Spain’s Partido Andalucista yesterday publicly recognised that the people of Gibraltar have the right to self-determination.

The party broke with its traditionally tough stance on Gibraltar during a press conference marking the run-up to the 300th anniversary of the Treaty of Utrecht.

“Gibraltar for us is a territory of Andalucia, but as a nationalist party we also have to recognise the right of a people to self-determination,” said Jose María España, the party’s secretary in Algeciras.

 

“As such, we recognise the right of the Gibraltarians to decide their own future.”

“We believe that with good relations, it should be possible to reach an understanding between the Rock and the other towns in the region.”

The statement is unusual for the Partido Andalucista, which is closely allied with the Popular Party across Andalucia and, in the Campo de Gibraltar, works in coalition with the PP in the Los Barrios town council and in the Mancomunidad de Municipios, which brings together the Campo municipalities. In the past, the Partido Andalucista has rarely been charitable about Gibraltar.

It described the visit by Prince Edward last year as “a clear provocation” and has repeatedly complained that Gibraltar pollutes the marine environment.

At one point in 2011, it even filed a formal court complaint against the then Chief Minister Peter Caruana in the wake of the port explosion. The complaint came to nothing more than a string of negative media headlines.

Despite yesterday’s recognition of Gibraltar’s right to self-determination, the party was sharply critical too.

At the press conference, party spokesman Juan Luis Blanco accused the Gibraltar Government of increasing tension “to worrying levels” that would prejudice all the communities in this region.

He said Gibraltar banned Spanish trawlers on environmental grounds but continued to pollute the waters around the Rock.

But he also said a greater effort was needed to encourage good cross-border relations and develop joint initiatives for the greater good of communities on both sides of the frontier.

“We have to work at a local and regional level to foster good neighbourly relations and try to focus on the things that unite us and negotiate the problems that separate us,” he said.

That message was echoed by Sr España.

“We believe we need to bring these communities closer together and work on the things that unite us,” he told reporters.

“We should set aside whatever differences we have so that, bit by bit, we can smooth away the rough edges to achieve good relations.”

But Sr España also recognised that the road to improved relations would be hard won given past experience.

“There is suspicion in Gibraltar,” he said. “To put it bluntly, they don’t trust us.”