Former Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has labeled the government's decision to temporarily suspend the Schengen Agreement regarding freedom of movement with Spain, citing the ongoing migration crisis, as "shameful."
According to the Operative Information Center-OMM, citing international media reports, the criticism highlights growing political friction over migration management policies within the European Union.
Conte argued that since 2022, Italy has received a significantly higher number of migrants than Spain, suggesting that by the same logic, other European nations could have justified closing their borders with Italy. "In reality, Italy slapped Spain purely for propaganda purposes. How could these migrants even reach Italy? Ceuta is located in Africa; they have not even entered Spanish territory yet," the former prime minister emphasized.
The Italian government's decision has faced significant backlash, including from the opposition Democratic Party. Notably, the Democratic Party shares the same political faction in the European Parliament as the Socialist Party, led by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. The Schengen Area, which allows for the free movement of people across most EU member states, is a cornerstone of European integration, and its suspension—even temporarily—is frequently a subject of intense debate regarding national security versus the principle of open borders.
