Breakthrough Agreement on Gibraltar and Acceleration of Iceland's EU Accession

Negotiations concerning Gibraltar, ongoing for nearly a decade since the British Brexit referendum, have reached their conclusion. The main premise of the new treaty is the inclusion of this territory into the Schengen Area, which will allow for the physical removal of the so-called Verja, the fence separating the Rock from the Spanish town of La Línea de la Concepción. Spanish Foreign Minister, José Manuel Albares, confirmed that Spanish officials will serve at Gibraltar's port and airport, controlling arrivals from outside the Schengen zone. Despite Madrid's enthusiasm, local leaders from the Campo de Gibraltar region express concerns. The biggest controversy was sparked by handing mayors a thousand-page document drafted exclusively in English, which the opposition People's Party assessed as a sign of disrespect and a "capitulation" by Pedro Sánchez's government. The dispute over Gibraltar's sovereignty has lasted since 1713, when the territory came under British rule following the Spanish War of Succession under the Treaty of Utrecht. Simultaneously, in the north of the continent, Iceland is returning to the discussion about European Union membership. The Prime Minister of Iceland announced plans to hold a referendum in the coming months on resuming accession negotiations with the EU. While Brussels welcomes pro-European signals from Reykjavík, Iceland itself is analyzing the benefits of membership in the context of Arctic security and historical tensions concerning Greenland's defense. Experts indicate that the new geopolitical situation, including Russian expansionism, has forced Icelanders to reanalyze the benefits of accession. Recent polls suggest growing support for integration, although fisheries issues remain a traditionally difficult negotiation point. „España no renuncia a la soberanía, pero este acuerdo permite que desaparezca el último muro de la Europa continental.” (Spain does not renounce sovereignty, but this agreement allows the last wall of continental Europe to disappear.) — Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares In other regions of Europe, governments are facing economic and social challenges. In Spain, Iberia airlines are conducting difficult negotiations with trade unions regarding voluntary staff departures, while in Barcelona, a railway strike was successfully called off during the prestigious Mobile World Congress. Meanwhile, in the Czech Republic, Prime Minister Andrej Babiš declared that his government will not seek to increase defense spending beyond current budget assumptions, which represents a departure from the plans of the previous cabinet and the general European trend of rearmament. The European Central Bank also remains in the spotlight, and Christine Lagarde declared her intention to complete her term, despite volatile financial market sentiment. 1000 — pages is the length of the Gibraltar document handed to mayors The implementation of the Gibraltar treaty is to take place by April 10, 2026. Although the technical aspects of passport control are preliminarily agreed, the British side emphasizes the protection of its own sovereignty, and the Spanish side announces a "visible presence" of its services. For 15,000 cross-border workers, the new law means an end to multi-hour queues at the border.

Perspektywy mediów: Government-friendly media focus on the diplomatic success and historic removal of the border with Gibraltar. Conservative media criticize the lack of a Spanish version of the document and accuse the government of submissiveness towards London.