The Ceuta crisis is not merely a migration crisis. It is a political attack on Spain and on the European Union, the cost of which is being borne by tens of thousands of people.
It is yet another manufactured emergency, a hybrid attack against the Union carried out by criminal organisations, apparently with the blessing of the Moroccan government, made possible by the European governments' two-decade-long inability to manage the structural phenomenon of migration. This phenomenon touches upon the fundamental values of our European political community: security, human dignity, solidarity, and hospitality.
Ceuta presents Europe with three fundamental challenges.
The first is the humanitarian challenge. Thousands of people are currently living in dramatic conditions, without adequate assistance and often without any prospect for the future. Protecting human dignity is not an optional principle; it is one of the European Union's founding values.
The second is a security challenge. A community of just 85,000 inhabitants is being forced to cope with a sudden and extraordinary influx of people. Ensuring public order and protecting citizens are duties of both national and European institutions.
The third is a political challenge. When a Member State is subjected to organised migratory pressure exploited for geopolitical purposes, it is not only that country that comes under attack. It is the European Union as a whole.
Faced with this situation, the Italian government has two possible courses of action. It can contribute to fuelling controversy and division, thereby playing into the hands of those who orchestrated the crisis in order to weaken European cohesion. Or it can show solidarity with Spain by supporting the Sánchez government despite political differences. Before being a socialist, Sánchez is the head of government of a Member State, as well as a political and economic partner of Italy.
By doing so, Italy would affirm a simple yet powerful principle: when Europe is under pressure, Europeans stand together. This is the strongest deterrent against future attacks, the best way to prevent threats to local communities, and ultimately the most effective means of saving the lives of those who pay the highest price.
Security, solidarity, and humanity are not contradictory values. On the contrary, they reinforce one another. A Europe that is better able to welcome people with humanity, control its borders, and combat traffickers and external manipulation is a safer Europe.
If Meloni wants to defeat Vannacci, she should not try to outbid him on his own terrain. Political history teaches us that competing with extremists on their own terms invariably strengthens them. What is needed instead is a European response: united, humane, and capable of combining security with solidarity.
In Ceuta, the very idea of Europe is being defended. And this is a moment for unity, not division