Felipe VI to Visit Ceuta and Melilla After Years of Spanish Government Concern Over Morocco’s Reaction
Felipe VI had wanted to visit Ceuta for years. But Spanish governments feared a royal visit could trigger Moroccan reprisals. The trip is now scheduled: the king and Letizia will be in Ceuta on October 13, then in Melilla the following day.
According to La Vanguardia, the Moncloa feared a diplomatic, economic or migration-related response from Rabat. The newspaper explains that this concern long weighed on a trip the king wanted to make, as his official visits require the government’s approval.
On Bladi.net : King Felipe VI will visit Ceuta, “whether Morocco agrees or not”
Even after the mass arrivals in Ceuta in late July, Pedro Sánchez did not consider an immediate visit advisable. The king reportedly wanted to go earlier, but the government was seeking to avoid renewed tensions with Morocco. The newspaper describes difficult discussions between the prime minister’s office and the Zarzuela Palace.
The two institutions finally announced the trip on October 1, using the same text to underscore their agreement. Felipe VI will make his first official visit to the two cities since ascending the throne in 2014.
The plan, however, predates the summer crisis, EFE notes. Zarzuela and the Moncloa were already preparing it. The events of July gave the trip renewed significance: Madrid wants to show the state’s support for the two cities.
The 2007 visit remains fresh in people’s minds
The last visit by a Spanish monarch to Ceuta and Melilla took place in November 2007. Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofía sparked a diplomatic crisis with Rabat. Before their arrival, Morocco recalled its ambassador to Spain, Omar Azziman, for consultations.
Mohammed VI later condemned the visit. Nearly nineteen years later, the territorial dispute remains: Madrid considers the two cities Spanish, while Morocco disputes that sovereignty.
In September, José Manuel Albares nevertheless ruled out seeking Rabat’s permission for the visit. The Spanish foreign minister distinguished between potentially informing Morocco as a diplomatic courtesy and consulting it about whether the trip should go ahead.
On Bladi.net : Felipe VI wants to visit Ceuta, nineteen years after Mohammed VI’s anger
Pedro Sánchez will not accompany the royal couple. The government will be represented by Ángel Víctor Torres, minister for territorial policy, who is responsible for monitoring the crisis in Ceuta. The visit will begin on October 13, the day after Spain’s national holiday, followed by a stop in Melilla on October 14.
