Vox attacks ‘manifestly harmful’ Gib treaty as PSOE rejects ‘placard patriotism’

A debate in Spain’s parliament this week exposed sharp political division over the UK/EU treaty on Gibraltar, with Vox branding the deal “a situation of national shame” and a Socialist MP dismissing that stance as “placard patriotism”.

The far-right party had tabled a motion in the parliament’s mixed committee on EU affairs to formally record its objection to the treaty, a position supported by the Partido Popular.

Vox MP Jose Maria Sanchez Garcia said the agreement was “manifestly harmful to Spain’s interests”.

He repeated arguments deployed in earlier debates in parliament that the treaty should be voted in all EU national parliaments as a mixed agreement, something that both the European Commission and the European Council have already rejected.

“Truly, this is a decision amounting to treason against the homeland and, above all, a decision that fails to seize what may be a unique opportunity, with the legal force of the European Union, to require that any agreement concerning Gibraltar to be concluded between the United Kingdom and the European Union be based on a non-negotiable premise, Spanish sovereignty over that territory,” Mr Sanchez said.

He described the deal as an “absolute absurdity” and said Gibraltar would benefit from the Schengen area and the EU customs union, something it did not have even when the UK was a member of the bloc.

“This is not a legal fiction, this is legal magic,” he said.

“How can this be explained? It can only be explained by one very simple reason. This agreement was drafted by the Government of Gibraltar, because it is the only party favoured by the substantive content of this agreement.”

The Vox MP said other EU countries cared “somewhere between nothing and less than nothing” about what happened in respect of Gibraltar, adding this was an issue that mattered only to Spain.

“Spain has bowed its head and allowed itself - I will not say something vulgar – but in short, it has allowed itself to be beaten with a rolling pin by the United Kingdom and by a man such as Mr Picardo, who, as you will understand, matters on the international stage about as much as his grandmother does, that is, nothing,” Mr Sanchez said.

“Does anyone seriously believe that, after the history we have had in relation to Gibraltar and the United Kingdom, Gibraltar and the United Kingdom are going to want to share anything with Spain that involves economic wealth?”

“This is a bad joke. This is a bad joke.”

And he concluded: “From a legal point of view this is very serious, because until now this matter of Gibraltar, once the United Kingdom was outside the European Union, was an issue that had to be addressed bilaterally between Spain and the United Kingdom.”

“Now, because of this strange agreement, it becomes a matter of European law, even though it concerns a territory outside the European Union and one over which there hangs a centuries-old territorial claim by a member state.”

Carlos Floriano Corrales, the PP MP on the committee, echoed many of Vox’s arguments and insisted the Spanish Government had “incomprehensibly” failed to capitalise on the situation created by Brexit.

“What is more, not only has it failed to take advantage of the opportunity, it has used it to do exactly the opposite, to recognise in law that land which Spain has historically claimed, from this moment on, have a legal basis, a legal foundation granted to them by this agreement between the European Union and the United Kingdom,” he said.

The counter arguments to the opposition MPs came from PSOE MP Vicente Montávez Aguillaume, who said Vox was not defending the interests of Spain or the Campo de Gibraltar.

“It defends blockade, confrontation and a foreign policy based on noise rather than solutions,” he said.

“The agreement on Gibraltar represents an important step forward.”

“It means the disappearance of the fence, guarantees the mobility of people and goods, and allows Spanish authorities, for the first time, to carry out Schengen controls at Gibraltar’s port and airport, as well as customs controls on goods.”

“That means more security, more control, and greater capacity for action for Spain.”

Mr Montávez said the agreement would bring stability to thousands of cross-border workers, businesses and families in the Campo, “who need certainty and opportunities”.

In would also strengthen the fight against smuggling, improve fiscal and environmental cooperation and protect the labour and social security rights of those who work on both sides of the border.

And he dismissed too the suggestion that the agreement undermined Spain’s long-standing position on sovereignty.

“It expressly preserves Spain’s legal positions, contrary to the caricature Vox is trying to construct,” he said.

“There is no concession here, there is effective diplomacy and defence of national interests.”

“The question is simple, what is Vox’s alternative? Maintain the fence? Return to blockade? Harm workers and isolate the Campo de Gibraltar?”

“Their proposal offers no solutions. It only uses Gibraltar as an instrument of political confrontation.”

Mr Montávez said the PSOE was “sincerely concerned” by the position adopted by the PP, which he said “knows perfectly well” that the treaty was beneficial after Brexit.

“The European institutions know it, the mayors of the Campo de Gibraltar know it, the Government of Andalucia knows it, and the economic and social stakeholders of the region know it,” he said.

“Yet the Partido Popular is once again acting in the same way, criticising without proposing, and moving closer to Vox even though that harms the real interests of Andalusia and Spain.”

Mr Montávez chastised the opposition MPs and told them “patriotism is not raising your voice or waving flags”.

“Patriotism means reaching useful agreements, protecting workers, and guaranteeing more security and greater influence for Spain,” he said.

“This agreement opens a new stage of coexistence, cooperation, and yes, shared prosperity – something which bothers you so much - for the Campo de Gibraltar, for Andalusia, and for Spain.”

The Vox motion was approved by 20 in favour and 12 against.

It formally records the opposition parties’ views on the agreement but has not other practical effect.