Miriam González Durántez, the wife of former British Deputy Prime Minister Sir Nick Clegg, stated in a televised interview that Gibraltar is Spanish rather than British. The remarks were made on the Spanish current affairs program "En boca de todos" while González Durántez was promoting her new political party, Democracia 21. When asked if her husband shared her view, she stated that they hold differing positions and noted that women have minds of their own.
González Durántez launched Democracia 21 as an alternative to Spain's two-party system, which is currently dominated by the governing Socialists and the conservative People’s Party. The party’s debut comes ahead of Spain’s upcoming general election. Gibraltar was ceded to Britain in 1713, and while Spain has maintained a sovereignty claim ever since, it remains a British Overseas Territory with a population of approximately 38,000.
The status of the territory has been the subject of long-term negotiations following Britain’s exit from the European Union. In 2025, the UK and EU announced an agreement regarding the movement of people and goods across the border. Most recently, on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, the two sides and the government of Gibraltar signed a treaty intended to ease border crossings and secure the territory's economic interests.
The sovereignty and border status of Gibraltar directly affects approximately 38,000 residents and a daily workforce of 15,000 Spaniards who cross the frontier for employment. This workforce represents nearly half of Gibraltar’s total labor pool. Without the treaty, these individuals could have faced a hard land border with full passport checks, potentially posing economic risks for the territory. Over the summer, a physical border was removed following years of post-Brexit negotiations, facilitating transit between Spain and the territory at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula.
For travelers and residents, the primary change involves the implementation of the EU Entry-Exit System (EES). This system, which began in April 2025, replaced traditional physical passport stamps with biometric data collection, including digital fingerprints and photographs for those entering from outside the Schengen area. While 96 percent of Gibraltar voters chose to remain in the EU during the 2016 referendum, the territory’s relationship with the bloc remained unresolved until these agreements established a new framework for movement.
The agreement secured the economic future of the territory, according to UK Foreign Office minister Stephen Doughty. The removal of physical barriers aims to prevent the economic risks associated with a hard border for a region that relies on cross-border trade and labor. As Spain prepares for its upcoming general election, the introduction of Democracia 21 adds a new voice to the domestic debate regarding Spain's territorial claims and its political structure. The next steps for the region involve the continued rollout of biometric systems and the ongoing administration of the treaty terms.