Vox leader claims government is delaying King Felipe VI's trip to Ceuta to weaken the Crown
Santiago Abascal says the Spanish government is slowing the monarch's visit to Ceuta to undermine the monarchy and accuses Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez of colluding with Morocco.
Santiago Abascal, leader of the far-right Vox party, asserted that the Spanish government is intentionally delaying King Felipe VI's scheduled visit to Ceuta in order to weaken the institution of the monarchy. He reiterated his claim that Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez aims to supplant the king and is effectively "bought" by Morocco's ruler Mohamed VI. During a televised interview, Abascal urged fellow deputies to gather the absolute majority needed to trigger article 102 of the Constitution, which would permit the Supreme Court to examine Sánchez for alleged treason, noting that any vote would be secret.
He also referenced a recent physical attack on him in Tarragona, describing it as part of a pattern of violence against Vox members. Abascal condemned the government's stance on the Ceuta border, accusing it of sending mixed signals to Morocco and illegal migrants, and praised a recent EU resolution that labeled the situation an invasion. He called for the immediate return of undocumented migrants, especially minors, to their countries of origin.
Why it matters
The statements highlight deep political tensions in Spain over the monarchy, immigration policy, and accusations of treason against the prime minister.
How this story developed
- Aug 21 Spanish police detain five suspected migrant smugglers operating from Ceuta
- 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 11 Gonzalo Sanz, chief of staff to the Government delegate in Ceuta, stepped down after receiving CNI alerts about a massive migrant arrival.
- 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.
- Sep 16 The Guardia Civil raided a cramped apartment on Real street in central Ceuta, finding 25 migrants - six of them minors - living in squalid conditions.
- Sep 18 The Audiencia Nacional's Contentious‑Administrative Chamber approved the use of Ceuta port for a temporary migrant shelter.
- Sep 18 The government and defence ministry secured an unprecedented public clarification from the CNI regarding the pre‑surge intelligence alert.
- Sep 18 about 850 migrants were settled in 50 tents at the port while others returned to beach camps
- Sep 19 The port camp filled within hours, leaving many migrants still without shelter on the streets and beaches.
- Sep 20 Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez publicly shifted blame onto Ceuta mayor Juan Jesús Vivas during a press encounter, intensifying the political dispute.
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