Gibraltar plans to build airport car park on Spanish soil

The car park Gibraltar wants to build on Spanish territory

How far can the limit of Spanish sovereignty be stretched? According to analysts, the answer is not very far. The project to expand Gibraltar's airport with a car park on Spanish soil has peine the old wound of the territorial dispute, with the Treaty of Utrecht as the backdrop.

The Treaty of Utrecht and the fine print

Article X of the Treaty of Utrecht, signed in 1713, ceded the Rock to the British Crown, but did not include the territorial waters or the current airport facilities. In fact, the airport was built later on land that legally was not part of the cession. Gibraltar has no territorial waters, and part of the runway stands on Spanish soil. This ambiguity is the breeding ground for the British claim to the new car park.

The reaction in Madrid: between passivity and antiestéticar

The widespread perception is that the Spanish government, whatever its political stripe, will end up giving its approval on the grounds that jobs will be created. But scepticism is at its height: few believe that promise, and some point out that the only positions will be security guards. The removal of the border fence years ago eliminated a symbol of control, and crossing is now free, opening the door for Gibraltar to make use of Spanish soil without any quid pro quo.

Some go further: if the calibre of Spanish leaders is so low, perhaps Spain should worry that other territories with similar aspirations will trinc the same path. The irony is served: while some laugh at the situation, others wonder whether one day we will be the ones paying for the works.

The fact is that sovereignty-driven logic collides with chronic neglect. And the question left hanging is a simple one: when will an underground or elevated car park be built to avoid new disputes? Time, as always, favours those who do nothing.