Walter Finch
THE Gibraltar government gave a very short response to renewed calls in Spain to ‘tempt’ its citizens with the offer of a Spanish passport.
It comes after the Spanish press published an editorial which resurrected an old proposal to ‘tempt’ citizens of the Rock to accept the benefits that come with dual nationality.
Speaking to the Olive Press, a government spokesperson said the response was ‘thanks, but no thanks.’
The person continued: “We already told Mr Margallo where he could put his offer.”
In 2016, Spain’s then-foreign minister Jose Manuel Margallo made a similar offer as part of a proposed joint sovereignty deal following the Brexit vote — an offer that was swiftly and emphatically rejected.
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The proposal included dismantling the border fence and shared control over foreign policy, immigration, and defence.
Gibraltar’s Chief Minister Fabian Picardo dismissed the offer outright, famously responding, ‘no way, Jose!” at the United Nations.
Yet the idea has once again reared its head, this time in an editorial in the notoriously hostile Algeciras daily Europa Sur, which freely admits the offer in 2016 was an ‘attempt to undermine the sovereignty and identity of the Llanitos.’
“It was not accepted for reasons of nationalist identity, and due to the obvious futility of the measure with a closed border,” the newspaper observed.
“Only a few accepted the Spanish nationality card – today they are fortunate.
“However, it is undeniable that such a decision, applied today, would be a real advantage for Gibraltarians, who would once again enjoy the benefits of being a member of the EU, without renouncing their British identity.
“That would certainly be a step forward for them, with free border crossings as EU members.
Adding that the ‘measure would be approached with respect, as a generous invitation without impositions, and always with the utmost respect for the respective governments’, it would also ‘dismantle an old mantra from of Gibraltar’s various governments: that Spain seeks to impose its desire for sovereignty over the will of the people of Gibraltar.’
The article concludes: “I know that some more radical ones would dislike the measure because of its political repercussions; but it’s not confrontational; it’s seduction, because being Spanish, and therefore part of the EU (as well as British), would make life easier for many.”
