Vox seeks to activate Article 102 to investigate Sánchez for treason over Ceuta migrant crisis
Vox leader Santiago Abascal announced on 8 August 2026 that his party will seek to activate Article 102 of the Spanish Constitution to investigate Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and his cabinet for possible crimes of treason and against state security over the mass arrival of thousands of migrants in Ceuta from Morocco.
Vox calls for Article 102 activation
Vox leader Santiago Abascal announced on Saturday, 8 August 2026, that his party will promote the activation of the mechanism under Article 102 of the Spanish Constitution to investigate Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and members of his government for possible crimes of treason and against state security. The move stems from what Vox calls the "gravely serious facts" related to the recent crisis in Ceuta, where thousands of migrants from Morocco staged a mass assault on the Spanish enclave. Abascal published the announcement on his X account, stating that the party considers there are sufficient indications to justify a judicial investigation.
The party argues in a communiqué and social media posts that there are "indications and evidence more than sufficient" to open the procedure, citing in particular what it describes as the Sánchez government's prior knowledge of the impending arrival in Ceuta. Vox also demands the declassification of communications with Morocco regarding the crisis.
La traición de Pedro Sánchez a los españoles debe llevarse a los tribunales.
Constitutional requirements
Article 102 of the Spanish Constitution attributes jurisdiction to the Criminal Chamber of the Supreme Court to pursue criminal responsibility of the prime minister and cabinet members when the accusation concerns crimes of treason or against state security committed in the exercise of their functions. However, the procedure carries two procedural hurdles. First, the initiative must be presented by at least one-quarter of the members of the Congress of Deputies, meaning 88 deputies. Second, it must then be approved by an absolute majority of the chamber.
Vox holds only 32 seats in the lower house and therefore cannot launch the procedure on its own. The party has announced that it is placing its deputies "at the disposal" of any parliamentary groups willing to promote the constitutional initiative, and has made an express appeal to other political forces to allow the procedure to open so that the Supreme Court can determine whether criminal responsibilities exist.
Political landscape and precedent
The combined seats of Vox and the Popular Party (PP) led by Alberto Núñez Feijóo could meet the 88-deputy threshold for the initial proposal. However, the PP has never raised the prospect of initiating this type of investigation against the prime minister. Even if the first hurdle were cleared, the requirement for an absolute majority in Congress places the outcome beyond the control of the two main right-wing parties alone.
Vox has a track record of filing judicial complaints against government members during various crises. The party previously sought to investigate Sánchez for reckless homicide and failure to provide assistance over the management of the DANA flooding, and for reckless homicide over the previous summer's wildfires. The current request marks the first time Vox has sought to investigate the prime minister and his cabinet for possible crimes of treason and against state security.
Abascal visited Ceuta on 2 August 2026 to address the consequences of the migratory crisis, positioning himself in the Plaza de África as the crisis unfolded.
