“This crisis can only be resolved with cooperation,” he insisted. “Showing a lack of confidence in Morocco will only aggravate this situation.”
Governmental turbulence
Sánchez denied the suggestion that his government had ignored intelligence warnings and downplayed the growing rifts within his government regarding who knew what and when.
Last week, Defense Minister Margarita Robles told lawmakers in the Spanish parliament that the National Intelligence Center — which handles foreign and domestic intelligence as well as counterintelligence — had alerted national authorities that a surge could take place. The statement contradicted those made by Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska, who has systematically insisted the government had no way of knowing such a crisis could take place.
In his statements on Monday, Sánchez attempted to strike a compromise, saying that while intelligence services had detected an increase in illegal entries into Ceuta in the days preceding the crisis, none of the alerts they issued predicted its magnitude.
He also rejected the criticism he received for going on vacation in the immediate aftermath of the crisis, saying: “Even politicians have the right to rest, but I can assure you that the prime minister does not disconnect.”
Sánchez has previously stated he will not only stand for reelection but that he intends to remain in power for years to come. On Monday, however, he struck a less confident tone, saying he would be willing to run for reelection if his Socialist Party selects him as its candidate next year.
The prime minister added that his “intention is to complete the term” that concludes next year, but he declined to rule out calling snap elections ahead of the nationwide local and regional votes scheduled for next May.
While conceding that “change is always good,” Sánchez warned of the possibility of the far-right Vox party coming to power. “We are talking about a regression that has been seen in other parts of the world and that I, of course, am going to fight tooth and nail to prevent from happening in our country.”
