BLOG 2 - OF PATRIOTS AND TRAITORS

A few weeks ago I gave an interview for a Spanish online media outlet (an interview they requested, of course). It was a general overview of the current political situation, with a soft focus on the Brexit issue and the impact of a deal (or lack of) on cross-border relations. I expressed my desire to have good relations with our neighbours, and my hopes for a deal that would allow for common prosperity without jeopardising Gibraltarian sovereignty. I said the GSLP Government would have a lot of explaining to do if the moment comes to sell any potential deal (which will inevitably include some concessions) to the electorate after having exploited Gibraltar’s nationalist fervour for decades.

Remember the mantra “we will never concede one grain of sand, one breath of our air, or one drop of our waters?” That’s called nationalistic manipulation, and as is usually the case with all forms of populism, it will come back to bite Fabian Picardo come Easter.

There wasn’t much space for in-depth analysis in the interview. There were no attempts at discussing policy or any substantive, material proposals for change from me or my party. The interview wasn’t about that. This was a simple profile piece on one of Gibraltar’s politicians for an audience of Spanish readers with an interest in Gib/Spain relations. The response the article received in Gibraltar, however, proved tremendously insightful.

It highlighted some of the worse problems that plague our society, and which need to be addressed honestly.

The first is what I normally refer to as the “Gibraltar PLC” gag. When you respond candidly to foreign journalists on local issues you are told “you are playing into the hands of the enemy”. In this case, they tried to make the accusation sound even more dramatic by saying that the outlet “Noticias Gibraltar” is a state-funded publication. I wonder if the people who make these nonsensical arguments are aware that pretty much every single Spanish (and this applies to most other countries too) media publication of note receives public funds in some way or another. Do they know that all the major newspapers, “El Pais”, “El Mundo” etc. all survive thanks to institutional, state-funded advertising? Are they aware that our local media is also largely either state-funded or indirectly state aided in the form of government advertising? Does that mean opposition MP’s should not answer questions coming from a GSLP party organ?

I would like to cast this article beyond the sycophants and party fanatics, and try to appeal to the wider audience on this issue. As a people, we need to stop buying into the ridiculous narrative that we must avoid honest, self-analysis for fear of giving hostile neighbours ammunition against us. Does anyone with an ounce of common sense really believe that making criticisms of our Government on “Noticias Gibraltar” is any different from making them on “GBC News” or “The Gibraltar Chronicle”? Does anyone believe that people (and don’t get me wrong, I am aware that these people exist) who want to damage our reputation can be kept at bay by publishing on one website and not the other? Do these people even understand the internet?

The only people who benefit from gagging a society are those who deceive and exploit it. It is they, and their choir of sycophants who perpetuate these toxic narratives, who bring disrepute to Gibraltar. Not those who point out the corruption. Certainly not those who stand up against it.

Gibraltar has a great history full of many proud achievements, but Gibraltar is an imperfect society that needs profound, urgent reforms. We need to have open and reasonable discussions about our shortcomings if we are to find the best solutions going forward, and we cannot do this if we continue to censor our opinions in this way.

Which brings me to my next point:

In some of Gibraltar’s social media l forums, my father is being called a traitor.

I want to make it clear that I am not writing this as an offended daughter. This is not about the fact that my father’s legacy is being tarnished by fanatics, but about my responsibilities as an MP. I speak as a taxpayer-funded advocate for the people of Gibraltar, and in this capacity I tell you that this is an extremely dangerous state of affairs. My father was the Chief Minister/leader of Gibraltar for four decades, working tirelessly to help create the proud nation we are now. He enjoyed enormous success in the establishment of our autonomy and identity, navigating 40 years of scarcity, turmoil and conflict in a way that allowed Gibraltar to grow in dignity and self-esteem. He is still held in very high regard by the vast majority of those who knew him. Granted, he was not perfect, and 40 years is an extremely long time to keep an immaculate service sheet, but a traitor? A man who “sold” Gibraltar, just because he thought it was in the best interest of Gibraltar to take part in talks about the future relationship with Spain in the context of the opening of the border?

My father never “sold” Gibraltar, nor was he willing to negotiate issues of sovereignty with Spain. He was a fierce advocate for Gibraltarian self-determination on numerous international forums, and for that he is considered to be one of our forefathers. Peter Caruana, who is often also called a traitor in these forums, was also always crystal-clear on the issue of sovereignty. He simply expressed the view that Gibraltarian self-determination would be much easier to sustain with a strong, prosperous Gibraltar, and that meant achieving the kind of relationship with Spain that would allow for this prosperity to materialise. Simple, intelligent diplomacy now painted as duplicity and treason by those who skew the parameters of this debate on our social media platforms.

I believe that Fabian Picardo is, as was my father and Sir Peter before him (as is every single person I have ever met in politics to be honest), completely committed to safeguarding Gibraltarian sovereignty; still many are now fearing he will “sell us to the Spanish”. Unfortunately this is a problem mostly of his own making, as he and his party have, for many years, fuelled these disproportionate views that now set the parameters for a political debate that will shape the future of Gibraltar for generations.

Phrases such as ‘one grain of sand’, ‘one breath of air’ and ‘one drop of our waters’ are buzz words designed to trigger nationalistic sentiment, but I have no doubt that, behind the scenes, the Gibraltar negotiating team is using no such language whilst they walk the tightrope of diplomacy as they attempt to secure the best-case scenario from a bad situation.

I am not saying they will necessarily want to make any concessions, but don’t they want to have the ability to discuss these options openly and rationally? Do they want to remain prisoners of a group of people who have hijacked the debate and dragged it into the realm of demagoguery and fanaticism?

Does the Chief Minister not want to have the freedom to discuss these options in a conversation that isn’t framed as a battle between patriots and traitors?

I am sure there is a silent majority out there that agrees with these sentiments, unfortunately, a louder, fanatic minority has taken ownership of “Gibraltarian patriotism” and is using it as a cudgel to keep the rest of us silent and fearful. In order to put an end to this, let's call it "post-palomo world order", where all negotiations (and negotiators) are viewed with scepticism and the “non-fanatic” majority live in fear of being lynched, Fabian Picardo should consider being more transparent and, crucially, more honest about the negotiation process and its potential outcomes.