It is the dogma of the majority of Spanish political
parties that Gibraltar is an integral part of Spain and should be recovered.
The mantra is “Gibraltar Español” and I have always presumed that those on the
right of Spanish politics chant it louder than those on the left.
There are those in Gibraltar who welcomed a Partido
Popular victory in the last elections because they take the view that you know
with the centre right party where you are and you can expect the worst. Not
only that but your expectations are likely to be met. The present PP
administration certainly is proving the truth of that belief.
In contrast with PSOE you never know whether you are
going to get the good cop, the bad cop or whether to an extent on Gibraltar
relations they will cop out altogether.
I have held the view that if the centre right and far
right could be eliminated from the Spanish political body matters for Gibraltar
would change. It is my belief that it is because the parties of the right and
principally the Partido Popular have enshrined “Gibraltar Español” on their
hearts, minds and souls that all other parties in the political spectrum dare
not but chant the mantra. Failure to do so would leave them open to accusations
of betraying Spain.
In the 1980s Joe Bossano had talks with the PSOE of
Felipe Gonzalez to see if the GSLP could obtain membership of Socialist
International with their support. The fact is that if PSOE blocked the move the
SI would not grant the GSLP membership. On the face of it this should have been
a political matter with a small p. For a socialist party in Gibraltar to join
the all embracing socialist movement worldwide should have not been a matter to
meet with PSOE’s opposition. However it did as it would do today but the main reason
given by Gonzalez to Bossano was that such a move would cost him valuable votes
in an election.
Now would a PSOE supporter abandon the socialists and
vote with another party because Gonzalez had not objected to the GSLP’s
membership of SI? My guess is he or she would not. However if the centre right
and right parties got hold of this information then they could blacken PSOE’s
name with voters because they didn’t stop the GSLP becoming internationally
recognised. That holds a lot of truth.
If you ask the average Spaniard do they believe
Gibraltar is Spanish they would answer yes. Not because it is engraved on their
hearts, minds and souls but simply because it is the common acceptance. However
if you asked a Basque or a Catalan, first they couldn’t answer because they do
not view themselves as being Spanish. Secondly they could hardly say yes
because what they wish for their own regions is the independence from Spain
that Gibraltar currently enjoys.
However the average Spaniard is not a politician. So
whilst you will get the knee-jerk reaction to the Gibraltar question when you
ask them what are the political priorities in their lives opinion polls have
constantly shown that Gibraltar does not even feature. Jobs, the economy, housing
score high: even ETA and terrorism scores low but way ahead of Gibraltar which
does not register at all.
It is interesting that the present Partido Popular
government in Madrid, whose priority is jobs, the economy and housing, has
chosen to make Gibraltar a key plank in its foreign policy. However the PP
totally fails to understand that for Spaniards the Rock of Gibraltar is simply
not important. Hence we find the Spanish Premier Mariano Rajoy being ridiculed
in Spain and the wider world for demanding before the UN that Britain hands
over Gibraltar.
His country is in economic meltdown, key parts of his
country want out, the world is in recession, there are numerous wars, people
are starving, Arabs are demanding the freedoms that we take for granted and all
Rajoy can ask the gathered UN delegates and leaders is: “please can I have
Gibraltar back?” He is like a spoilt child wanting a toy in the shop window
which he simply can’t have.
The people of Spain by and large could not care what
happens to Gibraltar. If the parties of the centre and the left wished to truly
reflect their wishes, neither would they. However they are all caught in the
sight of the weaving cobra’s head of the right and centre right and dare not
turn away. If Spanish politicians on the centre and left had the courage to break
that spell there would indeed be a new era in Spanish – Gibraltar relations to
the benefit of both societies. Yet for now no mainstream Spanish politician
dare but chant “Gibraltar Español”!
