The conservative Popular Party of Mariano Rajoy, Spain's caretaker prime minister, won the most votes in Spain’s repeat national elections on Sunday, while the Socialists held off a challenge from the Podemos Party to remain the largest left-wing formation. The fragmented result, however, did not settle who will form the country’s next government.
The Spanish government has called for joint sovereignty over Gibraltar in the wake of the UK's vote to leave the EU. The British overseas territory of 30,000 voted overwhelmingly for remain, with 95.9% opting to stay in the union.
A man was arrested in connection with the unfurling of a Spanish flag in Gibraltar. The man remains in Police custody and will be appearing before the Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday morning.
Spain is likely to repeat its indecisive election of December when it returns to the polls next weekend, according to survey results from three major newspapers, signaling that the country‘s political limbo is set to linger.
Thursday's “Stronger in Europe” rally at Gibraltar at which UK Prime Minister David Cameron was due to speak, was cancelled at the last minute after Labour MP Jo Cox was shot and stabbed in an attack in West Yorkshire. The news of the fatal attack came shortly after Cameron arrived t the Rock.
UK exit from the European Union would be “a disaster” that would risk creating “an economic and social rift” between Gibraltar and the neighbouring region in Spain, the Cross-Frontier Group said in a report published by the Gibraltar Chronicle. The group’s president, Ángel Serrano, warned that Brexit posed a serious risk to employment and investment on both sides of the border.
Conservative member of the European Parliament, MEP, Julie Girling has rubbished suggestions by the Acting Spanish Foreign Minister, José Manuel García-Margallo, that Gibraltar will have to contemplate a joint UK/Spain sovereignty arrangement in the event of a Leave vote in the European Union referendum.
Spain's anti-austerity party Podemos and its allies could leapfrog the Socialists in this month's repeat general election to become the country's main opposition, three polls released over the weekend.
Britain's Foreign Secretary's arrival and departure flights into Gibraltar last week were not allowed to overfly Spanish territory and flew over Portugal instead. This was one of several hostility incidents of Spanish officials towards London. The overfly ban was confirmed to Gibraltar Broadcasting Corporation by the Convent (Governor's residence in the Rock).
Spain's King Felipe VI signed the decree dissolving parliament following December's inconclusive general election. As no political parties were able to coalesce their support into a coalition government in time for the deadline, new elections will be held on June 26.