“Ceuta is neither Spain nor Europe”. The anger of the Spanish people towards Ilaria Salis

“Ceuta is not Spain, Ceuta is not Europe.” This is how Ilaria Salis began her speech in Strasbourg during a debate on the need for a coordinated response from Member States to protect the EU’s external borders. For the MEP, the issue would not even arise, given that the Spanish enclave “is geographically part of Africa and historically a remnant of European colonialism”. 

Even the tragic story of those who died whilst attempting to reach Ceuta, as reported by Ilaria Salis, is said to be linked to “the infamy of geopolitics and the colonial spirit that still pervades Europe”; therefore, Europe would have no right to “restrict freedom of movement, even on the African continent”. 

In short, this stands in stark contrast to what Ursula von der Leyen had reiterated the day before, when she described all external borders as “European borders”, concluding with “Ceuta is Spain, Ceuta is Europe”.

The first reaction to Ilaria Salis’s remarks came from Javier Zarzalejos, a Spanish MEP from the EPP, who condemned her statements to applause from the chamber. Another Spanish MEP, Adrián Vázquez Lazara, Vice-Chair of the European Parliament’s Committee on Constitutional Affairs, then spoke on X, recalling the allegations against Ilaria Salis and rejecting her attempt to rewrite Spanish history. 

The official statement from the Spanish People’s Party has finally been released: “Defending its territorial integrity means defending the entire European Union. We cannot tolerate mass illegal entry, nor can we allow migration to be used as a weapon against our Member States. Enough is enough! Europe’s external borders must be protected!”