Pedro Sánchez denied being on holiday during the migration crisis in Ceuta and said he continued working while staying with his family at an official state residence. The Spanish prime minister made the comment in an interview with host Jordi Wild ahead of the parliamentary elections on 29 November.
“A prime minister is on the front line 24 hours a day, seven days a week. I worked the entire time,” Sánchez said. He added that he had been at a state residence but had carried out his duties “full-time”.
Ceuta and the railway incidents
The conversation raised the issue of the crisis in Ceuta, during which a large number of migrants entered the Spanish autonomous city. Sánchez said the Spanish government had no information that the entry of more than 80,000 people was being prepared and that there had been no grounds to blame the entire Moroccan government for what happened.
He acknowledged that the crisis “was not managed well” but defended his cabinet’s actions. According to him, the choice at the time had been between using force and accepting the people.
Sánchez also commented on the railway incidents in Adamuz and Urdа. He said that what had happened in Adamuz had still not been fully clarified, while the information regarding Urdа was clearer. The prime minister defended Óscar Puente for taking public responsibility and proposing solutions.
“The railway system in our country is safe,” Pedro Sánchez said.Corruption and his former associates
Speaking about the corruption scandals, Sánchez said that the issue “makes him ashamed”. He admitted that he had considered José Luis Ábalos a friend but said he had not known about his alleged “double life”.
“I did not know that José Luis used prostitutes,” the prime minister said. He clarified that his relationship with Koldo García had been limited, while he had maintained closer contact with Ábalos and Santos Cerdán.
Sánchez also commented on the case involving former prime minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero. According to him, Zapatero does not want to keep the valuables found in the safe in his office. “I would put my hand in the fire for José Luis. I believe in his innocence,” he said.
Housing and political changes
At the end of the interview, Sánchez said that between 120,000 and 130,000 public housing units were in the process of being allocated to citizens. He reiterated his 2023 commitment to build 180,000 homes and said that state intervention in the rental market was already beginning to produce results.
The prime minister was also asked about the changes in his positions on the amnesty and the Catalan conflict. Sánchez admitted that he had “evolved” on these issues. He also defended his position on Western Sahara, saying that it was consistent with the UN resolution.