Argentina–Spain relations were made declassified and stated that Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher feared that during the Falkland war, Spain would join Argentina by invading Gibraltar. A dispute arose in 2012, when Argentina sought to nationalize the energy company YPF, owned by the Spanish multinational company Repsol. Spain warned against such a move stating that it would harm bilateral relations if such a move were to happen. On 16 April, Argentina's President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner announced the nationalization of YPF, to which Spain warned of a "clear and decisive" response. Since then, Argentina has recompensed the Spanish government and Repsol over the
Cristina Fernández de Kirchner ended his term of office in 1999 and was replaced by Fernando de la Rúa. Kirchner took part in a commission to investigate money laundering with fellow legislator Elisa Carrió, and got into conflicts with her. She ran again for senator in the 2001 midterm elections. Néstor Kirchner was elected president in 2003, and Cristina became the First Lady. Under these circumstances, she sought a lower profile in Congress. Néstor Kirchner had a political dispute with the previous president, Eduardo Duhalde. Their dispute continued during the 2005 midterm elections. Without consensus in the PJ for a single candidate for senator