventive measures.
- Sep 11 Czech and Hungarian leaders condemned the EU’s emergency aid for Ceuta.
- Sep 12 A police‑commissioned report described Moroccan border police as unusually sparse and granting migrants “total permission.”
- Sep 13 Minister Sira Rego urged autonomous communities to assume responsibility for Ceuta’s unaccompanied minors.
- Sep 13 The foreign minister announced an urgent trip to Brussels for talks with EU officials.
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