The Gibraltar field greets a new stage without borders between caution and skepticism | Spain

« Well, I will believe it because a journalist tells me, but I didn’t have much with it. » Elisa Moya, a cross -border worker In Gibraltarwas so skeptical that the agreement between the United Kingdom and Spain that now even hesitates it. The 52 -year -old employee has just left the hotel in which she has been working for just a month and runs into the news as soon as she crosses that border than the handshake this Wednesday promises to disappear. He likes how music sounds, but wants to know the lyrics. In his case, the stanza in which he must speak « what will happen to the pensions of cross -border workers in Spain. » « I do not consider that this is my work forever; just for that, if the agreement guarantees them, I would see it in another way, » the Spanish progresses, before being lost along the avenue that connects the border crossing with the line of the conception.

The agreement has arrived three years and eight months after the negotiations that should resolve the quagmire that the 2016 Brexit threw Gibraltar and the Spanish region that surrounds it. And as usually happens with everything that depends on a hard negotiation and becomes so expected, optimism in the area is weird, cautious, almost cold. Or as the mayor of the line, Juan Franco, has defined it: « relative optimism. » « The information for now is a press release, I have not seen anything else. We are waiting for a meeting with the minister, » said the councilor in conversation with the country, before entering a press conference. « We have been on the edge of the precipice (…). It was a matter of life or death, » says the first mayor, who announced that on Friday he is summoned to a meeting with José Manuel Albares, « the fifth (Foreign Minister) from Brexit », whom he thanks for his involvement: « It is to be happy to lose a border »

The announcement of the agreement, made simultaneously by Spain, the United Kingdom and Gibraltar caught a good part of the 15,000 cross -border workers – 10,600 Spaniards, according to data from the Gibraltar government – leaving their workday. And, although more than one was surprised, in the area it was not totally unknown that the happy ending was close. Runrún began almost a month ago and even pointed out the possibility of being at the end of May. It was the cantinela that arrived in Manuel Triano, regional secretary of Workers’ Commissions, that on Wednesday morning he woke up with the tension that the high -level meeting announced in Brussels could end well. « When I learned that there was no agreement I have not been able to avoid exciting myself much. The opposite would have been a ruin for the region and Gibraltar. It is a historic day, » he is right to value the trade unionist.

The most repeated exhortation this Wednesday afternoon in the area was to appeal to still unknown details. Franco lists some of those « fringes »: « De facto, The city goes on to have an airport for the disappearance of border controls on the current border, but what will happen to environmental, fiscal issues … I am worried that housing now shoots at me in price. I just approved a PGOU that contemplated a border that will not exist now. ”It is definitely the saying that the Gibraltar Ana Ferro, 76, to assess the agreement:“ The devil hides in the details. ”The woman prefers not to delve deeper, until he listens to the appearance of the Gibraltar government, announced for the night.

The Joana Llanitas – « To dry, please » -, their hairdresser and their sister -in -law, who directly ask for anonymity, do get a little more in flour. « It sounds good, the most important thing is that the border will disappear, » says Joana. But the aestheticist replies: « But there is talk that there will be Spanish police at the airport, I don’t know if that will like more than one. » That issue, the presence of these agents found the negotiations for months. Now revive as a materialized ghost of which the Gibraltareño government itself does not refuse that, hours later, began a frantic publication of official communications to defend the agreed. « It represents a balanced, pragmatic and mutually respectful solution (…). The agreement does not compromise, nor will British sovereignty on Gibraltar (…).

It is just what many of the congregates in Convent Place seemed to want to listen. The historic day for Gibraltar and his surroundings caught Ferro celebrating a cocktail for the birthday of King Carlos III of England. In the square that gives access to the former convent, today the host of the governor, the lords hooded and the ladies with a cocktail suit made small corrillos to wait to enter. The monothem was more than evident. « It was very necessary for both parties, to be able to live. Not having an agreement would have been very bad. At this time, we have doubted, but everything is already different, » Frank Carreras, a retired Gibraltar official and one of the guests at the party.

Below, on the border, the afternoon had an appearance of normality, if it were not because of the cloud of journalists and cameras that has gathered on the sidewalk in front. But it was enough to hit the ear to discover that nothing seemed the same. The conversations of the police and civil guards that guarded the border crossing went and came with the agreement. « But will it be total free circulation? Namely … » was right to comment on an agent to his partner. « And then, where are we going? » Another bet on the exit to another colleague. « We will have to read the text carefully, once it is. But for now it is time to greet us all who defended this agreement because it is a day to remember, » said Triano with the excited voice.