Spain-Gibraltar relations could be set back 40 years, warns Gib exec

The heated flotilla standoff was dispersed by the Royal Navy and the Gibraltar Coast Guard

Edward Macquisten, chief executive of the Gibraltar Chamber of Commerce, has spoken out about the current Spain-Gibraltar turmoil, stating that the increased border checks and recent flotilla stand-off could set relations between the two back 40 years.

“It is a big inconvenience for those going to and from work,” Macquisten said. “On top of that you have a lot of daytrippers from the Costa del Sol.

“Gibraltar is an extremely popular location for tourists along the Coast. They are being kept in queues, sometimes for up to five hours, causing a massive inconvenience for everyone.”

The debate between Spain and Gibraltar has been simmering since the end of July, and while most of the heavier rhetoric from politicians on both sides has died down, tensions are still high…

Over the weekend, a flotilla of approximately 38 disgruntled Spanish fishermen strayed purposefully into Gibraltarian waters, leading to a standoff between the Royal Navy and the Gibraltar coast guard, who eventually drove them back.

The fishermen, who hailed from nearby La Linea and Algeciras, shouted “Gibraltar is Spanish” at the patrol boats, and claim to have lost an estimated €1.5m in earnings since Gibraltar began building its artificial reef in late July – actions which sparked this latest round of sour relations.

Prime Ministers David Cameron and Mariano Rajoy have spoken over the phone about the situation, with both sides hinting that they may be willing to take the dispute to international arbitration. For Madrid’s part, they have also hinted that they may seek to take advantage of the fact that Argentina is currently enjoying presidency of the United Nations Security Council, and could seek to link the dispute to Argentina’s very own claims to the Falkland Islands.

Elsewhere, a Twitter storm was brewing over the weekend when Gibraltar MEP Julie Girling faced a barrage of abuse on the social media site, with users calling her “too ugly to visit Spain” amid her campaigns to the European Parliament for legal action to be taken against the Spanish.

Equally, British newspaper the Daily Mail has waded into the debate, sending a reporter to the Spanish exclave of Ceuta to expose what it calls Spain’s “rank hypocrisy” over Gibraltar.

When and how will this all end? Few can say. The queues remain lengthy, Gibraltarians remain stoic and determined, Spanish fishermen remain aggrieved and the more detached citizens of both the UK and Spain remain equally bemused, distracted, disinterested or jingoistic.

They say the summer period is the silly season for news, but what began as a mildly distracting set of headlines refuses to budge, and threatens to overspill into something more. Watch this space.