Spain’s socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has ignited a firestorm across Europe by unilaterally legalizing over 500,000 illegal migrants through a royal decree, granting residency to those who’ve resided in the country for just five months or more. This reckless move not only rewards lawbreakers but paves the way for these individuals to gain EU citizenship and exploit Schengen’s free-movement rules, dumping the burden on neighboring nations already battling migration crises.
Critics slam the amnesty as a betrayal of European sovereignty, where one leftist government’s folly binds the entire bloc. German journalist Wolfgang Osinski blasted Sánchez and his ilk for “irresponsibly initiating irreversible developments” that erode shared values. Swedish Democrats MP Josef Fransson called it “absolutely insane,” warning that new EU citizens could freely relocate for work or residence: “Thanks, Spain!” Belgian MEP Tom Vandendriessche (Vlaams Belang) pinned the blame on the EU’s flawed structure, accusing it of “holding our country and our population hostage” to such unilateral disasters.
Former UK aide to Margaret Thatcher, Nile Gardiner, declared Europe is “destroying itself.” Even former Spanish MEP Eva Poptcheva urged EU-level coordination for such large-scale regularizations, noting Spanish residence implies bloc-wide freedom of movement. This decree exemplifies leftist disregard for borders, fueling pull factors that overwhelm public services, strain economies, and threaten cultural cohesion amid rising anti-immigration sentiments.
As right-wing leaders in Germany, Sweden, and beyond tighten controls, Sánchez’s amnesty exposes the EU’s Achilles’ heel: porous policies that prioritize invaders over citizens’ safety and heritage. This betrayal demands urgent reforms to reclaim national control and halt the demographic onslaught.