A Luxury Villa Instead of Ceuta

Off on Vacation After a “Lightning Visit” by Private Jet

No sign of normal life: Migrants have settled near a warehouse in Ceuta.(Bild: Krone-Collage/EPA/REDUAN, AFP/JORGE GUERRERO)

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has left for a vacation in Lanzarote following his “lightning visit” to Ceuta. While emergency responders were recovering bodies from the sea in the wake of the historic migrant surge, the Socialist was sharing music recommendations for the summer on social media...

Conservative and right-wing forces in Spain, in particular, are now using the incident to launch an attack against the left-wing prime minister. He reportedly spent just two hours on Saturday in “overrun” Ceuta before making a quick exit—and the next day flew by private jet to Lanzarote to continue his vacation with his family.

There, he is now relaxing for three weeks at his usual vacation spot, the state villa “La Mareta” in the tourist town of Costa Teguise, as Spanish media unanimously report. Historic waves of migrants and massive wildfires really take their toll.

Music Recommendations to Combat the Crisis
Critics point out that Sánchez is now staying in a luxurious estate with a pool, tennis court, and direct access to the sea, while off the coast of Ceuta, bodies are still floating in the water and migrants are sleeping on the beaches. The Socialist also did himself no favors with a social media post. Shortly after arriving at the opulent villa, he passionately discussed his favorite summer music in an Instagram post—including hits by Madonna and the Rolling Stones.

For many Spaniards, this was a slap in the face given the still-dramatic situation. This is not what de-escalating public relations looks like. The Spanish government has declared the emergency on the ground to be over. Up to 60,000 migrants had stormed the North African exclave. According to official reports, nearly all of them have returned to Morocco.

Chaotic Conditions in Ceuta
That is true. But the truth is also that there are still many new illegal arrivals in Ceuta. On Monday, the city government spoke of thousands. However, no one can say for sure. Of course, no one was keeping track when the city was overrun. One thing is certain: there is no sign of a return to normal life, as the latest images from the state broadcaster RTVE show (see tweet below).

The opposition is up in arms over the prime minister’s behavior. Carmen Fúnez of the conservative People’s Party (PP) is quoted by *The Telegraph* as saying: “While Ceuta suffers, Sánchez is on vacation. There is nothing more cruel than denying reality.” PP parliamentary group leader Cuca Gamarra commented ironically on X that Sánchez must be “playing his playlist at full volume so he doesn’t have to hear reality.”

The mayor of Toledo, Carlos Velázquez, expressed deep concern in an interview with the Spanish newspaper “ABC” that a head of government would be devoting himself to music recommendations the day after one of the “greatest national crises of the last 30 years.” 

No sign of everyday life: Migrants have settled near a warehouse in Ceuta.(Bild: Krone-Collage/EPA/REDUAN, AFP/JORGE GUERRERO)

Migrants are being transported by truck toward Morocco.(Bild: AP/Antonio Sempere)

A man cries after being stopped while attempting to reach Ceuta. Rumors persist on social media that the borders have been opened.(Bild: AP/STR)

With Pedro Sánchez having gone on vacation, conservative forces view any basis for cross-party cooperation as frozen. The government and the opposition accuse each other of refusing to work and showing a lack of interest in implementing immediate measures following the Ceuta disaster. “It’s simply ‘very difficult to reach an agreement with someone who has gone on vacation, disregards the citizens, and lets them down,’” opposition voices are quoted as saying in *El País*. Political commentators also noted smugly that the security zone around Sánchez’s vacation home, with some 40 to 70 elite security personnel, is more heavily guarded than the European external border in North Africa. 

Schieder Defends Sánchez’s Policy
Others find this logic insufficient. They argue that conservatives in Europe are downplaying Morocco’s role. The *New York Times*, for example, reported that Rabat had actively supported the influx. 

SPÖ EU delegation leader Andreas Schieder criticized the “hysterical behavior of some” at a press conference on Monday. He said we must not allow ourselves to be blackmailed by Morocco. The country must take its people back and “put a stop to these recurring actions.”

The Social Democrat sees a desire to defame Sánchez. Apparently, the aim is to criticize socialist-led Spain, even though the country has “the lowest inflation in all of Europe as well as massive economic growth.”

“This agitation on the part of some—for example, in discussions about whether to suspend the Schengen Agreement—is completely inappropriate and has only caused anxiety among European citizens,” Schieder cautioned voices critical of Spain from other member states: “The people were in Ceuta and not even close to anywhere where a Schengen border would have been affected.”

One crisis follows another
For Sánchez, the new discussions come at an inopportune time. His minority Socialist government is politically weakened, under massive pressure due to corruption scandals, and trails the conservative PP in current polls. Spain will hold new elections in 2027.

Sources close to the prime minister have emphasized that taking a vacation does not mean he is unable to perform his duties. But this is unlikely to calm the seething Spanish public.