MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Any future relationship Gibraltar seeks with EU post-Brexit ”will have to be agreed by Spain”
Spain will oppose any special treatment for Gibraltar or Scotland as part of the Brexit process, the ruling Partido Popular spokesman in the European Parliament said this week. During a speech in Strasbourg, Esteban Gonzalez Pons said only the UK could negotiate its withdrawal and that any deal would “affect the entirety” of the country. Read full article
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Disclaimer & comment rules“We believe that if they want to continue to benefit from the rights and advantages of being in the European Union, then the extremely generous co-sovereignty proposal is the best option,” he said.
Jan 23rd, 2017 - 07:40 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Co-sovereignty?
Up to the people of Gibraltar to determine how and by whom they are governed. Time for Spain to drop the pretend sovereignty claims. Gibraltar - Some Relevant International Law: https://www.academia.edu/10575180/Gibraltar_-_Some_Relevant_Internationa...
Since it took the EU about 5 years to develop a trade agreement with Canada, and it will take another 5 or more years to get every little unit to maybe sign up for it, I wouldn't consider the Spanish threats to be any more meaningful than business as usual.
Jan 23rd, 2017 - 11:38 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Catalonia should also start discussing how they can gain membership in the EU once they secede from Spain.
Jan 24th, 2017 - 01:39 am - Link - Report abuse 0And why are you so giddy about Catalonia seceding from Spain?
Jan 24th, 2017 - 08:30 am - Link - Report abuse -1You see why I hate Anglos, because they hate non-Anglos, particulary the Hispanic race.
I don't see Spain making any threats except stating the obvious. Gibraltar is not a nation-state and thus has no rights to demand nation-state treatment. Of course I believe Spanish mixing in the sovereignty issue is childish, but expected.
Spain should be a bit more mature and just sit back and relax. They don't have to do or say anything the UK is in this mess all of it's own doing. And by mess I don't mean leaving the EU, which is a respectable (if albeit short-sighted choice since they believe by doing this they will become some superpower again). The mess is having the populace vote on a matter that requires years and years of complex affairs, and being completely unprepared for it.
This new policy seems a bit more clever than the previous one. Spain blocking any agreement with the UK over Gibraltar was bound to piss off the rest of Europe, but insisting on no special treatment for Scotland and Gibraltar makes them sound more reasonable and doesn't prevent a deal with the UK as a whole, while still giving them a good chance of screwing Gibraltar over in practice.
Jan 24th, 2017 - 12:26 pm - Link - Report abuse +1@FC
Probably for the same reason Think would celebrate Scottish independence. It would weaken Spain in general and their claim on Gibraltar in particular. A major reason for the Spanish government opposing self determination in Gibraltar is because it would encourage separatists in Catalonia and other regions.
@fidelito “...Catalonia seceding from Spain? You see why I hate Anglos, because they hate non-Anglos...”
Jan 24th, 2017 - 09:13 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Prize for non sequitur. There was nothing in the poster's comment suggesting a “hatred” of anyone, but rather an expression of support for self-determination for the catalans.
I think we are beginning to understand some of your problems, and blind racism, reading comprehension, and logical development are among them.
Why would Gibraltar seek, or want any special relationship with the EU (or be allowed to, any more than Scotland would)? As long as they are part of the UK, they will be party to whatever trade agreements, etc. the British government has entered into.
Jan 25th, 2017 - 12:02 am - Link - Report abuse 0Gibraltar is not (nor is Scotland) a sovereign nation that can conduct a foreign policy of its own. The Spaniards will have to find something better than this to agitate with.
“As long as they are part of the UK, they will be party to whatever trade agreements, etc....”
Jan 25th, 2017 - 01:04 am - Link - Report abuse 0...they are not part of the UK..
...geographically no but you will find that as far as the EU is concerned due to Gibraltar having such a special relationship with one of the member states it was explicitly invited by the EU treaty to join the EU-OCT (overseas countries and territories)...which was very kind of them. Soooo they will be a party to blah blah blah...stating an obvious riposte to an obvious geographical statement....
Jan 25th, 2017 - 11:57 am - Link - Report abuse 0“......they are not part of the UK...”
Jan 25th, 2017 - 01:09 pm - Link - Report abuse +2But just try screwing around with them in an untoward manner and see how many of your planes get splashed, and by whom.
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