In New Year message, Garcia signals ‘crunch time’ for treaty talks

The coming weeks will be “crunch time” for the negotiations on a UK/EU treaty for the Rock’s future relations with the bloc, Deputy Chief Minister Dr Joseph Garcia said in a New Year message.

Dr Garcia acknowledged that multiple “self-imposed deadlines” had “come and gone” in the past but that, with EU elections due in June, “the negotiations cannot continue forever”.

“Time is running out and 2024 will, at some point, see Gibraltar reach a fork in the road,” he said.

“This period will therefore be marked by a choice in the direction of travel.”

“On one path, we agree a way forward protected by a treaty, and if we follow the other, we settle down to the hard reality of life without one.”

“Neither of those routes will be plain sailing and both will involve taking a step into a new environment.”

“But either way we must not be scared of the changes that 2024 will have in store.”

“Gibraltar and its people have overcome many such core transitions in the past and we have emerged stronger than before on each and every occasion.”

Dr Garcia said the overriding issue for Gibraltar in the negotiation is that red lines on sovereignty and jurisdiction must not be crossed.

He said both he and Chief Minister Fabian Picardo had made clear “this is never going to happen”.

“There will be no treaty otherwise,” Dr Garcia said in the message.

“Indeed, the United Kingdom too has said that it will continue to remain firm on the question of sovereignty.”

“So if we manage to conclude a treaty, you can rest assured that it will be safe, secure and beneficial for us all.”

“We will simply not support it if it does not meet this criteria.”

But he added: “Having said that, it is true though that a treaty will require a different mind-set on all sides, and a new way of doing things.”

“It is also true that it will not be perfect. No treaty ever is.”

“The four parties involved, Gibraltar, the United Kingdom, Spain and the European Union each had their own views, interests and policies to defend as the detailed negotiations have progressed.”

“The final product that may emerge will obviously be the result of those many different positions thrown into the melting pot.”

“One prize within our grasp is a potential transformation in the relationship with our neighbours away from hundreds of years of conflict and confrontation towards a new one without frontier queues, as a result of a common travel area with the Schengen zone.”

Dr Garcia acknowledged that for many Gibraltarians, “none of this will be easy to believe”.

“Spain has for decades, whether dictatorship or democracy, embarked on a deliberate campaign of antagonism and hostility towards Gibraltar and the Gibraltarians,” he said.

“Those periods of coercion have generated a degree of mistrust which cannot simply be airbrushed away in an instant with a signature and a photograph.”

“Trust must be earned and it must be based on actions not words.”

“Respect too must be earned and it must be mutual and voluntary, not one-sided and forced.”

“However, it is easy to forget, though, that Gibraltar finds itself in this position sadly because of the issues generated by the departure of the United Kingdom from the European Union.”

Elsewhere in the message, Dr Garcia said the GSLP/Liberal administration was embarked on its new term in office with “renewed energy and enthusiasm”, but also with “a degree of humility”.

“We have learnt the lessons of 12 October and we will not forget them,” he said.

“The message has been received loud and clear.”

“This means that the real everyday issues which matter to people are at the heart of our agenda, including the implementation of our 2023 manifesto which is the programme that saw us elected into office.”