<h6><strong>Eduardo González</strong></h6> <h4><strong>The Plurinational Parliamentary Group (Sumar), the minority partner in Pedro Sánchez's coalition government, has called for the implementation of a "strategic and development proposal" that recognizes the "border uniqueness" of La Línea de la Concepción.</strong></h4> In a non-legislative motion presented on October 8 for debate in the Foreign Affairs Committee of Congress and published this Tuesday in the Official Gazette of the Cortes Generales (BOCG), the party led by Vice President Yolanda Díaz points out that La Línea de la Concepción, "located at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula and on the border with the United Kingdom, has historically been characterized by its status as a territory at the intersection of two distinct political, economic, and social realities." This circumstance, according to Sumar, "has explained and conditioned the development of La Línea, turning it into an enclave with particularities that differentiate it from the rest of the municipalities in the State," in its dual status as "victim of a sovereignty dispute, and, along with Northern Ireland, the only Brexit border on the European continent." As a result of all this, La Línea "remains one of the cities with the greatest economic and social difficulties in Spain, maintaining chronic inequality and unemployment," with one of the highest unemployment rates (more than 30%) in the country and the lowest average annual income per capita in the entire State. Furthermore, he continues, "the absence of its own economic fabric has led to a strong dependence on neighboring Gibraltar, especially in the service sector." Under these circumstances, La Línea faces a situation of "structural disadvantage," due, among other reasons, to "its proximity to Gibraltar, with a much more favorable tax regime," which "generates unequal competition." On the other hand, the border situation and lack of opportunities have made La Línea an enclave especially vulnerable to drug trafficking, and the presence of the British military base in Gibraltar "generates constant traffic of ships and submarines, some of them nuclear, where incidents involving polluting spills have been recorded in waters near the coast of La Línea," the motion states. Added to this is the fact that "being a direct border with Gibraltar generates a floating population, residing in the municipality year-round, which is not recognized in official census data and has a direct impact on housing and public services." According to Sumar, "the signing in 2025 of the agreement between Spain and the United Kingdom, with the support of the European Union, constitutes a historic event for the city of La Línea de la Concepción and the entire region" and should contribute, with the removal of the fence separating Spain from Gibraltar, to leaving behind "decades of isolation and difficulties imposed by the border" and "opening the door to greater social and economic integration." “However, this progress cannot make us lose sight of the risks it entails,” because “the removal of the fence will not, on its own, resolve structural problems such as unemployment, inequality, drug trafficking, or pressure on public services,” he warns. “Likewise, new difficulties may arise from the increased permeability of the border, which will require an effective and coordinated response from the highest public administrations, especially the State,” he continues. “Therefore, along with recognizing the historic nature of the agreement, it is essential to provide La Línea with solid resources and policies to ensure that this new scenario translates into a real and lasting improvement in the living conditions of its population,” he adds. For all these reasons, Sumar considers it "urgent that the State recognize the unique border status of La Línea de la Concepción, thus correcting a historical debt owed to the municipality, adopting exceptional measures to address the city's structural challenges, taking into account the potential effects of the signed agreement, and guaranteeing the stability and rights of its population in the face of the economic and social uncertainty resulting from border ups and downs." Ultimately, the motion urges the Government, among other proposals, to "grant institutional recognition of La Línea de la Concepción's unique border status, understanding that its development has been conditioned by an international sovereignty dispute, and therefore its reality is a matter of State," and to "establish a Tripartite Commission, with the participation of the Government of Spain, the Regional Government of Andalusia, and the City Council of La Línea de la Concepción, and with regulated mechanisms for citizen participation, for the coordination of a comprehensive plan for the municipality."
