PP leader Feijóo demands CNI testimony and enters Ceuta court case

Senate summons for intelligence chief

On 29 August 2026, Popular Party leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo opened the political term in Galicia by demanding that National Intelligence Centre director Esperanza Casteleiro appear before the Senate. Speaking before more than 1,000 party officials and supporters at the Carballeira de San Xusto in Cerdedo-Cotobade, Feijóo demanded a full accounting of what the central government knew prior to the entry of migrants into Ceuta on 30 July 2026. Feijóo pointed directly to contradictory explanations within the executive branch, contrasting statements from the Defence Minister regarding intelligence alerts sent to the Civil Guard and the National Police with denials from government spokespersons. He insisted that Casteleiro must commit to truthfulness before the upper house to clarify the exact dates of intelligence warnings.

The Defence Minister says that the intelligence services informed the Police, the Civil Guard, and the Government, and the Government says that the minister is not telling the truth. It is obvious that someone is lying, although I believe everyone is lying.

Legal intervention in the National Court

Beyond the parliamentary initiative, Feijóo announced that the Popular Party will formally appear as an interested party in the judicial proceedings opened at Spain's National Court. The legal case before the Audiencia Nacional investigates the administrative management surrounding the crossing of 80,000 irregular migrants from Morocco. Feijóo argued that public officials responsible for what he termed state abandonment must face legal accountability in court. He emphasized that the legal filing aims to establish administrative responsibility across the executive branch, asserting that institutional omissions during the border crisis cannot remain without consequences.

How are we going to accept that the greatest crisis of sovereignty and national integrity has no consequences!

Border strains and conditions in Ceuta

The opposition leader addressed the social and institutional conditions in Ceuta, where government estimates indicate around 5,000 migrants remain four weeks after the initial crossing. Feijóo claimed that local residents face public service saturation and expressed concern about families hesitating to send children back to school for the upcoming academic year. Defending the police and military units deployed to the autonomous city, Feijóo asserted that the security forces fulfilled their duties but were left without sufficient equipment or legal protection by central authorities. He reiterated that Ceuta and Melilla remain core territorial responsibilities of the Spanish state that require active border defense and administrative support.

Parliamentary pressure on the governing coalition

Feijóo also extended political responsibility for the border response to the parliamentary partners supporting Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez in the Congress of Deputies. He stated that allied parties that now issue public criticisms cannot separate themselves from executive outcomes after repeatedly backing the government. Looking ahead to future general elections, Feijóo presented his party as prepared to replace the current administration, referencing the 2023 electoral outcome and pledging to secure a governing majority. He concluded that the dual legal and parliamentary offensive in Madrid will maintain pressure on the administration until the full timeline of government actions is disclosed.