Gibraltar Español

Once the main Spanish parties (less of course Podemos) and media have gotten over their excitement regarding Venezuela (and their criticism of each other for any possible hesitation in declaring Juan Guaidó as being the president of that country, rather than the unlikable but legal Nicolás Maduro), the Spanish focus on foreign issues may turn to the agreeable subject of post-Brexit Gibraltar.

As The Daily Telegraph has it, Spain is in discussion with its European partners that following a ‘no-deal’ Brexit, Gibraltar should be considered as ready for ‘decolonization in all coming EU legislation...’. El Mundo takes up the story: ‘...The United Kingdom, however, recognizes the Rock's right to self-determination and always recalls that 98.9% of Gibraltarians voted against the option of shared sovereignty in the 2002 referendum. The Daily Telegraph quotes the analyst Ignacio Molina from the Elcano Royal Institute, who alleges that Spain is trying to "show its post-Brexit power and influence so that the EU will adopt the language traditionally used by Spanish diplomacy on the Gibraltar question". EU sources have acknowledged that such a text, which refers to the "decolonisation" of Gibraltar, would be "unthinkable" if the UK had of been present. The negotiation of a supposed Hard Brexit (that’s to say: ‘without an agreement’) - is being carried out by the 27, with London away from the table...’.

Reuters is plainer still: ‘Spain will insist on excluding Gibraltar from all agreements between Britain and the European Union once Britain has left the European Union, Spanish diplomatic sources said on Tuesday. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has said Spain intends to revive its bid for shared sovereignty over Gibraltar, a British territory since 1713, after Brexit...’.

Interesting – if trite – thoughts ensue. Gibraltar, if it were to be returned to Spain, or became part of the EU, would be the only territory whose official language is English (well, ‘Gibraltarian’ anyway) as Ireland claims Gaelic (Wiki) and Malta, Maltese (Wiki) Making the main working language of the EU, Gibraltarian (we did say trite).

Gibraltar has a population of 34,500 souls, who would clearly prefer to be both British and in the European Union. Good luck with that. But, if Gibraltar were to become part of Spain (part of Cádiz probably), with 34,500 rather irate newly-minted Gaditanos making their feeling known, the rest of the world, less the EU-27, would cast aside Spain’s slightly goofy claims regarding Ceuta and Melilla (with a combined population of some 160,000 people) and call for the return of the 31 square kilometres of real estate in question to Africa (and Morocco). The net population and land loss for Spain would then theoretically be in the order of 125,500 people and 24 square kilometres.

As The Olive Press notes ‘...Spain is not giving up without a fight – one that Pedro Sanchez backs up with the fact that 97% of Gibraltarians voted to remain in the EU during the 2016 referendum...’.

*The European Parliament has now ‘recognised’ Juan Guaidó as the legitimate president of Venezuela.