Franco congratulates Picardo, hopes for Gibraltar treaty soon

The mayor of La Línea, Juan Franco, has sent his congratulations to Gibraltar’s Chief Minister, Fabian Picardo, for his electoral victory.

Mr Franco described himself as happy that “in a moment as important as this, when I hope that the final Brexit negotiations will begin, Gibraltar’s representative will remain the same”.

“I hope that the Government of Gibraltar is constituted soon, and also that it is constituted in Spain so that the Brexit negotiations, which are so important to us, can recommence,” he said.

Mr Franco made reference to Mr Picardo’s knowledge of the material being discussed and his experience in the negotiations thus far, saying that the development was, in his eyes, a positive one.

On a personal note, Mr Franco expressed his support for Mr Picardo.

“On purely personal terms, I believe we have a friendship after so much time working together and I am glad for him,” he said.

The mayor went on to offer words of encouragement to the leader of the Opposition, Keith Azopardi, wishing him better fortune in future elections.

Concluding, Mr Franco highlighted the high voter participation in Gibraltar, at 76%, the efficiency of Gibraltar’s electoral system and the fact that the result was a very close one.