Meloni and Frederiksen lead a new attack on Sánchez for massive regularization: "Some are capable of replacing the population with immigrants just to remain in the Government"

In the diplomatic sphere there is little doubt: numerous sources consulted fear or predict that this afternoon there will be another intense clash between the Prime Minister of Italy, Giorgia Meloni, and the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, during the European Council. The reason, migration, the Ceuta crisis and massive regularization, which is something that Rome does not forget.

She is expected to be joined by the Prime Minister of Denmark, Mette Frederiksen, who already in the last meeting of leaders before the summer brought the immigration issue up for debate and opened the discussion in which Sánchez and Meloni later clashed strongly. "I have asked the Commission to investigate what happens if a country does practically the opposite of the others. If you enter a country illegally and, suddenly, you are allowed to do what is legal. I think that goes against the immigration policy that has the broad support of the majority in Europe," said the Dane, this Friday upon her arrival at the European Council, in clear reference to Spain.

"Yes," they respond from a northern country when asked if they expect there to be a new disagreement after the one that also occurred with the cross-application of Schengen controls after the invasion of Ceuta.

"I would not be surprised if several leaders raised the issue of pull factors, and the need to continue reducing incentives for irregular immigration," they add from another country. That is nothing other than massive regularization. And from a third country they are even more explicit: "Italy and Denmark are willing to stand up and enter into confrontation. To seek a clash."

But it is not only these two countries that criticize Spain's immigration policy. Representatives of Austria and the Czech Republic have also criticized her with harsh words. The Czech Prime Minister, Andrej Babi, has been very harsh against Sánchez: "Some politicians are capable of replacing the population with immigrants just to occupy those positions, to be in the Government."

Upon his arrival at the European Council, Sánchez defended the need, in the field of migration, to "carry out responsible management, supportive management, management in accordance with respect for the human rights of migration. This is what the government of Spain is doing."

The Ansa agency already announced on Thursday night that, indeed, Italy wants to address the issue. "In the same way that Italy has been accused for 15 years of generating pull factors, the responsibility of not encouraging illegal immigration falls on everyone. It is not about attacking a country, but rather expressing our opposition to certain decisions that can cause undesired consequences," this agency published, citing sources from the Italian Executive.

And also last night, from another country they pointed out that an "emotional" debate is expected and that the discontent is not only in Italy and Denmark. There are more countries that have not liked massive regularization and the knock-on effect that they believe it has caused.

The Spanish Government, for its part, had shown itself in recent days to be satisfied with the fact that, in the previous conclusions that have been handled these days and that are being worked on at the level of ambassadors, a direct reference to Ceuta is included. "The European Council highlights the particular situation of Ceuta and Melilla, which have the only land borders of the European Union on the African continent. Expresses its solidarity and support to Spain in the face of the massive and sudden entry of immigrants into Ceuta on July 30 and 31, 2026," the text says.

Sánchez himself celebrated it yesterday when he arrived at the Council. "To be grateful for the solidarity in relation to the crisis that we are suffering in Ceuta. To recognize the uniqueness of these two autonomous cities, which are not only the land border of Spain but also of Europe," said the President of the Government upon his arrival in Brussels.