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Discretion and diplomacy
Read more about: Europe, Foreign Affairs, Meath
Interesting reading in the Financial Times today. First, a short comment piece by Quentin Peel on Bertie and the Lisbon referendum; nothing that we don’t know in Ireland but since it reflects chatter in Brussels, perhaps indicative of growing nervousness amongst the Eurocrats about Bertie’s handling of the vote. Second, an article looking at the delicate dance of foreign countries and their diplomats regarding policy issues in the US election campaign: how to make one’s opinion known without seeming to meddle in the election? Canada already got caught on the wrong side of the balance regarding Obama and free trade, so John Bruton takes a slightly different approach.
Bruton, as the Commission’s chief diplomat in the USA, is quoted on the protectionism issue –
“To the extent that candidates may be creating an expectation that they will be using [protectionist] tools in the future, I’m not sure that the interests that might be hurt in the US are being heard,” he told the Financial Times in an interview.
“I’m anxious not just for the sake of the US but for the sake of the EU, which is by far the biggest investor in the US and very dependent on the US for our economic success,” he said without mentioning either Democratic candidate or the Democratic party by name.
Since John McCain has claimed that he will be taking a pro “free trade” position, Bruton can only be referring to the noises coming from the Democratic side. Nevertheless, he avoids the Canadian mistake of seeming to single out one candidate’s positions. Probably enough to avoid a row.
If the perception gets hold that Bertie needs a yes to keep his future employment aspirations alive then I cant see that aiding the yes side.
That is a good point Jer, and I would add to P’s piece a similar puff piece in that other international paper the IHT. The fact is that clearly talk is taking place of Bertie as a potential outside of Blair/Junker - a nice compromise between anglo-scepticism and euro-federalism it might seem.
Your right though, if the treaty vote becomes linked to the fate of Bertie it may be damaging but consider that there is still a sizeable chunk of electorate who would vote for Bertie and a further chunk who will vote for Europe regardless (bottom lines are more important than a statement that can be made next year) - so perhaps not all that damaging but certainly pushing yes/no divide narrower.
One outsider error crept into Quentin Peel’s piece I thought - describing Sinn Fein as ‘the republican party’.
Sinn Fein calls itself an ‘Irish Republican’ party, and, of course, in the Irish domestic context, ‘the republican party’ is a label already taken by another party.