Because beyond what has been said about the negotiations between the United Kingdom and the European Union, the truth is that the only possible negotiation will be between the people of Gibraltar and Spain. Spain explicitly acknowledges that the people of Gibraltar have a lot to say about any agreement related to establishing and managing a common prosperity area in the territory. In fact, Spain could have strongly opposed the presence of Gibraltar representatives in the negotiations of the agreement that began at the end of 2020, more than 4 years ago! On previous occasions, this was the case, as Spain invoked the Treaty of Utrecht, the only true reference to address any Gibraltar-related matter. However, on this occasion, it seems that Spain has reasonably understood that the people who inhabit the Rock must be active participants in any agreement that aims to address the disputes, especially economic, that currently exist to promote a common prosperity area for those who overlook the Bay of Algeciras.
On the other hand, since 1968, Great Britain has been insisting that any proposal regarding Gibraltar will necessarily depend on the will of those who live there. If this is the case, it is evident that any agreement requires the will of the population residing on the "ROCK". Something that does not seem to be accepted by the United Kingdom. It makes no sense for Brexit spokespeople in the UK to try to strain a rope they cannot pull because the people of Gibraltar democratically expressed their opposition to BREXIT. It would be very convenient for the United Kingdom to be consistent with the principle of "self-determination" that it has upheld for years at the United Nations, recognizing the right of the people of Gibraltar to shape their present and future. The position of Gibraltar representatives seems clear. In the words of the Deputy Chief Minister, Joseph García: "The Government of Gibraltar has worked hand in hand with Her Majesty's Government in London throughout the negotiation process. We remain fully committed to concluding an agreement on Gibraltar's future relationship with the European Union." What seems to be moving away from the responsibility of representing the people of Gibraltar is assuming that those who have promoted Brexit in the United Kingdom ignore that willingness to understand. The people who inhabit the Rock, consistent with their desire not to leave the European Union, cannot agree with Joseph García when he announces: "that it is important to continue preparing for the alternative of no agreement as much as we can." Does the government of Gibraltar believe that once the current negotiation is frustrated, there will be a different horizon to Schengen? Can Gibraltar maintain the status of a "tax haven" in that painful scenario for those who live on the Rock? The scenario of no agreement will require strict compliance with the Treaty of Utrecht, and it will no longer be Spain who invokes it, but rather the European Union will have to demand it. The people who inhabit the Rock know about the necessary consensus to live in harmony with those who inhabit the Campo de Gibraltar (not in vain is it so called). In this environment, where borders disappear and the laws and regulations governing communities are harmonized, prosperity is assured. Outside of this scenario, does anyone remember the closing of the gate in '68? On the other hand, the European Union, in the event of NO AGREEMENT, has a clear plan because it will respond to this very special European territory that will have the economic-financial, material, police, and fiscal resources to combat unfair competition with a territory occupied by a hostile foreign country.
Will the decision to close the border (Schengen) be subject to the democratic will of the people of Gibraltar? Just over 17,000 voters should express their will. It seems that this will not be the case, as has become clear in the recent express meeting between Mr. García and the UK Secretary of State for the Americas, the Caribbean, and Overseas Territories, David Rutley, after he appeared before the European Scrutiny Committee of the House of Commons, "where he noted the suspicions of its chairman, Sir Bill Cash, as well as other MPs such as David Jones, both aligned with the hardest pro-Brexit positions and convinced that the British Government is making excessive concessions to Spain in this process.". This subordination of the real interests of the people of Gibraltar to the dictates of Brexit radicalism is a betrayal of the entire discourse that the United Kingdom has been wielding since the famous "self-determination" referendum of the people of Gibraltar in 1967. This negotiation for an Agreement in 2024 has little to do with sovereignty flags since it aims to establish the foundations for sharing a common prosperity area among peoples. In the 2002 referendum, the people of Gibraltar clearly established their refusal to Spanish-British co-sovereignty. At the moment, it is the European Union and the United Kingdom who are trying to set foot and promote the prosperity of the people who inhabit the bay. Planting doubt, even asserting forcefully that the agreement jeopardizes British sovereignty over the Rock, is a maneuver by those who seek to keep the will of the Llanito people subordinated to the "hidden" interests that make hay with the tax haven. Because the will to maintain a fluid relationship with the European Union was clearly expressed by the people of Gibraltar in the Brexit referendum NOT TO LEAVE THE EUROPEAN UNION, on June 23, 2016, 8 long years ago.
To what extent will the people of Gibraltar continue to be captive to British radicalism?