Spain Threatens To Reject Brexit Deal Over Gibralta

Spain Threatens To Reject Brexit Deal Over Gibralta

By Ben Kerrigan-

The Spanish government has threatened to reject Theresa May’s Brexit deal over the issue of Gibraltar, unless last-minute changes are made to the text ahead of a crunch summit.

The country’s foreign minister said Spain would not back the proposals at the European Council without assurances that the agreement would not apply to Gibraltar.

“This is what needs to made clear, and until it is clarified in the withdrawal agreement and in the political declaration on the future relationship, we cannot give our backing,” Spain said on Monday.

Spain opposes Britain’s claims on Gibraltar, which is a British overseas territory that is home to around 30,000 people, and has previously threatened to use Brexit to wrest concessions on the issue.
The withdrawal agreement has to be approved by qualified majority voting at the European Council this weekend.

Minister Sanchez says any deal Spain agrees to must include clear language that states Gibraltar’s future is a bilateral issue between London and Madrid, not something to be negotiated at the EU level. Spain is currently the only member of the 27 EU countries that has expressed strong opposition to the 585-page draft Brexit deal so far.

British Prime Minister Theresa May is also facing opposition to her deal at home, from within her own party and from Northern Ireland’s ten DUP lawmakers who provide her with her majority in

Spain’s Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has also adopted a tough stance on the Gibraltar issue. Speaking at an Economist summit in Madrid on Tuesday, he said: “As of today, if there are no changes with respect to Gibraltar, Spain will vote no to the agreement on Brexit

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