The politics of Gibraltar takes place within a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic British Overseas Territory,whereby the Monarch of the United Kingdom is the constitutional head of state represented by the Governor of Gibraltar. The Chief Minister of Gibraltar is the head of Government. As a British Overseas Territory,the Government of Gibraltar is not subordinate to the Government of the United Kingdom. The British Government,however,is responsible for defence and external affairs but Gibraltar has full internal self-government under its 2006 Constitution.
Sir Peter Richard Caruana,is a Gibraltarian former politician who served as Chief Minister of Gibraltar from 1996 to 2011 and Leader of the Gibraltar Social Democrats (GSD) from 1991 to 2013. He is the longest serving Chief Minister to date.
The Gibraltar Social Democrats (GSD) is a liberal-conservative,centre-right political party in Gibraltar. The GSD was the governing party for four successive terms in office under the leadership of Peter Caruana,from the 1996 general election until the party's electoral defeat in the 2011 election by the GSLP–Liberal Alliance.
The Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party (GSLP) is a social-democratic political party in Gibraltar. The GSLP is the oldest surviving active political party in Gibraltar. Its roots are based in the trade union movement,as its founder and former leader Joe Bossano was the District Officer of the Transport and General Workers Union (TGWU). The party has been led since 2011 by Fabian Picardo,who has served as Chief Minister of Gibraltar since the 2011 general election. The GSLP forms the GSLP–Liberal Alliance in partnership with the Liberal Party of Gibraltar.
The Gibraltar Labour Party was a political party in Gibraltar. They described themselves as an integrationist party and stated that their formation was prompted by the need for a strong opposition to the government. They were founded and led by Daniel Feetham and former Leader of the Opposition and integrationist,Maurice Xiberras.
Sir Joseph John Bossano is a Gibraltarian politician who served as Chief Minister of Gibraltar from 1988 to 1996 and Leader of the Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party from 1978 to 2011. He served as Leader of the Opposition from 1984 to 1988 and 1996 to 2011. He was first elected to the then Gibraltar House of Assembly in 1972 and is often referred to as the Father of the House for being the longest-serving parliamentarian in Gibraltar.
Dr Joseph John Andrew Garcia is a Gibraltarian historian and politician,and the current leader of the Liberal Party of Gibraltar (LPG) and Deputy Chief Minister of the Government of Gibraltar. The LPG holds two of the 17 seats in the Gibraltar Parliament after the 2023 general election and is in government with its political allies,the Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party (GSLP).
Adolfo John Canepa is a Gibraltarian politician. He has dedicated most of his life to politics and the development of Gibraltar,having served both as Leader of the Opposition and as Chief Minister of Gibraltar from 8 December 1987 to 25 March 1988. During this period he was also the leader of the Association for the Advancement of Civil Rights (AACR). He is a former Speaker of the Gibraltar Parliament.
General elections were held in Gibraltar on 11 October 2007. The incumbent Chief Minister Peter Caruana narrowly won a fourth term,but opposition leader Joe Bossano had a very strong showing. Joe Bossano noted that this would be his last term as an MP,and joked that he would not join the government,despite receiving a higher personal vote than some members of the Gibraltar Social Democrats (GSD).
Lesbian,gay,bisexual,transgender,and queer (LGBTQ) rights within the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar have evolved significantly in the past decades. Same-sex sexual activity has been legal since 1993 and the age of consent was equalised to 16 in 2012. The Supreme Court of Gibraltar ruled in April 2013 that same-sex couples have the right to adopt. Civil partnerships have been available to both same-sex and opposite-sex couples since March 2014,and in October 2016,Gibraltar voted to legalise same-sex marriage with the Civil Marriage Amendment Act 2016 passing unanimously in Parliament. The law received royal assent on 1 November and took effect on 15 December 2016.
Keith Azopardi is a Gibraltarian lawyer and politician serving as Leader of the Opposition and Leader of the Gibraltar Social Democrats since 2017.
Fabian Raymond Picardo is a Gibraltarian politician and barrister,serving as Chief Minister of Gibraltar and Leader of the Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party since 2011. At the 2015 and 2019 Gibraltar general elections,Picardo was re-elected to two further four-year terms. He was narrowly re-elected for a fourth term in the 2023 Gibraltar general election.
The Hon. Gilbert Horace Licudi is a Gibraltarian barrister and legal partner at Hassans and former Minister (2011-2020) and former MP (2007-2023) of Gibraltar,member of the Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party (GSLP). He is married and has two children.
Charles Arthur Bruzon was a Gibraltarian politician and former Roman Catholic priest. He was affiliated with the Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party (GSLP). In the general elections of 2011,he was elected to the Gibraltar Parliament and appointed Minister for Housing and the Elderly.
The Hon. Paul John Balban is a former Gibraltarian politician,State Registered Dietitian and former taxi driver. He was first elected to the Gibraltar Parliament at the 2011 general elections and was a Gibraltar Government Minister until 12 October 2023,member of the Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party (GSLP). He is married and has three daughters. On 15 September 2023,he announced that he and fellow party MPs and Ministers,Albert Isola and Samantha Sacramento,would not stand for re-election.
Damon James Bossino is a Gibraltarian barrister and Member of the Gibraltar Parliament representing the Gibraltar Social Democrats. He is married to Rosa Arrimadas from Spain with whom he has three children.
His Majesty's Loyal Opposition,or the Official Opposition in Gibraltar,is led by the Leader of the Opposition. This is usually the political party with the second largest number of seats in the Gibraltar Parliament,as the largest party will usually form the government. Since the 2011 General Election,the Official Opposition has been the Gibraltar Social Democrats (GSD) led by Peter Caruana (2011–2013),Daniel Feetham (2013- –2017),Roy Clinton as Interim Opposition Leader and now Keith Azopardi.
A by-election was held to the Gibraltar Parliament on 4 July 2013 to fill the seat left vacant by the death of Housing Minister Charles Bruzon in April 2013. The Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party (GSLP),Gibraltar Social Democrats (GSD),Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) and an independent contested the by-election. The Liberal Party of Gibraltar who is in alliance and in Government with the GSLP backed the GSLP's candidate.
Marlene Dinah Esther Hassan-Nahon is a Gibraltarian historian,journalist and former politician,who served as a member of the Gibraltar Parliament from 2015 until 2023.
General elections were held in Gibraltar on 12 October 2023 to elect all 17 members of the fifth Gibraltar Parliament. This was the first election in Gibraltar's history to use an electronic voting count system. The GSLP–Liberal Alliance secured a fourth term in office,though it saw its majority reduced to one seat,whilst the GSD became the sole opposition party,gaining two seats.
