“Sebta is neither Spanish nor European”: Italian MEP sparks uproar in Spain

“Sebta is not Spain. Sebta is not Europe.” Ilaria Salis spoke these words on Tuesday, 15 September, before the European Parliament, during a debate devoted to the migration crisis in the city.

“Geographically, it is Africa and, historically, it is a vestige of European colonialism,” continued the Italian lawmaker, whose intervention was reported by Telecinco.

A member of the left-wing group The Left, Ilaria Salis believes that the analysis of the crisis must start from this geographical and historical situation. She also accused part of the European right of using the events that occurred in Sebta as an operation of “racist and nationalist propaganda.”

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The MEP then shared the video of her intervention herself, accompanied by a message stating that “someone had to say it” in a debate that still appeared to her to be dominated by a colonial vision.

Her statements immediately sparked controversy in Spain. Several media outlets and political figures denounced a direct challenge to Spanish sovereignty. Salis’s presence in the same European group as Spanish formations such as Podemos and Sumar also fueled attacks against the Spanish left.

The European Parliament adopts the opposite position

The text was approved by 339 votes to 225, with 16 abstentions. It received the support of the European People’s Party, Renew Europe and the right-wing and far-right groups, while the left voted against, reports RTVE.

The resolution, which is not legally binding, describes the events of 30 and 31 July as an “invasion” and a “hybrid attack.” It also calls on Morocco to respect Spanish sovereignty and assume its responsibilities regarding border control, after 72,000 crossings were recorded from Moroccan territory.

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The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, had also taken the opposite view from Salis, declaring that “Sebta is Spain” and “Sebta is Europe.” Within forty-eight hours, the enclave was thus described as a colonial vestige by an MEP before receiving the explicit support of the majority of the European Parliament.

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