The Chief Minister of Gibraltar, Fabian Picardo, and the mayor of La Línea de la Concepción, Juan Franco, starred at midnight this Wednesday in a highly symbolic act that marks the end of the historic border fence that for a century has kept the Rock separate from the rest of Spain.
Both public officials crossed the fence from each side of the border, becoming the first citizens to do so without showing their passports. The scene, followed with great interest by residents, unfolded to the tune of the Ode to Joy performed by a music band.
In an interview granted just a few minutes later on the program La Noche en 24 Horas on TVE, Picardo emphasized that "we have fought very hard for this" and highlighted the work done by London and Gibraltar to "have a new and different relationship with Spain."
"Here today, people have prevailed, it has prevailed that the peoples have the opportunity to be together, and the truth is that the attitude of the Government of Spain, the Government of the United Kingdom, the European Commission, and also, I humbly believe, the Government of Gibraltar, has allowed us to reach this moment," he stated. He then celebrated that "we will have access to a large market of 480 million people who can come to Gibraltar and will be our customers in the future." "Gibraltar is an interesting place, more tourism will come, they will buy more, and I am very optimistic about what the future can bring," he added.
The ceremony takes place just after the European Union and the United Kingdom have signed the agreement that regularizes Gibraltar's relations with the community bloc, after four years of uncertainty stemming from Brexit.
The European Commissioner responsible for relations with the United Kingdom, Maros Sefcovic, signed the Treaty on behalf of the Twenty-Seven, while the Secretary of State for Europe, Stephen Doughty, signed on behalf of the British Executive.
In this way, the agreement has begun to be applied provisionally, still pending final ratification by both the European Union and the United Kingdom for it to acquire permanent status.
The main provisions of the pact may begin to be deployed from its entry into force and, to mark this milestone, the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, will travel on Wednesday to La Línea de la Concepción (Cádiz) with the aim of certifying the end of the Fence and the elimination of passport controls between Spain and the Rock.
For more than a hundred years, the Fence separating Gibraltar from Spain has been the visible emblem of the division between the British colony and the Campo de Gibraltar, even remaining completely closed during the Franco dictatorship.