A no-deal in the Brexit negotiations could be on the way, fueled by nationalism and emotion on the British side, the Irish foreign minister warned.
Simon Coveney, a veteran of the Brexit talks, said he feared both sides would fail to reach a deal, especially given that a trade deal with the UK was a relatively low priority for the EU compared to other post-it issues. Covid.
“Nobody wants to pay tariffs or have an unnecessary disruption of trade between the EU and the UK. But I do think that the way the British political system deals with Brexit is incredibly introspective,” Coveney told the Irish Sunday Independent.
“It’s focused on British politics, it’s driven by pride, emotion, nationalism, as opposed to the detail of what it takes to get a trade deal and the compromises it takes to get it done.”
The Foreign Minister said that some people in the UK were indulging in a “fantasy” that a trade deal was more important to Europe than the UK, adding that “the idea that actually a trade deal with the UK will be number one or number 2, number 3 or number 4 on the EU priority list, in my opinion, very unlikely. “
He said other issues such as the finalization of the EU’s own budget, the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy, migration and economic recovery from the coronavirus would take priority.
His warning comes after reports that EU leaders may not intervene in discussions about Brexit at next month’s EU summit in Brussels, a blow to those on the British side who want leaders to switch sides. heading to facilitate an agreement.
“I’m not afraid of any deal. I mean, from an Irish perspective, a no-deal is really bad news; from the UK’s perspective, a no-deal is just as bad news. But for many EU countries, This is an important issue but it is not the priority as it was at this time last year because Covid has changed a lot and many countries are now dealing with more immediate and fundamental issues, “he told the newspaper.
The independent reported Sunday that the European Parliament has drawn a “red line” by allowing talks to progress until last October, citing technical and administrative reasons.
The intervention dashes hopes of a last-minute deal reached in November or December, while the looming threat of not reaching an agreement focuses minds.
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Speaking on Sunday morning, Labor MP and former shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott said: “I think there is a very real danger that we will leave without proper treatment and that will be disastrous in many ways.”
In an interview with the Sunday mail newspaper, UK chief negotiator David Frost said the UK was not afraid to walk away from the talks. Rather, he claimed that Theresa May had “blinked and called her bluff.”
“A lot of what we are trying to do this year is make them realize that what we say is serious and that they must take our position seriously,” said Lord Frost, who was recently ennobled by Boris Johnson.
The pair claimed that the UK was not going to be an EU ‘client state’, adding: “I don’t think we are afraid of this at all. We want to regain the powers to control our borders and that is the most important thing. ”
