10 September 1967

On September 10, 1967, the citizens of Gibraltar voted almost unanimously in favour of maintaining British sovereignty over their territory, refusing to pass under Spanish control. The result left no room for doubts: more than 12’000 people chose to remain under the jurisdiction of the UK, compared to the 44 who chose Madrid. The ballot had been announced in June, after the negotiations between the two governments about the sovereignty over the Rock, encouraged by the United Nations as a result of Spanish claims, had failed. The date of the referendum later became Gibraltar National Day. The area, located in the South of the Iberian Peninsula, has been disputed by the two countries since 1704, even though tenser periods have alternated with times during which the issue seemed to take second place. Even after the clear message about the popular will of 1967, the controversy was never completely settled. Further negotiations led, in 2002, to another referendum, this time regarding the possibility of shared sovereignty between Spain and the United Kingdom, which was rejected by the citizens of the Rock. The 2016 Brexit referendum further complicated the issue: 96% of Gibraltarians, in fact, voted for “Remain”, and the strong ties between Gibraltar and Spain make the departure from the EU and the rule of free movement inside its single market troubled.