The management of the Ceuta crisis alarmed the PSOE, with party members expressing concern about the political impact. Neither Pedro Sánchez's media offensive to defend the Government's management nor the declassification of secret documents managed to calm internal tensions. The phrase "we cannot shoot ourselves in the foot" summarizes the sense of alarm among the socialists.
The Government's investment partners also raised their criticisms during the congressional plenary, going so far as to demand resignations. These allies of the executive showed themselves to be unhappy with the way the situation was managed, increasing the pressure on the executive.
Within the Council of Ministers itself, a clash emerged between the Interior and Defense ministries. The disagreement centered on whether or not there were prior alerts from the National Intelligence Center (CNI) about the crisis.
Defense Minister Margarita Robles ended up softening her position, classifying what happened as "a phenomenon of a magnitude that was not foreseeable." Without failing to call for self-criticism, acknowledging that "we all must learn and draw lessons," she appealed for unity and asked that the discrepancies be left behind.
