By Mark Montegriffo

Spain's Foreign Minister, Josep Borrell, is a largely well-respected diplomat with intellectual clout. With the PSOE government replacing the PP after corruption investigations, the main office holders of the new administration already had a lot on its plate as it is in needing to distance itself from the politics of their predecessor. Add on to this the issue of Brexit, Spain's role in the refugee crisis, managing secessionist tensions in Catalonia, as well as domestic economic recovery. The government is also cycling on a tightrope until the next election with their lack of a strong parliamentary majority. In summary, they have two years to exceed expectations in a critical political climate for Spain. But is anything in it for us?

Of course, anyone to the left of Margallo should be viewed with a dose of relief. Borrell, though, is the anti-Margallo in many respects. This was reflected best in his put-down this week of Trump's suggestion to build a wall in the middle of the Sahara to curb migration (nobody told Trump that Spain has a military border around Melilla to stop immigration into Europe).

Margallo would've likely paid him lip service. They are both, after all, dependent on the support of the xenophobic but organised section of their population. Borrell, being in a socialist government under pressure, will need to put his priorities with the working people of Andalucia and the Campo de Gibraltar. This, along with his personal diplomatic disposition, means that he's more likely to build bridges than put up walls.

Greater news still was the revelation that Gibraltar and Spain have had bilateral talks. Reactionaries will cry wolf and allege the Gibraltar government of conceding in some way. Communicating that they will not talk on sovereignty has set a bar that, if the government talks at all with their Spanish counterparts, they will get a small backlash even if the talks were mutually beneficial and not sovereignty-based.

In reality, the news of bilateral talks is probably the best news that has come out of Brexit in a while. That's not to say that we should think positively of the entire process as we voted 96 percent to remain yet our democratic voice is effectively ignored, the UK government and everyone around it is either clueless or impotent, and our hands (and our government's) are tied.

It is a democratic tragedy for the people of Gibraltar, which is not being helped by the internal squabbles and lack of leadership in the UK government that are probably going to result in disastrous consequences in Northern Ireland and many parts of the rest of the UK. All the lobbying and national day visits can seem futile in light of this.

However, this new bilateralism does more than any 'robust' statement from a UK government official for Gibraltar in these negotiations, both in terms of mitigating Brexit itself but also at a higher level.

Bilateral talks with Spain legitimises Gibraltar as a nation. It gives us a direct line to Spain and vice versa to discuss areas of mutual benefit. Without the UK, British sovereignty discussions can't go far. There is no danger with these bilateral talks unless we had a Chief Minister hell-bent on the transfer of sovereignty to Madrid.

Ultimately, Borrell's willingness to engage with Gibraltar on a bilateral level is a victory for Gibraltar and a loss to Margallo types. It spells a recognition of our jurisdiction and it is a rare example of Spain acting in a way that mirrors modern European values of democracy, self-determination, and deliberation. These are in stark contrast to those of the hard Brexit faction and those trying to tear Europe against itself on the central to eastern end of the continent.

Mark is a member of Together Gibraltar.

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