Tuesday, December 11, 2018 - 11:19

A little reminder to refresh the memory of Spanish diplomacy: there was a time when King Juan Carlos told the British Ambassador in Madrid, Sir Richard Parsons, that it was not in Spain’s interest to recover Gibraltar in the near future … because King Hassan II will immediately reactivate his claim on Ceuta and Melilla."

This “royal confession” in Madrid, dated July 1983, on the occasion of the 76th birthday of Juan Carlos, and he was still on the throne.

“The Spaniards liked to say that Ceuta and Melilla were not comparable to the case of Gibraltar, that it was two cities part of Spain,” said Sir Parsons, adding: “Of course, it is nonsense; it is a very comparable situation.”

Let us leave national sensitivities and emotional justifications on one side: the sovereignty of European countries must end territorially in Europe.

-MORE in Panorama paper edition

11-12-18 PANORAMAdailyGIBRALTAR