CDU politician Johannes Volkmann has severely criticized Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, accusing him of promoting an “open-border policy” within Spain. Speaking to the TV channel Welt, Volkmann stated that responses from countries critical of Spain, such as Italy and Sweden, demonstrated that “patience with the European left on migration issues has run out.” He argued that pressure must be exerted not only on Morocco but also on Spain itself.
According to the CDU politician, there needs to be “two-way pressure.” Firstly, pressure must be put on the Spanish government, which has apparently failed to protect its external borders against the influx of migrants. Volkmann pointed out that despite significant internal political polarization, Sánchez has legalized over half a million people living illegally in Spain in recent months, effectively fighting for an open-border policy in his own country. This, he added, is also sending signals regarding willingness to accept migrants in other European nations.
Volkmann fully understands why colleagues in Italy and Sweden, as well as the Spanish opposition, would be calling for a change in Spanish policy. However, he stressed that this must be coupled with a readiness from Morocco to take migrants back. Therefore, he insists that pressure needs to be applied to both Madrid and Rabat.
Volkmann, who sits on the Migration Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, also reminded Sánchez of past actions, accusing him of having previously brought migrants from the Ceuta exclave into the EU. He warned that this should not happen again. While there is a return agreement between Spain and Morocco, Volkmann stated that there is now a clear expectation that those who arrive should not be further distributed across the European mainland-a practice he claimed Sánchez frequently engaged in in the past-but rather repatriated to Morocco.
In conclusion, Volkmann suggested that the patience of other European states and the Spanish opposition with Sánchez is dwindling. While he acknowledges that it would be positive if Madrid genuinely committed to protecting its external frontiers and sending refugees back to Morocco, he emphasized that the demands from Prime Minister Meloni and many others clearly signal that European tolerance for the political left on migration matters is exhausted.
