Majority of Spaniards unhappy with government's handling of Ceuta crisis, poll shows

Jerusalem Post/World NewsOnly 14.2% rated Sanchez's handling of the crisis positively, while two-thirds of respondents said his response was too slow.Follow us on GoogleMigrants wait in line to receive food and beverage from the Red Cross, following mass crossings of migrants on foot and by sea from Morocco into Spanish territory, in Ceuta, Spain, August 3, 2026. (photo credit: REUTERS/VIOLETA SANTOS MOURA)SEPTEMBER 7, 2026 13:41Nearly nine in 10 Spaniards blame Morocco for the mass migrant crossings into Ceuta in late July, while a majority rate Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's handling of the crisis as "bad" or "very bad," according to an opinion poll released on Monday that also showed a drop in support for Sanchez's party.The 40dB poll of 2,000 people for El Pais newspaper and radio station SER also recorded an increase in voting intentions for the conservatives and the anti-immigration, far-right Vox party, in line with several other polls conducted after the deadly border surge into Spain's North African enclave.For 89% of respondents, Morocco bore the most responsibility for the crisis, followed by human-trafficking groups (75%), the spread of disinformation on social media (74%), the migrants who decided to cross (73%) and the Spanish government (72%), the 40dB poll found.Only 14.2% rated Sanchez's handling of the crisis positively, with two-thirds of those surveyed saying his response was too slow.Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez speaks during a session to address the mass crossing of migrants into the enclave of Ceuta in late July, at the parliament in Madrid, Spain, September 3, 2026. (credit: REUTERS/SUSANA VERA)Support for Sanchez falls following CeutaThe combined voting intentions for the conservative People's Party and Vox hit 50.2%, leading their potential right-wing alliance to breach the 50% mark for the first time in an opinion poll during this legislature. The center-left bloc fell to 36.1%.The PP rose to 32.4%, from 32% in the previous 40dB poll in July, and Vox to 17.8% from 17.2%, while Sanchez's Socialist Party dipped to 27.6% from 28%.About 27% of respondents named Vox as the most capable party on the issue of immigration, ahead of the Socialists at 18.4% and the PP at 13.9%.Seven out of 10 chose tighter border controls over protecting vulnerable migrants, and 82% backed increasing fences and surveillance at Spain's borders.Follow us on Google