King Felipe VI held an unusually long official meeting with Ceuta President Juan Jesús Vivas at Marivent Palace to signal support for Spain's African enclaves.
The meeting at Marivent Palace served as a clear message to King Mohammed VI of Morocco. As supreme commander of the Armed Forces under the Spanish Constitution, King Felipe demonstrated explicit backing for the constitutional status of Spain's African territories on an equal footing with all Spanish communities.
Authorities in Rabat and the Spanish public understood the gesture amid concern over the accommodating attitude of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez toward Morocco. Sánchez thanked Moroccan leaders for limiting border arrivals to 70,000 people, including more than 1,000 children and adolescents.
Sánchez clashed with close European Union partners such as Italy and Germany while seeking to downplay the actions of the Moroccan kingdom. The Spanish public recognizes the government's tendency to shift external challenges into internal disputes with the political opposition.
Government Approval for Royal Travels
Citizens broadly agree that King Felipe acted within his constitutional boundaries during the Ceuta crisis, as foreign relations and national security belong exclusively to the executive branch. A promised royal visit to Ceuta and Melilla cannot take place until Prime Minister Sánchez authorizes it on the official agenda.
Minister Óscar López stated that the royal trip to Ceuta and Melilla would happen when the timing was opportune. Ceuta and Melilla are the only two autonomous communities King Felipe has not visited as head of state, while Moroccan expansionist goals continue to target Spanish territories in North Africa and the Canary Islands.
