Fabian Picardo

"The attitude of Spain's foreign ministry appears to have ignored the failures of the past and is working hard to secure even greater failures for the future."

Fabian Picardo (born 18 February 1972) is a Gibraltarian politician and barrister. In April 2011 he was elected as leader of the Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party and in December 2011 he became Chief Minister of Gibraltar after his party won the 2011 Gibraltarian general election.

Quotes

2011

• I have a desire to be part of the defence of our sovereignty against the aggression we face every day from our 'friendly neighbour' and those here on the Rock who do not understand the simple words "No Surrender". No surrender of our right to open government, no surrendering of our duties to care for our people, no surrender to the concept that Gibraltarians should find dignified jobs, no surrender of our hopes and dreams for Gibraltar and certainly no surrender of our sovereignty on land or sea.
  • Address after being elected leader of the GSLP in April 2011

2012

• One of the top Spanish diplomats of recent generations, Snr Inocencio Arias – who was until ten years ago Spain's Permanent Representative at the UN - has recently recognised, in a memoir, that all of Spain's strategies for the recovery of Gibraltar have failed. We did not need to be told that, nor do we want any strategy to succeed, but he is right to have started a debate in Spain which in effect is telling Spanish diplomacy what we have been saying for generations: Wake up and smell the coffee: Gibraltar will never be Spanish! Yet in recent months, the attitude of Spain's foreign ministry appears to have ignored the failures of the past and is working hard to secure even greater failures for the future.
  • "United Nations Committee Of 24 Address By Chief Minister Fabian Picardo". Gibraltar Chronicle. 15 June 2012. Retrieved on 22 March 2014. 
  • Address to the Special Committee on Decolonisation in New York

• This is the Rock of the Gibraltarians. This is our land. This is our home. This is our Rock. Only we can decide its future. And we are not here to ask anyone for the right to self determination. We are here to assert that we have the right to self determination. And only we can decide the destiny of this Rock and no 300-year old treaty and no threats will ever intimidate us. So in case anybody needs reminding, we will never concede one grain of sand, one breath of our air, or one drop of our waters. Not one drop!
  • Reyes, Brian (11 September 2012). "Red, White and Proud". Gibraltar Chronicle. Retrieved on 22 March 2014. 
  • Speech to crowds in Casemates Square on Gibraltar National Day 2012.

• The position of the United Kingdom is as usual so nuanced that it's difficult to see where they are on the spectrum, but look, that's what Britain's like and we all love being British.
  • Fabian Picardo (Chief Minister of Gibraltar) discusses politics in Spain and Gibraltar, YouTube 
  • Describing the UK government's position on the UN Decolonisation Committee.

2013

• What we have seen this weekend is sabre-rattling of the sort that we haven't seen for some time. The things that Mr García-Margallo has said are more reminiscent of the type of statement you'd hear from North Korea than from an EU partner.
  • "Gibraltar chief minister accuses Spain of sabre-rattling". The Guardian. 5 August 2013. Retrieved on 22 March 2014. 
  • On the Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation's comments about closing Spanish airspace to flights heading to Gibraltar.

• Hell will freeze over before any other flags fly in Gibraltar that are not our flags. Red, white and blue. Red, white and proud. Red, white and free!
  • "We will never concede one drop of our waters to Spain, pledged Picardo on Gibraltar Day". MercoPress. 11 September 2013. Retrieved on 22 March 2014. 
  • Speech to crowds in Casemates Square on Gibraltar National Day 2015.

2014

• This committee is not established in the hierarchy of the United Nations or in international law as a body competent or empowered to resolve territorial disputes. It is the International Court of Justice that is there for that. But – as you know and we have repeated ad nauseam – the Spanish Government's bravado has never extended to elevating the territorial matters they boldly argue before you to the ICJ. You should tell them to do so.
  • "United Nations Committee Of 24 Address By Chief Minister Fabian Picardo". Your Gibraltar TV. 17 June 2014. Retrieved on 20 October 2015. 
  • Address to the Special Committee on Decolonisation in New York

• This week, a young Spanish Prince with an international education will become King. To Felipe VI Spain, Gibraltar offers a hand of friendship and respect as neighbours and supporters of democracy. This new Head of State must know that we seek only peace, understanding and co-operation.
  • "United Nations Committee Of 24 Address By Chief Minister Fabian Picardo". Your Gibraltar TV. 17 June 2014. Retrieved on 20 October 2015. 
  • Address to the Special Committee on Decolonisation in New York

2015

• We, her people of Gibraltar, are perhaps the only ones in her reign who have chosen to remain British on two occasions... We’ve chosen her twice... So we can proudly say that she is our Queen by invitation and not imposition.
  • About Queen Elizabeth II in a speech to crowds in Casemates Square on Gibraltar National Day 2013.
  • "Gibraltar: Elizabeth “our Queen by invitation and not by imposition; twice voted”". MercoPress. 12 September 2015. Retrieved on 20 October 2015. 

• In fact, Mr Chairman, what is clear is that the Spanish Government are behaving like the last colonists in Europe! And as a Committee charged with the eradication of colonialism, what you and the C24 must do is prevent Spain’s neo-colonialism. You must stop if from taking root. You must not promote it.
  • "Spanish government "last colonists" in Europe, Fabian Picardo tells United Nations". GBC. 15 October 2015. Retrieved on 20 October 2015. 
  • Address to the United Nations Fourth Committee in New York

2016

• We want friendship and co-operation with the people of Spain. But the people of Gibraltar said no to Joint Sovereignty in our referendum of 2002. By 98% we rejected Joint Sovereignty then. But that was obviously not loud and clear enough. So let me be unequivocal so that there is no mistake or any further foolish repetition of this warped notion for the transfer of our sovereignty: Gibraltarian is not for sale. The Gibraltarians will not be bribed. The Gibraltarians will never surrender!
  • "Chief Minister's Address To United Nations Committee Of 24". Your Gibraltar. 14 June 2016. Retrieved on 19 September 2016. 
  • Address to the Special Committee on Decolonisation in New York

2017

• Mr Tusk, who has been given to using the analogies of the divorce and divorce petition, is behaving like a cuckolded husband who is taking it out on the children.
  • "Gibraltar leader says EU chief Donald Tusk 'behaving like a cuckolded husband'". The Independent. 3 April 2017. Retrieved on 3 April 2017. 

2018

• Although we will not deviate from our stated position that Gibraltar will never be Spanish, we reach out our hand in friendship and reiterate equally forcefully our desire to have a strong and positive relationship of cooperation with our Spanish neighbours.
  • "Chief Minister's Address To United Nations Committee Of 24". VOX Gibraltar News. 12 June 2018. Retrieved on 21 June 2018. 

2019

• Franco failed. He came up against the Gibraltarians and he lost. And everyone who has come after him has failed. The only thing his steel gates attracted was rust. But the last siege of Gibraltar forged the iron will of the people of Rock. It sealed our separate and distinct identity. It gave shape to our modern reality. Now anyone who attempts our economic strangulation, our forced subjugation is on notice that they too will fail.
  • "Chief Minister’s Address To The UN Committee Of 24". Your Gibraltar TV. 18 June 2019. Retrieved on 6 March 2020. 

External links

• Gibraltar profile. Chief minister: Fabian Picardo at BBC News.