Madrid, Zarzuela and the Government have reported this Thursday that Felipe VI and Queen Letizia will visit Ceuta next October 13 and Melilla on October 14, a trip that comes one day after the celebration of the National Holiday and will take place after the massive entry of immigrants registered on July 30 in the autonomous city.
After that episode, the president of Ceuta, Juan Jesús Vivas, met with the head of state in Palma de Mallorca at the beginning of August and conveyed Felipe VI's desire to visit his city, while the Executive merely indicated that the visit would be organized when deemed appropriate.
Vox receives the visit "with great joy"
The spokesperson for Vox in Congress, Pepa Rodríguez de Millán, has assured that her party welcomes the news “with great joy” and has maintained that the Head of State's trip to the two autonomous cities is part of normality. After attending the inauguration of the XII Ibero-American Parliamentary Forum, presided over by the King in Congress, Rodríguez de Millán stressed that her party is “very happy” and that, in her opinion, “it is normal”.
The Vox spokesperson added, in reference to the visit, that her party considers it to be “normal”.
The Popular Party celebrates that the King can go
The spokesperson for the Popular Party in Congress, Ester Muñoz, has also expressed her satisfaction with the confirmation of the trip, stating that her party is “very happy” that the King will finally visit Ceuta and Melilla and that “the Government allows him to go”.
Muñoz responded in the Lower House, after Zarzuela and the Executive communicated the date of the visit. This is Felipe VI's first trip to these autonomous cities since his accession to the throne in June 2014.
The PP has been very critical since the outbreak of the massive entry of immigrants into Ceuta at the end of July that the Government did not allow the head of state to go after the monarch conveyed his desire to travel to the president of Ceuta, Juan Jesús Vivas, himself.
IU-Sumar considers the visit excellent, though late
The parliamentary spokesperson for Izquierda Unida and Sumar deputy in Congress, Enrique Santiago, has described as “excellent” the Kings' visit to Ceuta and Melilla on October 13 and 14, although he specified that “they should have done it a long time ago” after the crisis due to the massive entry of migrants at the end of June.
In statements in Congress, Santiago indicated that the visit had already been announced weeks ago, awaiting the specific date, and concluded his assessment with a clear statement: “We think it's excellent and they should have done it a long time ago”.
Felipe VI, excited to go to Ceuta
This Thursday, Felipe VI presided over the inauguration of the XII Ibero-American Parliamentary Forum in Congress and expressed his excitement to be able to go to Ceuta. The visit, agreed upon with the Government, will take place over two consecutive days and will place the monarch in the two autonomous cities for the first time since 2014.