Margarita Robles becomes Spain's longest-serving Defense Minister

Margarita Robles has become the longest-serving Minister of Defense in Spanish democracy, surpassing the previous record held by Narcís Serra. Having served eight years and three months, the professional judge and former Secretary of State for the Interior reaches this milestone amidst political tension regarding the Ceuta crisis.

Robles has maintained a distinct position within the government concerning the National Intelligence Centre (CNI) and the mass migration events in Ceuta. While other members of the executive, including Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska, suggested there were no formal prior warnings, Robles defended the intelligence services. Declassified documents revealed that the CNI had sent alerts via WhatsApp to the Ceuta Government Delegation and the Civil Guard, though the government criticized these as not being ‘formal’ alerts.

Aligning with the CNI, Robles described the scale of the events as ‘unpredictable’ and has expressed a willingness for self-criticism, stating that ‘everything can be done better.’