Mobility disruptions in Barcelona during last Wednesday’s solar eclipse drew sharp criticism from ERC. Elisenda Alamany, the party’s secretary general and candidate for Barcelona City Hall, blamed the regional executive for inadequate planning and called its transport response a failure. She said the incident exposed a deeper disconnect between the government and residents’ daily concerns.
Speaking at the Festa Major de Gràcia, Alamany rejected the idea that the eclipse-related transport problems were isolated. She linked them to what she described as a wider pattern of mismanagement in public services, citing strikes and infrastructure bottlenecks. She also pointed to disappointing education results. In her words, repeated setbacks have left citizens feeling as if the government keeps them in a “permanent eclipse.”
Alamany warned that the accumulation of such incidents could damage the Catalan executive’s political standing and erode public confidence in institutions. Barcelona’s municipal police, the Guàrdia Urbana, planned a special deployment from 14:00 to 24:00 in areas expected to draw the largest crowds for the 2026 eclipse, information from El Nacional. Barcelona is expected to see a partial eclipse in 2026, not a total one. The deployment reflects preparations for crowd and traffic management, but it does not by itself measure disruption or service performance.
Alamany also addressed Ceuta and heightened security measures linked to cross-border movements. In a separate episode connected to the enclave’s migration crisis, Italy introduced checks on travelers arriving from Spain on 1 August, followed by Spanish checks on travelers arriving from Italy on 8 August. Anadolu Agency cited a Spanish government estimate of about 72,000 irregular crossings from Morocco into Ceuta on 30-31 July. The governments framed the measures as a Schengen border and security issue, as well as a migration matter.
Spain and Italy later agreed to end the reciprocal controls. Under the Schengen structure, temporary internal-border controls are exceptional measures that may be introduced in emergencies involving public order or national security, subject to notification requirements. The agreement restored ordinary movement between the two countries while preserving the legal possibility of temporary controls. Alamany criticized the Spanish government’s response and what she called Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s “paralysis,” and called for stronger European coordination on humanitarian challenges at the border.
In recent weeks, Spanish authorities have faced mounting pressure over their handling of regional and national crises. As noted in a related analysis, management failures in Ceuta have intensified public scrutiny of officials and fueled calls for greater accountability. Transport problems and labor unrest have become part of a broader political debate, while border tensions raise questions about public services and the effectiveness of current leadership.
Barcelona’s transport network serves large numbers of residents and visitors, making crowd management a basic concern during major events. Ceuta’s position as a Spanish enclave bordering Morocco has also made it a recurring focus of migration and security policy. Alamany’s remarks connect these distinct pressures to a broader argument about public administration, including preparedness, and trust in government.
