The decision by British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to move the general elections, originally scheduled for October, to July 4th demonstrates how little the current occupant of Downing Street, like his predecessors, considers the Gibraltarians.
It seemed that Spain, the United Kingdom, the European Commission, and Gibraltar were close to an agreement - as the candid minister Albares informed us - but the dialogue might now fail. The British election call, coupled with the European elections on June 9th, has created an uncertain scenario, as recognized yesterday by the Andalusian president, Juanma Moreno, and the mayor of La Línea, Juan Franco.
So, what now? It does not seem likely that an acting government in London will sign the agreement on a new status for post-Brexit Gibraltar, especially when it is unknown if the Conservative leader will remain prime minister after the elections. The same applies to the European Commission amid an election campaign.
The sole responsibility for this situation lies with the United Kingdom, the initiator of the Brexit referendum, which was overwhelmingly rejected (95.91%) by the people of Gibraltar; and now, once again, for surprisingly announcing elections when an agreement that would benefit Gibraltarians and Campo de Gibraltar residents by creating a “shared prosperity zone” was apparently close.
Those of us who dreamed of seeing the Fence disappear will have to wait indefinitely. Likewise, those who hoped for a joint-use airport to resume flights between the Rock's airport and those of Madrid and Barcelona. Bilateral agreements between Gibraltar and Spain belong to another unlikely scenario and, at this moment, are undesirable given Spain’s claim over the territory’s sovereignty. As the saying goes, hope for the best but prepare for the worst. The dialogue participants should prepare for the probable hypothesis of no agreement. This also applies to those who would suffer the consequences of the British leaders' disinterest in improving the lives of Gibraltarians and their neighbors in the southernmost part of Andalusia. This time, it seems there will be no buttered toast on both sides but rather another atmosphere of uncertainty with unpredictable consequences.