NOT a lot of people know this yet, but the EU has scored a monumental own goal when it gave in to Spanish pressure to exclude Gibraltar from post-Brexit agreements between the Union and the UK.

I refer to the leaked draft letter which the President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, hopes to send the British Prime Minister.

'OWN GOAL': Donald Tusk has handed Fabian Picardo keys to Downing Street
‘OWN GOAL’: Donald Tusk has handed Fabian Picardo keys to Downing Street

I shall explain.

There are 27 remaining Member States and countless regions within them who, to some extent or another, have links with the UK.

The North Sea and fishing and prospecting rights immediately come to mind. Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Belgium and Holland all have special interests in this.

There are hundreds of other examples of greater or lesser degrees in agriculture, industry and employment.

Yet, on any reading of the draft response by Mr Tusk, the only interest meriting EU attention in an otherwise short, 22 paragraph letter, is… Spain’s ambition to annex Gibraltar.

Mr Tusk, born in Gdansk, which is now part of Poland but used to be German – indeed his father fought for the Wermacht, surely does not realise the continental-sized blunder that he has made (I mention his place of birth  because of its similarities to Gibraltar in terms of territorial claims).

Let me explain further about the blunder.

To give an effective post-Brexit veto to Spain on Gibraltar is guaranteed to irritate other Member States who will claim, with good reason, that their interests are as important as those claimed by Spain.

Near the beginning of the draft letter, President Tusk writes: “In these negotiations the Union will act as one”. How can he say this, and in the same document agree to give a post-Brexit veto to a single country?

It does not take a an expert in negotiating agreements to conclude that the veto blows a gaping hole under the EU’s negotiation waterline.

It makes a nonsense of the claim that “the Union will act as one”.

It sets a precedent which will come back to haunt Mr Tusk’s successor (I expect, given his performance, that he will soon be replaced or resign).

By ‘picking on’ Gibraltar, the hapless Mr Tusk has wreaked even more damage on the EU by effectively bringing the law relating to European citizenship into derision and disrepute.

Article 20 (1) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union provides that: “Citizenship of the Union is hereby established. Every person holding the nationality of a Member State shall be a citizen of the Union.”

Now, I know that there is an argument that once a Member State leaves the EU, its citizens lose EU Citizenship. I do not agree, but this is not the time to discuss that. It will soon become a topic of major debate.

What is clear, beyond any doubt is that today Gibraltarians (and indeed all UK nationals) still have European Citizenship.

BRITISH:
BLUNDER: EU handing Spain veto will irritate other member states

Mr Tusk betrays the whole edifice of European integration by discriminating against the group of EU Citizens living in Gibraltar.

He discriminates against us by making an exception to the territory in which we live (indeed in which our people have lived for more than 300 years).

This is what the offending paragraph says (and mark that it is one of only 22 paragraphs, not one of thousands or even hundreds):

“After the United Kingdom leaves the Union, no agreement between the EU and the United Kingdom may apply to the territory of Gibraltar without the agreement between the Kingdom of Spain and the United Kingdom.”

So, if European citizens can be so thoughtlessly disadvantaged, what is the value of European citizenship?

Mr Tusk and his associates clearly don’t think that it is worth anything. Perhaps their mindsets are affected by the way in which entire populations were sold out in Mr Tusk’s own back yard in the 1940’s, where Polish towns became German and vice-versa, without a single thought given to the inhabitants.

Maybe this ‘mindset’ shows why the EU is doomed to failure.

Many of us in the British Isles and Southern Europe just do not think in the same way as the German dominated bureaucracy of which Mr Tusk is a chief executive.

At the June 23 2016 referendum, 96% of Gibraltarians voted to remain in the EU. They could not have expected this blundering betrayal. Now that we can see the reality of the EU, the ‘European Project’ has become an object of revulsion among us.

Over the weekend of the leak, I was approached by a couple of gentlemen in a bar who, knowing that I am a lawyer, asked what penalty they would suffer if they tore down the EU flags that fly around Gibraltar.

As a supporter of the rule of law, I of course said that that would be illegal and they should not do so.

However, their sentiment reflects the catastrophic damage that Mr Tusk has done to the image of the EU in Gibraltar.

That Spanish MEPs would try to use Brexit to damage Gibraltar was as predictable as it is to say that fish stinks after a few days when left in the open air.

I think that on this occasion, the ever-alert Spanish lobby in the corridors of European power may have gone too far. The weekend of the April 1, 2017 will be remembered as the day that Spanish diplomacy gave Gibraltar’s Chief Minister, Fabian Picardo, the keys to 10 Downing Street.

Madrid’s triumphalism is, for all the reasons described above, completely misplaced.

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67 COMMENTS

  1. Well said Mr.Gomez, and they say the Brits don’t know how to deal. Britain has been dealing for hundreds of year well before the European ideal came in existence. Mr Tusk should well remember 1939 when Britain together with France went to war against Germany over Poland whilst Franco’s Spain sided with Germany. One can see why Poland was against Mr.Tusk holding his current job position. About sums up Mr.Tusk

  2. All due respect, but it seems the author of this article did not understand very well how this thing works.
    First, Donald Tusk was elected last month and he has the total support of the CE.
    Second, 47% of British exports go to the EU, that is 15% of their GDP. They are the ones who are scoring a own goal with all this sabre rattling.
    Third, As the author says, it is a POST BREXIT veto. POST BREXIT means the UK and its colony will not be part of the EU anymore, so Tusk or the EU are not discriminating anybody.
    What did you expect? that the EU or any of its members support the UK or gibraltar? Of course not.
    And finally, the UK is in a dismembering process; Independence of Scotland, Reunification of Ireland, High inflation rate, massive debt and relocation of banks, financial firms and carmakers, between others, to the EU.
    From an economic point of view, Post Brexit UK is pretty insignificant.
    So what “own goal” is the author talking about?

    • pleblo…..you are an ill informed brainwashed backward Argentian who wishes to be Spanish…you have no idea what you are commenting on…….let me cast your pea brain back to the 2nd of April 1982………..i do hope you are on the front line….but i doubt that….a simpleton coward hiding behind words….spouting garbage that even you dont understand…….crawl back under stone pleblo….your a parasite……!!!!!!!

    • what Gomez says is absolutely correct and the liberal leftie view above is well known by the remainers (now remoaners) the UK economy is the 2nd largest contributor to the EU after Germany and the loss of the UK and EU fishing rights in EU waters is going to hit the EU much harder than the above thinks, UK is the 5th largest economy in the world and can easily replace any diminishing trade with the EU with WTO regulations. Twice in the last 100 years Germany has tried to rule Europe by force now its ruling Europe by another route its a fact, whatever Germany wants the rest of Europe follows, yet they refuse to contribute their share to Nato and the Brits have said no thanks we didn’t fight 2 world wars to be ruled by Germany, so its goodbye to the EU and good riddance.

  3. @Pedro Cedron – Perhaps Pablo you could present your credentials so that we can see why you are better informed than Charles Gómez, a honorary Professor of International Law at the University of Cádiz. It is my belief that xenophobia has no place in the modern world, perhaps you could bear that in mind in your future posts.

    • @JohnnyinSpain- Perhaps you should read and get informed a bit more before posting. The same for this “Professeur”.
      Lets see if you can understand it this time. The only thing the EU and the UK can discuss now are the terms of divorce and the divorce bill. Nothing else.
      The rest of the negotiations will be done when the UK and its colony be out of the EU, as outsiders or third countries.
      So, again, what discrimination is this article talking about?
      And what xenophobia are you talking about?
      Stop playing the victim, johnny.

    • pleblo…..you are an ill informed brainwashed backward Argentian who wishes to be Spanish…you have no idea what you are commenting on…….let me cast your pea brain back to the 2nd of April 1982………..i do hope you are on the front line….but i doubt that….a simpleton coward hiding behind words….spouting garbage that even you dont understand…….crawl back under stone pleblo….your a parasite……!!!!!!!

  4. @Pablo Cedron. Hello Pablo. Perhaps you may have noticed that Charles Gómez has been a Barrister for more than 30 years and is a honorary professor of International Law at the University of Cádiz. Could you please present your credentials so that we can weigh up which of the 2 of you has greater credibility. Just a personal thought, I believe that in the modern world there is no place for xenophobia, perhaps you could bear that in mind when you next post a comment in the OP.

  5. Pablo, for a start D.Tusk didn’t get total support for his job, in fact his own Polish government was totally against his appointment but as usual if it doesn’t suit the big-wigs they just override any decision. Btw way Pablo you consistently mention the fact that T.May is an unelected prime minister
    could you therefore explain the difference between her being voted into that position and T.Tusk into his. Careful how you reply. lol

  6. Carlos…Carlos…
    I know you are as ill informed as johnnyinspain and the professeur (lol), but it seems you are breaking the records now.
    Tusk has a massive support of the Consejo Europeo.
    The fact that the ultra-rightist eurosceptic government of Poland did not support him is totally irrelevant.
    Let me remind you the results: 26 countries voted for and 1 against. Not that bad, eh?

    About unelected May, We are talking about a Jefe de Estado here, the first authority of a country.
    Then you expect they have Democratic Mandate, that arises from winning democratic, popular elections, like in the vast majority of the decent countries.
    Well, it is not the case of the UK.
    Capisce adesso?

    • Ah Pablo, I see you didn’t heed my last few words such as, “Careful how you reply”. You have now admitted that the “Total” that you first mentioned has now changed to “Massive”. Just on that one point the “ill informed” Mr. Charles Gómez, a honorary Professor of International Law at the University of Cádiz, would crucify you in a court hearing. So any country that disagrees with proposals put forward by the Council of Europe are classed as, in your words, as being “ultra-rightist eurosceptic”. NO Pablo, it’s called being a democratic right which the European Union has slowly converted democracy to a dictatorship. Mrs.T. May was elected under the same conditions as D.Tusk but the “big” difference here is that other nominees were entitled to put their names forward, whereas could you name any nominees put forward in the D.Tusk case.
      Sorry Pab’s you do talk a lot or c**p most, if not all the time.

    • Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands in April 1982. At that time Argentina had a miltary leadership. The Argentines claimed the islands had been part of the Spanish Empire and therefore belonged to them.
      The public mood in the United Kingdom was in support of an attempt to reclaim the islands. International opinion was divided. To some, Britain was a former colonial power, seeking to reclaim a colony from a local power, and this was a message that the Argentines initially used to garner support. Others supported Britain as a stable democracy invaded by a military dictatorship. Most European countries and the United States supported Britain; most Latin American countries supported Argentina. British diplomacy centered on arguing that the Falkland Islanders were entitled to use the United Nations principle of self-determination, and showing willingness to compromise. The UN Secretary-General said that he was favorable to the compromise that the UK had offered. Nevertheless, Argentina rejected it, basing their arguments on rights to territory based on actions before 1945 and the creation of the UN. Many UN members realized that if territorial claims this old could be resurrected, and invasions of territory allowed unchallenged, then their own borders were not safe. On April 3, the UN Security Council passed Resolution 502, calling for the withdrawal of Argentine troops from the islands and the cessation of hostilities. On April 10, the European Community approved trade sanctions against Argentina. The United States administration did not issue direct diplomatic condemnations, instead providing intelligence support to the British military. The U.S. had treaty relations with both sides and adopted a policy of non-interference. Ronald Reagan was also confident that Britain could handle the matter on its own.

  7. When will the British learn? You lost last year. Simply put- losers don’t decide the winner’s terms. The public decided there they didn’t want immigrants. Unfortunately for the UK after 2 years of insults you can not expect the EU to just be servants to you and give you special treatment. Leave is leave, deal with it.

  8. Why, (a new name added) don’t you start, we have enough to contend with Pablo and his crowd. When will the British learn? You lost last year. “Wrong, we won”. Simply put- losers don’t decide the winner’s terms. “Correct, the losers being the EU”. The public decided there they didn’t want immigrants. “Incorrect, they wanted controlled immigration”. Unfortunately for the UK after 2 years of insults you can not expect the EU to just be servants to you and give you special treatment. Leave is leave, deal with it. “Wrong, name the insults by the UK in comparison to the EU insults, the EU does not talk logically they just talk insults. UK does not wish to have the EU as servants, it was Britain that done away with slavery when the Europeans were still living like rednecks and the UK simply wishes to have a good working relationship with the upstart EU, which by the way, was created by America and Britain. I suppose one could say it was a British brainchild but unfortunately the EU still maintained the child part”.
    BTW Why, were you still in bed half asleep when you decided to join Pablo and his crowd. Bye.

    • As usual you miss the point. You behave like a rich spoiled child whose team lost the football match. You don’t get to pretend to hold the trophy to the crowd at home- you simply lost, and life for UK citizens will change, for the worse, regardless of how much you stomp your feet and insist you are still in charge of everything. Here’s a handkerchief for your tears

      • You really are clueless WHY…..the EU needs the UK……The Uk will always be Great and can stand on its own 2 feet.. HOWEVER AND WHENEVER….whether you think we lost {wrong } or won….the British are always winners…..the EU will collapse very soon so save handkerchief to………..
        1.Dry your eyes.
        2.Wipe the s–t from your mouth that you spurt.

        You are amusing though..!!!!

      • Tell me Mr.Why, why are you so concerned about the plight of the British people, just don’t get it. I wish Spain the very best as I spend lots of holiday monies in Spain without the animosity that the Spanish are showing and as I had said much earlier Mr. Why, many moons ago while you were fast asleep, all it requires is a nutcase on a beach with a gun in Spain and goodbye Spanish holidays, not just for the Brits which greatly helps to fill the brown envelopes but other nationals also. Remember Mr. Why it took one person such as “The Donald” to break the TTIP and it will take one small country like Britain to break up the increasing crumbling EU. So the UK may have to pay a few bob to leave which will help the €200bn debt the EU now finds themselves in so at least show some gratitude to the British tax payers.

        • Your ethnocentric Brittania First yelp was amusing but seriously- you need to wake up. I’m not concerned for British people, just disgusted as to how scary your country’s rhetoric has become, and how you don’t realize how much half the planet despises you and your dishonesty.

          • Whoops, sorry to upset your day Mr.Why but things appear to be getting day by day.

            An index showing how each of the 27 remaining EU nations stand on the UK’s withdrawal reveals the countries most in favour of maintaining trade ties or introducing low tariff barriers with Britain.

            The data, complied by the Economist Intelligence Unit, assessed each countries’ position on four key Brexit issues – paying a low exit bill, ‘cherry picking’ EU freedoms, maintaining trade ties/low tariff barriers and sustaining defence ties.

            Each member state was then placed into a league table of those for and against each condition.

            On the question of trade ties, nine countries were classified as being in favour of maintaining a close relationship – Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Greece, Ireland, Netherlands, Poland, Sweden and – crucially – Spain.

            The EIU’s report suggests countries which rely heavily on exporting goods to the UK may be more malleable to relaxing tariffs once Britain leaves the EU.
            The UK is the seconds largest export market for Ireland and Poland, the third largest for Spain, Cyprus, Netherlands and Germany and fourth largest for Belgium, Sweden, Portugal, Luxembourg, Italy and the Czech Republic.

            Another potential boost for Britain is the fact the vast majority of EU member states run a trade surplus on goods and services with Britain, and for many countries – including Spain and Germany – this accounts for one per cent or more of that nation’s GDP.

            BTW, what were you saying about Britain. Hope you have plenty of tissues by your side. Oh’ and that goes for all you Brit haters.

          • Sorry to upset you day Mr.Why but couldn’t resist in sending this, it seems to get better day by day.

            An index showing how each of the 27 remaining EU nations stand on the UK’s withdrawal reveals the countries most in favour of maintaining trade ties or introducing low tariff barriers with Britain.

            The data, complied by the Economist Intelligence Unit, assessed each countries’ position on four key Brexit issues – paying a low exit bill, ‘cherry picking’ EU freedoms, maintaining trade ties/low tariff barriers and sustaining defence ties.

            Each member state was then placed into a league table of those for and against each condition.

            On the question of trade ties, nine countries were classified as being in favour of maintaining a close relationship – Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Greece, Ireland, Netherlands, Poland, Sweden and – crucially – Spain.

            The EIU’s report suggests countries which rely heavily on exporting goods to the UK may be more malleable to relaxing tariffs once Britain leaves the EU.
            The UK is the seconds largest export market for Ireland and Poland, the third largest for Spain, Cyprus, Netherlands and Germany and fourth largest for Belgium, Sweden, Portugal, Luxembourg, Italy and the Czech Republic.

            Another potential boost for Britain is the fact the vast majority of EU member states run a trade surplus on goods and services with Britain, and for many countries – including Spain and Germany – this accounts for one per cent or more of that nation’s GDP.

  9. This article is full of nonsense.

    “To give an effective post-Brexit veto to Spain on Gibraltar ..”

    But he hasn’t done that. Spain has a veto. It didn’t need Tusk to give it one.

    “Near the beginning of the draft letter, President Tusk writes: “In these negotiations the Union will act as one”. How can he say this, and in the same document agree to give a post-Brexit veto to a single country?”

    Because that isn’t what he’s done.

    “By ‘picking on’ Gibraltar, the hapless Mr Tusk has wreaked even more damage on the EU by effectively bringing the law relating to European citizenship into derision and disrepute.”

    He hasn’t picked on Gib. Spain has. That is regrettable (to say the least), but the one thing it isn’t is surprising.

    “This is what the offending paragraph says (and mark that it is one of only 22 paragraphs, not one of thousands or even hundreds):

    “After the United Kingdom leaves the Union, no agreement between the EU and the United Kingdom may apply to the territory of Gibraltar without the agreement between the Kingdom of Spain and the United Kingdom.”

    So, if European citizens can be so thoughtlessly disadvantaged, what is the value of European citizenship?”

    Because the discrimination that Gibraltarians will suffer will be the result of no longer being in the EU. Blame leave voters.

    “Mr Tusk and his associates clearly don’t think that it is worth anything. Perhaps their mindsets are affected by the way in which entire populations were sold out in Mr Tusk’s own back yard in the 1940’s, where Polish towns became German and vice-versa, without a single thought given to the inhabitants.”

    Silly, juvenile claptrap. Tusk is from Poland. I think the history of that country might lead him to have a more than adequate appreciation of democracy.

    “At the June 23 2016 referendum, 96% of the Gibraltarians voted to remain in the EU. They could not have expected this blundering betrayal. Now that we can see the reality of the EU, the ‘European Project’ has become an object of revulsion among us.”

    It was entirely foreseeable that Spain would take advantage of brexit in this way.

  10. Don’t really see what to be discontent with here? Fact: Brits have voted to exit EU. Gibraltar has to go with what UK is doing, independently on how it was voted internally. The only thing in question now is how this process will continue. And EU is not going to make it easy path for Brexit, and in the end – why should they? EU is looking at their interests, not Britain’s. And as Gibraltar will become non-EU entity – well, things will be handled differently from that moment, and that’s exactly what Donald said.

  11. All the members of the UE have veto capacity. If UK exits of the European Union , a thing that in my opinion is good for the Britishs, UK will lost certain beneficies. And we must not forget that Gibraltar is a colony in decolonization process over spanish territory that, according the Utrech treaty, must be isolated of terrestrial comunication with Spain. And the juridic status of Gibraltar with respect the EU will be the same that ,for example, the Virgin Islands.

    Is a fact that, before the admitance of Spain in the European Comunity, Gibraltar was isolated by ground in accordance of the Utrech treaty.

  12. You are blithely skipping over the massive changes that have occurred regarding the employment situation in Gibraltar Anselmo. Your concept of territorial isolation would have profoundly negative consequences for thousands of Spanish people.
    Things have changed since Franco’s day, perhaps you haven’t noticed? There’s money at stake, business to be done. As Bill Clinton was fond of saying “It’s The Economy Stupid!”
    The thing that will scupper Brexit too, with any luck.

  13. stefnajolo you just wait in line at the border like a good schoolboy , remain silent, and remember that that gate can be locked any time and power cut off , the rigto to veto is the right to veto ansd if you dont like it ,,youll have to lump it

  14. Does that sudden outburst make you feel happy Mr.Why, I hope it does because it doesn’t really bother me one little bit. You see the Brit’s are like that, once they have set their mind on something they carry it out, like owning the rock of Gibraltar for hundreds of years which will never go back to Spain unless that small population in Gibraltar says so, but even then it will be under their conditions, so basically even then Spain will not have complete control of GIB. As for Spain, well they did lose their great armada of 130 gallons to the faster nimble English ships who the Spanish referred Sir Francis to a pirate cause he keep stealing the gold that the Spanish were stealing from the Incas and have never got over the defeat as of today. But never mind Mr.Why, if conflict happens in Europe again the Brits will help you out, again and again and again, and we may even allow you to join our Worldly free trade agreements when the EU collapses that’s what you need to consider also. Get my drift Mr.Why

    • What is really funny is how paranoid you are to reply so many times to me! You UKIP people got lied to all the way to the polls and keep bringing up history hundreds of years old. In under a year you’ve lost over ten billion in foreign investment projects, and you’re the only western nation that has UNICEF on the ground because you all messed up your health care system. Face the facts, your ethnocentrism and arrogance are the cause. Please tell me one thing, just one positive thing, that the UK has contributed to the planet in the last 20 years, besides Gordon Ramsey and X Factor.

        • Russian immigrants did that… Not the UK. Look around you. You and your people haven’t done anything since the 40’s and even then it was only with the yanks holding your pants up for you. British superiority is like a limp grandpa at the beach- it thinks it works but it’s fourty years flaccid, and it’s grossing everyone out.

          • A study by MITI – Japan’s equivalent of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) – concluded that 54% of the world’s most important inventions were British. Of the rest, 25% were American and 5% Japanese.
            The UK does ok in the invention stakes. Why does it bother you so much anyway?

          • The UK does ok in the invention stakes. Why does it bother you so much anyway?
            A study by MITI – Japan’s equivalent of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) – concluded that 54% of the world’s most important inventions were British. Of the rest, 25% were American and 5% Japanese.

      • Mr. Why, you ask what the UK has contributed to the planet in the last 20 years, well, I shall tell you, it’s called leadership. Mr johnson the former London mayor agreed to take the diplomatic lead with the G7 nations – Britain, the US, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan – at tomorrow’s two-day meeting in Italy because he knows the world leaders better than Mr Tillerson, who was sworn in fewer than two months ago.
        BTW Mr. Why, where is Spain amongst those G7 nations. Nowhere.

        • Big surprise it’s UKIP you bring up yet again. You guys are so brainwashed you’ll believe anything. So an alchoholic with a bad haircut and taking credit for immigrants discoveries is your angle. Face truth, man: your entire mentality is exactly what your people fought against in the 40’s. You repeat the same ideology. Get out your armband and let the hate flow through you. I wish only bad things to you, and I hope you and your poison of ignorance stay far away from this country

  15. After the Stockholm attack, the Westminster attack, the murder of Jo Cox, Charlie Hebdo shootings, etc, etc, it is more than clear that the border with a non EU territory like Gibraltar will be energically hardened. In the most radical way.
    Since the train bombings of 2004, Spain has not suffered any other attack, thanks to its security policies.
    Well, they will not change because a bunch of gibraltarian politicians wants to.
    Capito?

    • Ol’ Blue Eyes. Wish you would be more precise when forwarding a comment with actual facts instead of just “cherry picking”. Perhaps I should enlighten you further.

      July 25, 2016: One person was killed and 12 others were injured at a restaurant in Ansbach, near the German city of Nuremberg in an explosion that occurred late on Sunday, a police spokesman said. The spokesman said he had no immediate information on the cause of the blast, which was first reported at 10.12 pm. CET (2012 GMT).
      July 24, 2016: A 21-year-old Syrian refugee killed a woman with a machete and injured two other people before being arrested in the southern German city of Reutlingen, a police spokesman said.
      July 22, 2016: An 18-year-old German-Iranian gunman who apparently acted alone opened fire in a busy shopping mall in Munich on Friday evening, killing at least nine people in the third attack against civilians in Western Europe in eight days. The pistol-wielding attacker, identified by Munich Police Chief Hubertus Andrae as a dual national, was later found dead of a suspected self-inflicted gunshot wound to his head.
      July 19, 2016: A 17-year-old Afghan refugee injured at least 20 train passengers with an axe and a knife in Germany’s Würzburg. The man was shot dead by German police later.
      June 26, 2016: Three suspected Islamic State group suicide bombers targeted the international terminal of Istanbul’s Ataturk airport, killing at least 36 people and wounding many others, Turkish officials said.
      July 14, 2016: A man driving a truck, reportedly a French citizen of Tunisian origin, ploughed into a crowd that was celebrating Bastille Day in Nice along the picturesque French Riviera, killing at least 84 and injuring hundred others. IS claimed the attack.
      June 13, 2016: Larossi Abballa stabbed a 42-year-old police commander to death at around 8.30 pm in France. Larossi then held the commander’s wife and the couple’s three-year-old son hostage and killed the wife later. Police stormed into the house and killed Larossi.
      April 16, 2016: Two teenage Islamic extremists threw a bomb at a Sikh temple during a wedding in the Essen city of Germany. Three members of the Sikh community were injured.
      March 22, 2016: Suicide attacks on the Brussels airport and subway killed 32 people and injured hundreds. The perpetrators have been closely linked to the group that carried out attacks in Paris some four months earlier. The Islamic State group took the credit for the Brussels attacks and threatened other countries taking part in the anti-IS coalition.
      February 26, 2016: A 15-year-old girl stabbed and severely injured a policemen in Hanover in Germany after she was stopped for a search. She had earlier tried to join the Islamic State but was stopped by her mother.
      January 7, 2016: A jihadist wearing a fake explosive belt attacked police officers in the Goutte d’Or district in Paris with a meat cleaver, while shouting “Allahu Akbar”. He was shot dead and one policeman was injured. The ISIS flag and a clearly written claim in Arabic, were found.
      January 1, 2016: A man rammed his car twice into 4 soldiers protecting a mosque in France’s Valence. He said he wanted to kill troops and jihadi propaganda images were found on his computer.
      Ol’ Blue Eyes. Do you think that is a better explanation instead of your “cherry picking”.

      • As always, Carlos, you are confusing and mixing everything, which is not a surprise.
        Now, I was talking about the security measures in Spain during tha last 13 years.
        And as i have wisely said, there was not any atentado since 2004, so there is not any reason to change those security policies.
        Au contraire, they need to be a lot more strict.
        Regarding your list of attackts, that is another reason why the Schengen frontiers have to be hardened.
        Especially the border with gibraltar.
        Got it now?

        • Ol’ Blue Eyes. I see the EU is taking a leaf from the UK which is not a member of Schengen. So borders are gradually being introduced beside barbed wire fences across most frontiers and they have the audacity in criticizing Tump.

          • Dear Carlos, as you already know, our dear Britons are the most hypocrite people on Earth.
            They moan and whine because the border with Gibraltar will be hardened or closed (that would be the best option IMHO), while they build a 5 meter tall wall in Calais.
            That´s why nobody takes them seriously.

  16. If every country had a veto on everything why did Spain want the veto on Gibraltar written in to the note??? Why is Rajoy crowing about this “victory”? As usual Charles Gomez hits the nail on the head. Well done the Olive Press for having recruited such a top class commentator.

  17. Anselmo, no I don’t know about St. Isidoro and don’t really care, wasn’t taught about him in the English schools but was taught about the Spanish Inquisition who burned 32.000 at the stake and 100.000 and more killed under Gen. Franco. Perhaps this may help you regarding the civilisation pf Spain that you appear to be so proud of instead of St.Isidoro. (do you know how many Saints there are besides St. Isidoro)
    https://www.theguardian.com/world/2008/oct/17/spain

  18. Ol Blue Eyes, how far do you wish to go back in history, do you wish to start with “Lucy”, had you ever heard about “Lucy”. Pleased you mentioned “British Empire” an Empire where the sun never faded and have you noticed how short sharp and sweet my reply was. lol

  19. Gibraltar became part of the unified Kingdom of Spain and remained under Spanish rule until 1704. It was captured during the War of the Spanish Succession by an Anglo-Dutch fleet in the name of Charles VI of Austria, the Habsburg contender to the Spanish throne. At the war’s end, Spain ceded the territory to Britain under the terms of the Treaty of Utrecht of 1713.
    Spain tried to regain control of Gibraltar, which Britain had declared a Crown colony, through military, diplomatic and economic pressure. Gibraltar was besieged and heavily bombarded during three wars between Britain and Spain but the attacks were repulsed on each occasion. By the end of the last siege, in the late 18th century, Gibraltar had faced fourteen sieges in 500 years. In the years after Trafalgar, Gibraltar became a major base in the Peninsular War. The colony grew rapidly during the 19th and early 20th centuries, becoming one of Britain’s most important possessions in the Mediterranean. It was a key stopping point for vessels on route to India via the Suez Canal. A large British naval base was constructed there at great expense at the end of the 19th century and became the backbone of Gibraltar’s economy….And the siege goes on..

  20. I am baffled. If this article would contain just one contradicio in terminis, I would consider it a slip of the pen. I contains so many! Then I read below it, this man works as an honorary professor in Cadíz. A man of science!???

    Gibraltarians want to stay with the UK and later stay with the EU. In a nearly 100% agreed vote. It most likely has little to do with souvernty, but more with benefits…. for Gibraltareans. In that light, it makes all the sense in the world Spain wants some assurance that after a Brexit, they will not bleed for that party twice. Economically.

    Spain doing a Putin&Krim trick on Gibraltar is absolutely unconceivable. A man in the street might thinks so, but from the pen of an honorary professor is quite stunning indeed.

    As remarked, the EU allows Spain to reach a separate AGREEMENT with the UK. Let me translate that in English. An agreement is being signed by two parties, only when both parties are HAPPY with it. It is actually that simple. And with Spain still tied to the EU, still in Schengen, still in the Euro, Spain is the country that should negotiate more cautiously, it simply cannot afford to pull stunts. Ah yes, I forgot to mention they are in NATO too. Which would put them in huge trouble even threatning with any form of force (like some honorable voices in the UK did).

    I am personally quite in favour of Brexit. Because it will fail. And as always, you learn from mistakes. From success, you learn hardly anything. It is just a pity that such a proud nation like the UK volunteered. In a way. Because the benefits of experience will be yours mostly too. Later.

  21. Gibraltar is leaving the EU together with the UK, so just pay your bill and get out, then and only then a trade deal for the UK can be negotiated. Gibraltar gets nothing, suck it up and pray Spain doesn’t close the fence.

  22. Gibraltar is leaving the EU together with the UK, so just pay your bill and get out, then and only then a trade deal for the UK can be negotiated. Gibraltar gets nothing, suck it up and pray Spain doesn’t close the fence.

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