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The
OLIVE PRESS
FREE
GIBRALTAR
Vol. 8 Issue 214
www.theolivepress.es
HONOURED: Lawrence Podesta (left), Terence Lopez (below) and Jack Prior (right)
The Rock’s ONLY free local paper
January 10th - January 23rd 2024
HONOURABLE MEN
CBE: Albert Isola
CHIEF Minister Fabian Picardo has praised former Digital and Financial Services minister Albert Isola who received a CBE in the New Year’s Awards. The other standout achievers included CEO of Gibraltar International Bank Lawrence Podesta who got an OBE for his services to banking. The Chief Minister congratulated ‘all those who have made significant contributions to Gibraltar in their respective fields’. “I particularly want to applaud my dear friend, a core pillar of our economy accounting for approximately 50% of our GDP, during his
‘Scary’ flight A FLIGHT from Gibraltar to Heathrow was forced to make an emergency landing in France because of smoke in the cockpit. The British Airways flight was originally delayed at Gibraltar airport for nearly three hours after an engineer had to repair two problems with the plane. It finally took off but was diverted to Nantes airport after fumes in the cockpit forced pilots to wear oxygen masks. The UK airline provided a hotel for passengers at the French airport before finally arriving in London 22 hours later. Gibraltar’s first Olympian Georgina Cassar who was on board told GBC ‘it was pretty scary stuff and definitely not something I would like to do again’. Another passenger, rugby player Jack Eccleston, told the national broadcaster that ‘there were some fumes in the cockpit and that they had their oxygen masks on’. This, he said, was why the pilot could not tell the passengers what was going on. BA has not said whether the repairs were anything to do with the fumes in the cockpit issue.
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tenure as a GSLP/Liberal Government Minister,” Picardo said. He talked of how the OBE ‘rightly recognises’ Podesta’s ‘sterling work’ in the establishment of the Gibraltar International Bank. He said that it came ‘at a crucial time when banking facilities were being lost’ making him a ‘worthy recipient’ of the award. King Charles III also gave Gibraltar Awards to both Air Terminal Director Terence Lopez
and oarsman Jack Prior for his services to sport. Prior ‘has made all of Gibraltar proud with his magnificent achievements’ after gold medals for Team Great Britain, Picardo added.
Deal or no deal Picardo raises hopes for ‘safe and secure’ EU treaty by July THE Chief Minister has said he believes that Gibraltar could have a ‘safe and secure’ EU treaty ‘in the first half of 2024’. In his New Year’s message Chief Minister Fabian Picardo rued Brexit had forced Gibraltar to a negotiating table it ‘never wanted a seat at’. He vowed he would never compromise on ‘British sovereignty, jurisdiction or control of Gibraltar’ as he and his government ‘will not do it’. And he added it was ‘pure fantasy’ that an EU treaty could have been signed earlier, as critics have suggested. Picardo said that parts of the dis-
By John Culatto
cussion with the EU and Spain ‘may cause us discomfort’. “But we cannot scupper the future of our children for the sake of short-term political advantage,” he said in his message. “I believe that in the first half of 2024 the question of Gibraltar’s future relationship with the EU will be resolved. “So we have to be ready to deal with any pressures that may come as we work through the end game of this negotiation. “Patience and stoic calm will be our only allies as we work through this period. “But, with the UK on our side, we will get to the right BREXIT has hurt the economy, increased prices and conclusion.” made stopping illegal immigration tougher than ever, a large majority in the UK think. The predicThe findings of a new Opinium poll of over 2,000 UK tion that the voters has shown that more people than ever think two year-long leaving the EU was a mistake. discussions A whole three years after the UK dropped out of the will come to a bloc, only 10% think Brexit has helped their personal probable end finances. in the next six In contrast over a third of those interviewed think they months is the have less money at the end of the week. first time GiIn answer to the publicity campaign that spurred the braltar has set Leave vote, less than one in ten believe it has helped a deadline to improve the NHS. get the deal A massive 63% believe Brexit has added to the cost done. of living and swelled inflation, as opposed to 7% who Spain has althink it has helped the situation. ready hinted Just over a fifth of those polled feel that overall leaving that the cut-off the EU has been good for the UK generally while nearpoint for talks ly half of them believe it has been a bad move. And in a punishing indictment on the idea Brexit could be the would allow the UK to sign global trade deals, nearly European elechalf polled believe it has an adverse effect. tions on June 6-9.
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The New Year message followed Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares’s declaration that talks are continuing at ‘a very good rhythm’ after the 14th round of negotiations in London. “The proposal for a balanced, generous and good agreement to create the zone of shared prosperity is on the table,” Albares said. “We continue to talk and negotiate with great intensity.” Gibraltar’s political leaders went to Madrid ‘for technical and practical discussions’ after the talks ended. Chief Minister Fabian Picardo and Deputy Chief Minister Dr Joseph Garcia’s visit followed the December meetings in London, which saw the EU, UK and Spain try to thrash out a deal. The Rock’s government said it ‘remains fully committed to secure a safe and secure treaty for
Gibraltar’. But it added that it wants such an agreement to be ‘in line with the New Year’s Eve Agreement that avoids any party having to cede on fundamentals’. And Picardo predicted an ‘economic boom’ for Gibraltar and the surrounding area if all sides could agree to an agreeable EU Treaty.
Privileged
“We can be the most important logistical area at the entry and exit of the Mediterranean,” he told Spanish radio station Cadena Ser. “We have privileged access to the UK while the Campo has privileged access to the EU. “If we combine that, it will be difficult not to have an economic boom that is bigger than this area has seen in all of history.”