Spain and Great Britain will share power over Gibraltar

Hot disputes of Spanish and British authorities concerning the status of Gibraltar may be soon settled by finding a compromise that will be acceptable to all parties involved in the conflict. And the main thing here is that this secures the interests of inhabitants of the British overseas territory, the absolute majority of whom has voted against an exit from the EU, but simultaneously value their British citizenship.

It should be reminded that the President of the European Council Donald Tusk has insisted that the fate of Gibraltar needs to be decided in accordance with the wishes of Spanish people over 12 thousands of whom enter Gibraltar to work every day, and most goods and tourists come to this territory just from the mainland. Great Britain has taken the EU leadership's recommendations rather aggressively. Some high-level representatives in London have even mentioned the methods used in the struggle for the Falkland Islands.

It seemed like the ever-more heated conflict between London and Madrid could involve Europe in a new political crisis and threaten it with traffic collapse in the Strait of Gibraltar. Nevertheless, a way out of the diplomatic deadlock has been found. According to the letter that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Spain sent to Vice-Chairman of the EPP Group in the EP, Esteban Gonzalez Pons, the EU leadership supported the position of Spain on the need to establish power-sharing within Gibraltar territory.



Dear Mr. Gonzalez Pons,

On behalf of Mr. Minister, I want to thank you for your efforts to promote the interests of Spain within the EU institutions. Thanks to your work, we managed to get the EU support for the position of Spain on the status of Gibraltar right after Brexit, as well as, to ensure the adoption of amendments to the common negotiating strategy.

We are carefully following Brexit negotiations. The primary task for the government of Spain is protection of rights of our citizens and companies operating in Gibraltar and minimization of the negative impact of the UK exit from the EU for Spanish citizens. The country's leadership continues to maintain its position expressed previously, namely that Gibraltar's future status needs to be agreed between governments of Spain and the United Kingdom. In our view, establishment of Spain-United Kingdom co-sovereignty over Gibraltar is the only viable solution that serves the interests of all the parties. It will allow Gibraltar's inhabitants to preserve the UK citizenship status without being deprived of the right to wide autonomy, as well as, without being excluded from the EU bodies.

Spain is keenly interested in settlement of the dispute and keeps an open dialogue with Theresa May's government in order to mitigate the Brexit impact and prepare the ground for the proposed future agreement. It should be stated that representatives of our countries have managed to reach certain agreements during bilateral meetings; bilateral consultations on some issues are being also held now. The UK government demonstrates its willingness to cooperate and seek workable compromises on Gibraltar's issue, which will make it possible to maintain good partnership relations between our countries after the UK exit from the EU.

I ask you as a direct participant of the negotiations, to continue promoting our proposal for the conjoint sovereignty at meetings devoted to Brexit issues, as well as, to assist us in conducting successful process of negotiations between Spain and the United Kingdom on the issue of Gibraltar.

Respectfully yours,

Esteban Gonzalez Pons has succeeded in convincing the EP colleagues to contribute to the softening of British uncompromising negotiating strategy. And terms offered by Spain have been fulfilled. As a result, London has already changed the tone and agreed to start consultations for dual sovereignty over Gibraltar.

Successful settlement of the centuries-old geopolitical dispute over Gibraltar demonstrates the power of modern European diplomacy. The British exit from the EU does not seem to be catastrophic. And problems that have arisen since Brexit do not look as intractable ones. Thanks to the diligence of Spanish politicians and their fellow-thinkers in Brussels, Gibraltar's inhabitants can for the first time since the announcement of Brexit results breathe a little easier and count on their remaining in the EU, as well as, on further cooperation with Spain while also being British subjects.