Deadlock in negotiations in Gibraltar

Posted On: December 18, 2022

On 28 November, X round of negotiations between the EU and the UK regarding Gibraltar took place in London, which ended without a positive outcome as the Union’s distrust of its former member remained, which had violated the Protocol on Northern Ireland that both parties had. agreed. Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, he had tampered with the machine before the meeting to try to close the deal. Thus, on 10 November, he urged the head of the community delegation, Maros Sefcovic, to intensify contact with the British delegation, as he was under the impression that Britain was in favor of reaching an agreement, a wish that was more pious on a voluntary basis than in reality. In an interview, Albares stated that there was an expansion of Schengen to Gibraltarthe Spanish police need to control its borders, although he added that his government accepted that, for the first four years, Spanish security forces would be assisted by FRONTEX agents. The European Commission has put forward a global and balanced proposal which the UK must accept. A level playing field must be established so that the prosperity of some does not come at the expense of others, and an agreement must be reached to physically remove the fences and lay the foundations for a space of shared prosperity between Gibraltar and its country. environment.

On the 26th, Albares summoned the Campo de Gibraltar authorities to sell the one-eyed donkey belonging to the commons. It has -according to Eric Martel– the “riot” defended by the British against all odds, a lie which – by no means repeated – has become the official truth, which had been assumed by the Spanish Government. Gibraltarians have a per capita income of €92,000 and an unemployment rate of 3%, while their neighbors are €16,391 and 32%. Statistically, the average can be done, but in reality it is unfortunately not possibleand – given the benefits – the people of Gibraltar will become richer and the people of Ilanitos poorer.

On 14 December, the British Foreign Secretary, James Cleverly, met in Madrid with his Spanish counterpart, who was full of unjustified optimism, declaring that a deal was imminent, although the latter stated that there were still points to be drawn, pitfalls that must be overcome. and edges for polishing. Chairman of the Gibraltar City Council, Fabian Picardo, repeated his deniability thesis by stating that “Gibraltar will in no way be an extension of the Schengen area”.

According to Javier Chaparro in “Europa Sur”, the main obstacles to the agreement were border controls by Spanish agents, the refusal of Gibraltarians to respect community regulations on fiscal and environmental issues, discrimination in workers’ pensions, and the existence of an air force navy. base in the colony. The first -most important- blocked the deal, as Britain refused to accept the presence of Spanish security forces at Gibraltar’s port and airport.

The near-term outlook is not encouraging, as 2023 will be an election year in Spain and Gibraltar, and political and economic instability continues in Great Britain. Albares rightly stated that the current situation could not be maintained indefinitely. The European Commission has so far turned a blind eye, by not installing proper controls to the outer borders of the Union waiting for a deal to be struck, but it could not go on like this and – with little chance of success – it would have to settle for it sooner rather than later.