Friday, August 27, 2021 - 09:32

From the days of Franco, they thought we would never survive without them

by CARMEN GOMEZ

Apparently, after a ‘bilateral’ meeting of July 21st; which is exactly where Spain prefers to be just so we understand i.e. in bilateral talks without Gibraltar; both Sr. Albares and Dominic Raab showed willingness to reach an agreement that would generate prosperity between the Rock and the Gibraltar area.

Josep Borell, made a reflection in 2018, in his appearance in the Spanish congress; when he was minister for foreign affairs; which was” it cannot be that Gibraltar is highlighted as the third territory of the world with the highest capita; and then be surrounded by a plain of underdevelopment; ie La Linea and the Campo area.

This created certain irritation, especially when he went on to say that on the Rock there were no factories; but that did not impede it being constituted one of the most prosperous economies on the planet; thanks to its singularity based primarily on its low taxation.
Whilst on the other side of the ‘verja,’ there was and continues to be unemployment and pockets of social marginality, due to institutional abandonment suffered for decades in the Campo. All of which naturally has led to the traffic of contraband and drugs. This despite the fact that across the way there is one of the most potent industrial plants of Spain and a hugely important port of call for merchandise in Algeciras. You see, this is the thing. It`s like watching your neighbour from the estate across the road with his Porsche and Harley Davidson in the garage and his big mansion, and saying “I should have what he has and I mean not only to tell him so, but demand he shares his riches with me!” It sounds so much like the dogma of communism, which curiously is not well seen in Spain.