Irish crisis could complicate Brexit talks
DUBLIN Ireland’s minority government looks set to collapse after the party propping it up submitted a motion of no confidence in the deputy prime minister, just weeks before a summit on Britain’s plans to leave the European Union.
The crisis is likely to lead to an election next month or in January, and may complicate the Brexit summit on December 14-15.
Prime Minister Leo Varadkar is due to play a major role in the talks, telling EU leaders whether Ireland believes sufficient progress has been made on the future border between EU member Ireland and Britain’s province of Northern Ireland.
The border is one of three issues Brussels wants broadly resolved before it decides whether to move the talks on to a second phase about trade, as Britain wants.
Varadkar is now likely to attend the summit as a lame duck prime minister or in the middle of an election campaign.
The head of opposition party Fianna Fail, Micheal Martin, said his party had submitted a motion of no confidence in Deputy Prime Minister Frances Fitzgerald over her handling of a legal case involving a police whistleblower. He said an election ‘‘can be avoided if the government takes action’’ by asking Fitzgerald to resign. The government said this would not happen.
Asked if Varadkar could seek REUTERS to dissolve parliament, Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe said that was a matter for the prime minister.
EU Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier assured Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney yesterday that the EU would defend Dublin’s position in talks with Britain over the coming weeks. ‘‘Strong solidarity with Ireland,’’ Barnier wrote on Twitter. ‘‘Irish issues are EU issues.’’
Martin said Varadkar could still take part in the EU summit, and that parliament would be united in supporting him.
University College Dublin politics professor David Farrell said Varadkar could be tempted to take a hard line against the United Kingdom in the talks, in a bid to shore up support among Irish voters who are overwhelmingly against Brexit.
An election in December or January would be dominated by Fianna Fail and Fine Gael, two centre-right parties that differ little on policy but have been bitter foes for decades.
It would also present an opportunity for Irish nationalists Sinn Fein to see if leader Gerry Adams’ decision last week to step down will boost its support. While Sinn Fein has said it wants to enter government, the two largest parties have ruled out doing a deal with the former political wing of the Irish Republican Army. Reuters