
Coveney foolish to depend on EU Solidarity – Tóibín
Yesterday the Fine Gael Foreign Minister, Simon Coveney, welcomed “strong EU solidarity” on the backstop.
However, according to Aontú leader and Meath West TD Peadar Tóibín, “it would be naïve in the extreme for anyone in Ireland to apportion solidarity as the motivation of the EU. In the realpolitik of EU politics, the individual needs and the objectives of the large EU economies will determine the positions these countries take."
An Teachta Tóibín stated:
"The EU’s position is aligned to Ireland’s not out of solidarity but because of its own self interest. The EU have 3 goals: to protect the single market, to seek to prevent Brexit & to send a message to other countries that the process of leaving the EU is virtually impossible.
"Anyone daydreaming about EU solidarity need only look at the €64 billion that the EU forced upon the Irish citizens in order to protect the banking system in Europe.
"In July, Merkel reiterated the EU's long-held stance that it will not renegotiate the Withdrawal Agreement. A month later Macron and Merkel stated that they will listen to proposals to change the Withdrawal Agreement. It is true that they have stated that any change must equate to the backstop.
"However, the language has changed and they have opened up space for renegotiation. It is critical that Coveney removes his rose-tinted EU glasses and makes sure Ireland’s self-interest remains paramount."
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