Juncker plans to spend Brexit night here... in show of unity
JEAN-CLAUDE Juncker and his right-hand man, Martin Selmayr, will come to Dublin to mark the night Britain leaves the European Union, it can be revealed. The European Commission president and his top official plan to spend March 29 here to show solidarity with the Irish people at this crucial time.
British negotiators had desperately hoped Brussels politicians would put pressure on Taoiseach Leo Varadkar to compromise as the prospect of a no-deal Brexit approaches.
Instead EU figures have put on a public show of loyalty with Ireland, while rejecting British prime minister Theresa May’s demands for changes to the backstop, which is designed to ensure there will be no return to a hard border with the North.
Mr Selmayr’s plan to join the events in Dublin to mark Brexit night will shatter British officials’ hopes of breaking the firm unity shown by the EU, as he is seen as pushing for Brussels to maintain its stance. Some British ministers have even privately accused the European Commission secretarygeneral, who is the EU’s top civil servant, of secretly plotting the reunification of Ireland as punishment for Brexit.
They have accused Mr Selmayr, who is apparently nicknamed ‘The Monster’ for his ruthlessness, of seeking to break up the UK to discourage other EU countries from quitting the bloc.
Mr Selmayr was appointed Mr Juncker’s chief of staff and then to his current role after being campaign manager for his Commission presidency bid.
Details of how the EU officials will mark the occasion in Dublin are yet to be finalised.
As Mr Varadkar visited Mr Juncker in Brussels on Wednesday, they posed together with a giant thank-you card sent to the Commission president by a Co. Clare woman that declared: ‘For the first time ever, Ireland is stronger than Britain thanks to the EU.’ The woman, Haley, who did not want to give her last name, later told Liveline on RTÉ Radio 1 that she decided to write to Mr Juncker to tell him how appreciative she was as an Irish person to have Europe’s backing in the Brexit negotiations.
In contrast to the Taoiseach’s visit, the next day Mr Juncker and Mrs May appeared awkward as they greeted each other in front of the cameras before sitting down for talks. Many expect the UK will ask to delay the date of Brexit so that it does not leave the EU as planned at 11pm Irish time (midnight in Brussels) on March 29.
The UK government has been reluctant to set out any plans to commemorate the country’s departure from the EU after more than four decades.
Last May it was revealed that Big Ben will not bong after a House of Commons committee decided it was not an ‘important national event’. Commons leader Andrea Leadsom, who sits on the committee, had argued that the Great Bell should be sounded to mark the historical event.
But the House of Commons Commission decided that the occasion did not warrant bringing back into use the bell, which is currently silent during a four-year renovation of the Elizabeth Tower. The famous bongs were stopped in August 2017 because of health and safety fears for those working on the €66million restoration project, but they have been heard since on occasions such as Remembrance Sunday and New Year’s Eve.
A European Commission spokesman last night said Mr Juncker’s travel plans will be announced a week in advance as is routine.
European Council president Donald Tusk, who chairs meetings of EU leaders this week, caused controversy after he suggested there would be a ‘special place in hell’ for Brexit campaigners who failed to draw up a plan for the country’s departure.
Claims of plotting for united Ireland