“I would be very concerned that an eventual rightwing government would seek to block the treaty over ideological interests that are weighed down by – let’s say it clearly – vestiges of Francoism.” Verdú Baeza described the line on recovering sovereignty as worrying, particularly as polls suggest the PP may end up in a coalition where it could be pulled to the extreme right by Vox. The party – led by a man often described as a moderate, Alberto Núñez Feijóo – says in its manifesto that it plans to continue talks with London, seeking to “address the process of decolonisation of Gibraltar and the recovery of sovereignty” and that in addition it will “defend Spanish fiscal, financial, environmental and security interests, as well as pay special attention to the circulation of people”. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. For more information see our Privacy Policy. Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. They’ve always used it as a cover to hide other types of problems.” skip past newsletter promotion “Polarisation on issues related to Gibraltar has always suited the right. The precedent hints at a PP strategy in which Gibraltar is a rallying point for its base, said Verdú Baeza. While some described the row as a fabricated attempt to distract Spaniards from an economic crisis, the PP raised the stakes, telling local media that it was considering a €50 fee for vehicles entering or leaving the Rock alongside measures such as closing Spanish airspace to flights heading to Gibraltar. Amid accusations that Spain had stepped up border checks, waiting times at the border rose to as much as six hours. In 2013, the PP – incensed by Gibraltar’s construction of an artificial reef that it said was harming Spanish fishing interests – triggered a crisis described as the worst since Franco’s border closure. Photograph: Pierre-Philippe Marcou/Getty Images People’s party leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo in Madrid, last week: his party wants to address ‘the process of decolonisation of Gibraltar’. In Madrid, Gibraltar had often been seen as a political tool that could be used to whip up nationalist sentiment, said Jesús Verdú Baeza, a law professor at the University of Cádiz. “It’s not just a physical border, it’s a mental, cultural, social and historical border.” “It’s a lot more than just a border,” he said. While the border was fully opened again in 1985, as a condition of Spain’s entry to the EU, the scars remain, said Canessa. “It goes back to a real deep mistrust of Spain and the Spanish when it comes to issues about the border,” said Canessa. In 1969, the Franco dictatorship abruptly slammed the border shut, choking off many people’s livelihoods and leaving members of divided families shouting to one another across the border fence. That dispute reflects the long, chequered history between Spain and Gibraltar, said Andrew Canessa, a professor at the University of Essex and author of a 2019 book that explores Gibraltar’s national identity. The UK wants Frontex, the EU border agency, to take on the role. The talks have stalled on the question of who will carry out checks on travellers who arrive at the airport in Gibraltar Spain insists that, as the sponsoring Schengen member, the responsibility falls to the Spanish police. Throughout the talks, traffic has flowed easily back and forth, reflecting a promise by Spain’s Socialist-led government to maintain mobility across the border during negotiations. The UK and the EU have held more than a dozen rounds of talks on Gibraltar’s post-Brexit status, seeking to sidestep the centuries-old sovereignty dispute and focus instead on shared concerns such as the more than 15,000 workers who cross into Gibraltar each day from Spain. Spain’s Vox party leader, Santiago Abascal, campaigning in Murcia, Spain, last week.
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