Right-wing parties surge as Sánchez faces mounting pressure over Ceuta crisis
Commentary warns that Pedro Sánchez’s government is losing ground after the Ceuta border incident, while the right, especially Vox, gains parliamentary seats.
The author contends that the left’s pressure on the political system will trigger a strong reaction from voters, pushing them toward the right. The recent crisis in Ceuta, where a Moroccan-backed crowd crossed the border and the government appeared to abandon the response, is portrayed as a turning point that undermines Sánchez’s credibility. Polls cited by Target Point show Vox increasing to 66-67 seats, siphoning votes from both the PP and PSOE.
Together, the PP and Vox already hold more than 200 seats and are targeting a 210-seat threshold that would give them three-fifths of the Congress, enough to dismantle Sánchez’s agenda and even alter the constitution. The article suggests that Sánchez will continue to run, but his prospects are bleak as the right accelerates like a Formula 1 car while his campaign resembles a Flintstones vehicle.
Why it matters
It highlights a potential shift in Spain’s parliamentary balance that could reshape future policies and the constitution.
How this story developed
- Aug 21 Spanish police detain five suspected migrant smugglers operating from Ceuta
- Sep 6 The port authority’s board issued a report contesting the tent placement after the government’s takeover.
- 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 The PSOE will vote Thursday to grant Spanish nationality to Sahrawis born under Spanish rule, despite worries about Morocco’s reaction after a recent influx of migrants into Ceuta.
- 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 An official investigation into the fire's origin has been opened.
- Sep 12 A police‑commissioned report described Moroccan border police as unusually sparse and granting migrants “total permission.”
- Sep 13 The citizenship proposal cleared the Justice Committee and is now scheduled for a full congressional vote.
In this story
Related stories
51 in this thread