Enrique Santiago asks to withdraw Spanish troops from Eastern Europe after the door slam of 22 governments over Ceuta

Enrique Santiago has taken the Ceuta crisis to NATO's eastern flank. The parliamentary spokesperson for Izquierda Unida and Sumar deputy has called for the withdrawal of Spanish troops deployed in five European countries after 22 community governments questioned Spain's migratory policy and linked some government decisions to the massive entry from Morocco.

Santiago has directly pointed to Slovakia, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, and Romania. The IU leader believes that Spain should review its participation in international missions developed in those countries and has announced that he will submit a formal request to bring the debate to the institutions.

"The 'allies' attacked us instead of defending us," the deputy wrote. Santiago accuses these 22 governments, which he describes as "Trumpists", of abandoning Spain in the face of the "hybrid attack" suffered in Ceuta and then responding with reproaches against the extraordinary regularization of migrants approved by the Government.

The signatory governments had warned that regularization could act as a "pull factor". They also linked the Ceuta crisis to the Supreme Court ruling that limits immediate returns of those who access Spanish territory by sea. Santiago interprets this letter as a political attack against Spain in the midst of a border emergency.

Sumar escalates its clash with the PSOE

The proposal comes as Sumar maintains an especially uncomfortable position within the Government regarding migration management. The minority partner has called for strengthening reception in Ceuta, protecting minors, and guaranteeing individual access to asylum, in contrast to an Interior response marked by border control and returns agreed with Morocco.

Movimiento Sumar has also taken the case to the United Nations. The party asked the special rapporteur on the Human Rights of Migrants to examine Morocco's possible responsibility in the massive exodus and the death of dozens of people who tried to reach Ceuta by swimming. The party sees signs of possible "active facilitation" by the Moroccan authorities, an accusation that the Government has avoided publicly endorsing.

The crisis has thus reopened an old rift with Fernando Grande-Marlaska. The PSOE's left-wing partners already questioned the returns made during the Ceuta crisis of 2021 and demanded accountability for the Melilla fence tragedy of 2022. Sumar is now again putting pressure from within the Council of Ministers, while Podemos openly calls for the resignation of the Interior Minister.

Santiago's request adds a front related to Margarita Robles and the Executive's foreign policy. Spain maintains NATO ground forces in Latvia, Slovakia, and Romania, with rotating contingents aimed at strengthening the Alliance's defensive capability after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The presence in Estonia and Lithuania is mainly linked to the Baltic air surveillance and policing missions.

Spain also plays a relevant role in the allied deployment and has assumed command responsibilities in Slovakia. A withdrawal would affect commitments agreed with NATO and would have to be decided by the Government, so Santiago's request alone lacks the capacity to modify deployments.

The initiative fits with the historical trajectory of Izquierda Unida, born around the mobilizations against Spain's permanence in NATO and in favor of leaving the Atlantic Alliance. The next step will be to check what parliamentary formula Santiago uses and whether the PSOE accepts debating the Spanish military presence in the countries that signed the letter against Spain.