Falklanders won’t forgive the EU’s ‘Las Malvina’ blunder

This week, the European Union, in its infinite wisdom, made pretty much the only blunder which, in the eyes of Falkland Islanders, there is no coming back from: referring to the Falklands as ‘Las Malvinas’. 

The row was sparked after the EU chose to sign a declaration with Argentina and 32 other South American countries, referring to the UK overseas territory as both ‘Islas Malvinas’ and the ‘Falkland Islands’.

Brussels might not – perhaps – quite realise the extent to which the M-word is no laughing matter in these latitudes. (Just ask a Spanish teaching friend of mine!) But Argentina’s government instantly hailed the usage as a ‘diplomatic triumph’ and their foreign minister declared openly they want to use this ‘to further expand dialogue with the EU regarding the question of the Malvinas Islands.’ 

To say that Islanders are not too taken with this idea would be an understatement. Rishi Sunak correctly calling it ‘entirely unacceptable’ that the EU should appear to question the population’s enshrined right to self-determination. 

The EU’s diplomatic service hastily sent out a spokesman to deny that their stance with regard to the South Atlantic micro-nation had changed. In