Escalation in the long-running dispute between Britain and Spain over ownership of Gibraltar shows disturbing Falklands-style tendencies. The warning comes from one of the Rock's MEPs after a stand-off between Gibraltar and Spanish police patrol boats over fishing rights.
Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy called for a show of force from European authorities as his government sought ways to avoid tapping markets to fund the bailout of the nation’s third-biggest lender.
Spain’s King Juan Carlos will be travelling to Brazil and Chile in the first week of June to strengthen ties with two strategic associates and in preparation of the Ibero-American summit to take place in Cadiz. The King will be accompanied by Foreign Affairs minister Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo and a business delegation.
Gibraltar figures importantly on the agenda for a Tuesday meeting scheduled in London between Foreign Secretary William Hague and Spanish counterpart Jose Garcia-Margallo particularly following on the recent fishing incidents and the long queues being imposed at the border by Spanish authorities.
Spain's wealthiest autonomous region, Catalonia, needs financing help from the central government because it is running out of options for refinancing debt this year, Catalan President Artur Mas admitted on Friday.
UK reassured support for Gibraltar following Wednesday night’s incident when several Spanish Guardia Civil vessels and a helicopter were involved in a tense standoff with the Royal Gibraltar Police, the Gibraltar Defence Police and the Royal Navy while the Spanish trawlers tried to cast nets in the Rock’s bay.
Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel García-Margallo adopted on Wednesday a conciliatory tone towards Argentina for the first time after the YPF seizure by saying Argentina and Spain should hold “kindred nation” talks.
Gibraltar Chief Minister Fabian Picardo and Spanish town La Linea Mayor Gemma Araujo agreed the creation of a cross-border joint working group that will be examining all aspects of the fishing dispute with Spain.
The Spanish government announced this week it was cancelling all development aid to Latin American countries as a direct consequence of the financial strains the EU member is suffering, which is the worst in decades with record unemployment of 24%.
Spain said it would meet its deficit targets this year despite a new slippage in its regions' accounts and a further contraction of the economy in the second quarter.