Border disputes, ultimatums and theatrics between Spain and Italy

The dispute between the Italian and Spanish governments, which found an opportunity to manifest itself openly in the events surrounding the arrival of tens of thousands of Moroccans in Ceuta, stems from a profound divergence in political views on migration issues, exacerbated by the fact that both governments are facing elections next year. This, of course, encourages a propagandistic tone.

Essentially, the Italian government has always regarded the mass regularisation of migrants in Spain as a means of undermining Europe’s ability to control illegal immigration, an issue on which European institutions have also expressed criticism on several occasions. Pedro Sánchez responds with somewhat spurious comparisons between the situations in the two countries, arguing that Giorgia Meloni’s restrictive policy is a failure.

On the issue of Ceuta, then, both sides are playing a game of three-card monte: Italy, along with other European countries, maintains that entry into the Spanish exclave constitutes a violation of European borders, because, obviously, as part of Spain, Ceuta is part of the European Union; whilst Spain retorts that the migrants have not entered Europe, referring to geographical Europe.

Even the dispute over the decision – which is, incidentally, entirely questionable – to unilaterally suspend the Schengen Agreement is, in reality, largely a matter of image. In fact, Spanish citizens and European citizens travelling from Spain have encountered no problems at the Italian borders, whereas non-European travellers arriving from Spain are required to undergo checks, a measure which has no major practical consequences. However, it provided an opportunity for Rome to flex its muscles, and for Madrid to respond with an ultimatum, which was scornfully rejected.

In reality, this too is a matter of just a few days’ difference, and it is not entirely clear what ‘consequences’ Sánchez is threatening. All parties are attempting to secure some (dubious) propaganda points. Both are making a fair number of fools of themselves.