But His Government Is Responsible for How It Has Managed Relations Over Eight Years, and for Failures Exposed by the Current Crisis

Sánchez isn't to blame for Morocco being a difficult neighbor, an autocracy, or for Rabat's claims on Ceuta, Melilla, and the Sahara. But his government is responsible for how it has managed relations over eight years, and for failures exposed by the current crisis. Authorities in Ceuta warned of unsustainable irregular arrivals days before the mass influx; the executive didn't respond.

If unusual social media activity was key, intelligence should have caught it. The policy of appeasement has failed, yet ministers praise the same state that encouraged the mass entry. The government's isolation in Europe is also its own doing: the mass regularization ran counter to EU priorities, and now complaining about others' lack of solidarity looks like a tantrum.