Boris Johnson’s resignation aggravates uncertainty over Brexit in Gibraltar

The negotiations between European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom (UK) to establish the treaty on the Rock’s relationship with the EU continued this week in Brussels. The Chief Minister, Fabian Picardoand the Deputy Chief Minister of Gibraltar, Joseph Garcíahave been in the European capital to follow the talks, which have not brought any news in this regard.

“Conversations to reach that goal will be ongoing and will take place at different levels.», the Government of the Rock has reported in a statement in which it also states that «it remains fully committed to achieving an agreement that regulates Gibraltar’s relationship with the EU and with Spain, the Member State of the block closest to the Crag”.

This has been the ninth round of negotiations. The talks had been at an impasse since May 11, when the eighth ended. So, Picardo foresaw a minimum of “two more rounds of negotiation” to reach an agreement. It was expected that the dialogue will resume at the beginning of June; however, it took time to materialize the draft of the meeting that finally took place this week.

transition round

Given the delay in holding the ninth round of negotiations, a transitional one took place in Madrid last week. Until the capital of Spain they moved Fabian Picardo and Joseph Garcia to hold “technical talks” on the basis of the treaty for two days, according to the Government of Gibraltar. there he caught them the deferred resignation of Boris Johnson as British Prime Minister.

Johnson’s resignation – who will remain in Downing Street until September 5 – aggravates the uncertainty generated by Brexit in the Rock. The agreement with the European Union must be endorsed by the successor of the still Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, and meanwhile, the effects of the British exit from the EU are being felt in the colony. Liz Truss, UK Foreign Secretary who is leading negotiations on Gibraltar on the British side, has run out of steam in the race to succeed Boris Johnson.

co-sovereignty

The President of the Junta de Andalucía, Juanma Moreno, reacted to the announcement of the resignation of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom by suggesting, and not for the first time, the co-sovereignty of Gibraltar as «the most desirable, reasonable and sensible both for the workers of the Campo de Gibraltar and for the Gibraltarians themselves»; solution that rejects the Executive of the Rock.

“This Government and Gibraltar as a whole will in no way contemplate shared or joint sovereignty,” says the note issued from Number 6 Convent Place in response to Moreno. It also alludes to the referendum on the co-sovereignty of the British colony in 2002, in which 99% of the Llanitos rejected the idea.

The Andalusian leader pointed out, on the other hand, the need for the next Prime Minister of the United Kingdom “to understand the enormous complexity and singularity that Campo de Gibraltar is experiencing and to be open to cooperation and maximum collaboration with the Government of Spain and the regional authorities». Picardo “takes note” of it.

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