Spain digs in over Brexit and Gibraltar Britain
Spain is pushing for a cast-iron guarantee of its say over the future of Gibraltar as a condition for backing a divorce agreement between Britain and European Union, as British Prime Minister Theresa May battles to win approval for the deal from sceptical politicians and a Brexit-weary populace.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez warned yesterday that he would oppose the deal, which lays out the terms of Britain’s departure in March and sets up a framework for future rel- ations, if language wasn’t added on Gibraltar, the disputed territory at the tip of the Iberian peninsula.
Sanchez, who is due to join other EU leaders at a Brussels summit today to rubber-stamp the deal, tweeted that Britain and Spain ‘‘remain far away’’ on the issue and ‘‘if there are no changes, we will veto Brexit’’.
Spain wants the future of the tiny territory, which was ceded to Britain in 1713 but is still claimed by Spain, to be a bilateral issue between Madrid and London.
Last year’s EU guidelines on the Brexit negotiations effectively gave Spain veto powers over future relations between the bloc and the British overseas territory.
However, Spanish officials are concerned that a key clause in the agreement referring to United Kingdom-EU negotiations on their future relationship makes no mention of Gibraltar.
Spanish government spokeswoman Isabel Celaa said Spain required an ‘‘absolute guarantee’’ that any future agreement between the EU and the UK in matters regarding Gibraltar ‘‘will require the prior agreement of Spain’’.
Spain doesn’t have a veto on the withdrawal agreement, which doesn’t have to be approved unanimously, but it could hold up a future free trade deal between Britain and the EU, which would require the approval of all 27 EU nations.
Spain’s junior minister for the European Union, Luis Marco Aguiriano, said that British authorities had made a commitment to address Spain’s concerns on Gibraltar, but had not yet seen it in writing.
Britain and the EU say the withdrawal agreement won’t be changed but haven’t ruled out putting something in writing to allay Spain’s fears.
May said yesterday that ‘‘we have been working with the government of Gibraltar and the government of Spain’’ on measures for Gibraltar.
‘‘If this deal doesn’t go through, what happens is we end up back at square one,’’ she said.