Anger at Juncker’s ‘clowning around’
‘Two words: cool it,’ urges Charlie Flanagan
FURIOUS Irish politicians have slammed Jean-Claude Juncker’s ‘self-indulgent clowning around’ fearing it ‘will lead us to a hard Brexit or no Brexit at all’.
Foreign Affairs Minister Charlie Flanagan told the EC President: ‘Two words: cool it.’
FOREIGN Affairs Minister Charlie Flanagan has told Jean-Claude Juncker to ‘cool it’ when it comes to the escalating diplomatic war between Europe and the UK over Brexit.
Mr Flanagan spoke out amid growing concerns across the Government and opposition that the escalating rift between the EU and the British government, provoked mostly by Mr Juncker, will result in a hard rather than a soft Brexit.
Sources close to the Cabinet warned: ‘We are not lovers of Theresa May but Juncker’s self-indulgent clowning around will lead us to a hard Brexit or disarray and no Brexit at all’. Senior diplomatic sources also slammed ‘Juncker’s unhelpful comments about the English language slap bang in the middle of a British general election’.
On Thursday, Mr Juncker had claimed that the English language was ‘losing importance in Europe’.
‘Common sense involving dropping preconceived notions and old feuds are what’s required here,’ the Irish Government source said.
Speaking to the Irish Mail on Sunday, Mr Flanagan also warned: ‘The heat of a British election is no time for megaphones across the channel.’
He said of the various disputes between Mr Juncker and the UK: ‘Two words – cool it. I’d ask both sides to cool it.
‘Negotiations will be commencing in June and it is vital to their success that they proceed in an orderly manner’.
In an implicit criticism of the leaking of details of the May dinner – after which Mr Juncker described the British prime minister as living in ‘another galaxy’ – Mr Flanagan said: ‘There must be trust. I know from my experience in Northern Ireland that all successful negotiations are carried out in private.
‘Whatever the nature of the conversation, goodwill is also required if negotiations are to be successfully carried out.’
Mr Flanagan also expressed the concern across the Cabinet over the deteriorating relationship between the UK and the EU. He said: ‘My priority is the Irish priority. It is essential for Ireland that the negotiations are conducted in a good spirit. Goodwill is essential.’
There had ‘been reports that no deal is better than a bad deal. I regret that. No deal would be bad for the UK, for Europe and for Ireland.’
Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin joined the chorus of criticism, saying Mr Juncker would ‘have to rein himself in’.
It was, he said, ‘particularly disgraceful that issues at a private dinner – that should be sensitively teased out – were regurgitated in a German newspaper’.
Mr Martin added: ‘The dinner party leak was dangerous and silly – it was appalling stuff and not where statesmanship resides.
‘Trust is impossible to build in such circumstances where a poisonous scenario has been created,’ the former foreign affairs minister warned.
‘It is time for both sides to act seriously and end the juvenile behaviour.’
Mr Martin said of the increased feuding: ‘From an Irish circumstance, I view this with alarm. We need a successful negotiation.’
Fine Gael MEP Brian Hayes also warned that Mr Juncker’s outbursts were ‘like manna from heaven for those who oppose Europe. Everything he says is being used by those who want a hard Brexit.’
He said Mr Juncker had added fuel to the flames of a ‘toxic’ UK election. ‘From now on it really is a case of the less he says, the better.’
Mr Hayes also said that, ironically, Mr Juncker was a peripheral figure, given that the Brexit talks would be led by chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier and the EU heads of government.
He added: ‘We all want to see a soft Brexit – the alternative is a policy of mutual destruction.’
Junior Minister Eoghan Murphy who is seen as the unofficial Fine Gael Brexit minister, said the recent media spat ‘hasn’t been at all helpful’ when it comes to ‘negotiations that are going to be challenging enough as it is’.
In a rebuke of Mr Juncker, he said: ‘We have to keep our focus on what we want to achieve from these negotiations and ignore all the noise around them.’
Mr Murphy added: ‘The greatest risk is a disorderly Brexit, namely a complete breakdown in talks.’
Social Protection Minister Leo Varadkar said: ‘I am concerned that the British election is creating a bad
‘The dinner party leak was dangerous and silly’ ‘It’s a case of, the less he says, the better’ Merkel accused him of inflaming talks
atmosphere in the run-up to Brexit.’
He warned: ‘It is important that both the British and European negotiators moderate their language until after the elections in the interests of getting an agreement.’
Mr Varadkar said that EU leaders are ‘pointing out the obvious – Britain will have to pay to leave and give up many of the rights they had’.
This, he said, had created the current scenario where Mrs May needs ‘to be seen to be standing up for Britain against Europe’.
This week, a furious Angela Merkel accused Mr Juncker of ‘inflaming’ Brexit talks by leaking details of his row with Mrs May.
The German chancellor’s relations with the EU Commission president are said to have soured following his remarks about Mrs May.