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LAST UPDATE | 21 Feb 2020
A MARATHON EU summit to set the bloc’s next seven-year budget has ended in impasse after the 27 member countries failed to find common ground.
Differences were “still too great to reach an agreement,” German Chancellor Angela Merkel told reporters at the end of the two days of talks.
She said no date had yet been set for another summit to try again, but added “we are going to have to return to the subject” of the budget, the multiannual financial framework, that is meant to be operational from next year.
“Unfortunately we have observed it was not possible to reach an agreement, we observed we need more time,” said European Council President Charles Michel, who had called the extraordinary summit.
Michel was speaking at a separate briefing alongside European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
The summit revealed stubborn differences between a handful of wealthy “frugal” states and a larger group wanting more money to meet big European ambitions on top of covering a budget shortfall left by Brexit.
Brexit has left the EU with a sizeable budget hole – about €75 billion over seven years.
Von der Leyen said the disagreement was a sign of EU “democracy”.
“It’s worth it to work hard to move forward,” she said.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar gave this statement after the summit concluded:
I very clearly outlined the position of Ireland which is that as a wealthy prosperous economically successful European country we are willing to contribute more to the budget over the next seven years, but not if that meant payments to Irish farmers and important programmes like regional development, social development and Interreg were cut back.
“These programmes, particularly the Common Agricultural Policy, are essential for the incomes of farmers, also for the rural economy, for regional development.
“And if we’re going to be asking farmers and the agri-food sector to do more to combat climate change we can’t at the same time expect them to accept being paid less.”
He said that the matter would be revisited in a few weeks’ time.
Earlier today, Varadkar had said that the EU budget proposal as it currently stands is one that Ireland cannot accept. Varadkar had met with Charles Michel and von der Leyen at 2am last night.
”The proposal on the table is one we can’t accept.
“Essentially it means Ireland will contribute much more to the EU budget but we’ll actually receive less back in terms of payments to Irish farmers and also funds for regional development and social development.
“We accept that as a country that has a growing economy as a country that has full employment, that we will have to pay more into the European budget over the next seven years. What we can’t accept is that in return for paying more in, we would see a very significant cuts to CAP and to cohesion funds,” he said.
“That’s not something we can accept and I made that very clear,” added Varadkar, stating that on that basis he doesn’t believe there will be an agreement on an EU-wide budget today.
Asked about the so-called ‘Frugal Four’ – Netherlands, Austria, Sweden and Denmark – who don’t want any increase in the EU budget, Varadkar said they were holding their position “very hard”.
He said he understood where they were coming from but he did not agree with their position.
“If we’re serious about supporting agriculture across the European Union, about building up the economies of central and eastern Europe, about dealing with security threats and climate action, that’s going to cost money, and that’s why Ireland is one of the countries that is willing to contribute more to the EU budget as a wealthy country with a growing economy,” he said.
- with reporting from AFP
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Leo trying to make himself look like a statesman.
@Vincent Sharpe: Leo should remind them that the Irish people are carrying the burden of saving the European banks and financial system, a debt we will pass to our children and grandchildren unless of course the other members of the EU would like to share the burden.
@Honeybee: unfortunately they don’t care.
@Honeybee:
Why dont u get on to yur own TD with that message who never challenged min authority to treat the b lenihan DEAL as binding without dail approval and tell them pls not to vote for taoiseach unless they undertake to lay a bill before the dail requesting dail to speak on teh terms most austere terms for EU was not going to give one cent unless all the i dotted and t crossed of that loan agreement including a referendum under which people mandated govt to comly with EU Fiscal Rules and Treaties for under EU Regulations the EU commission can queeezed how monies in fund can be used until 75 er cnet of lona repaid thru TAOISEACHS OFFICE unless that bill laid before the Dail and DAIL come on board.
Denmark and Sweden and IMF paid off but not one cent paid back to EU but perhaps it time now for Dail to come on board to get terms that we can meet ??? there are still huge burden on the fund and us and ifee we have paid a lot.
Attached link to PPS ( POST PROGRAME SURVEILLANCE eu sITE) OR your informations .
https://ec.europa.eu/info/business-economy-euro/economic-and-fiscal-policy-coordination/eu-financial-assistance/which-eu-countries-have-received-assistance/financial-assistance-ireland_en
@Lily Martin: You are right Lily, they mugged the mugs, it happened in plain sight, the bankers didn’t even wear disguises,worse still so many of our politicians stood there and watched and when it was all over they handed us the bill for which we were not responsible and told us it could have been worse for us. Then relishing in their new status ,they basked in the praise of their EU overlords and they moved on but we are stuck in the moment,they put a value on the heads of every man ,woman and child in this country which equates to 42,500 euro each and Finance and Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe tells us public indebtedness remains too high,now however did this happen I wonder ? we are lions led by sheep.
But… But.. we were told the EU is wonderful..??
@Lily Martin: all EU27 need to agree.
@Honeybee: what can they real do if ireland just dug their heels in at this stage and said enough is enough we’re leaving if this debt is not rid-off we’ve paid enough
@Honeybee: i understand and agree with your sentiment -especially as we really should not have had to take the burden for irish taxpayers at a time when the banks were being bailed out – but we didn’t ‘save’ the EU banks and financial system – we are not that big ( no matter what we may think about our place in the world ) – we saved the irish banking system -we borrowed billions from europe etc to save the Irish banks – and then put them in state ownership – allowed them to write off losses without paying proper levels of taxation for the next 20 years and profiteer by charging way above average in ireland for mortgages – while we carry the can for generations – but it was the Irish banking system we saved – not the EU banks.
@Paul Furey:
which is why they’re changing it to a majority vote system. Meaning the bigger members can gang up on the smaller members. The UK was a key ally to Ireland in trade and agricultural policy at the EU, with them gone Ireland is a much smaller voice in an eastward-expanding EU
@Honeybee: — And Leo will be reminded that unregulated Irish banks were the ones causing the debt, and the Irish government agreed that the tax-payer was going to be responsible for settling the debt. Ireland isn’t paying the debtos of other countries, they’re all paying their own.
“Brexit will leave a budget hole of €75 billion over 7 years “ Sure that’s only 2 hospital builds per year throughout the continent in Leo’s world.
@Karllye kripton: because we signed it into law, the bank guarantee that them muppets in FF done.
@Vincent Sharpe: “We accept that as a country that has a growing economy as a country that has full employment, that we will have to pay more into the European budget over the next seven years.” Fact 1. We are $230 Billion in debt thanks to the ECB/EU/FFG. Fact 2. If we had full employment, all those Entreo personnel would be on the dole. Fact 3. Our well educated young people face minimum wage, low/no hours contracts and no job security, which is whey they can never buy their own homes and why the human right of family life is in jeopardy in Ireland.
@Dave Hammond: Ireland stopped a domino effect by taking the hard actions it did, and given the massive transfers of wealth from southern Europe to the north through cheap credit creating property bubbles, and a boom in demand for German, Dutch, etc goods while having an opposite effect of deindustrialisation in places like Italy which is down to 1990s levels, there should absolutely have been debt relief for states like Ireland through burdon sharing.
@Mary Ward: Could you repeat that in English, please?
Anything that is unacceptable to Ireland, will be accepted without complaint by FFG.
If the microscope is put on the EU issue, I can see an In/Out referendum called in the near future.
@milton friedman: If by some miracle we did leave we would be bankrupted within months…..the vast majority of our exports go to the EU and we reply way more on exports because of our size to service FFs national debt, it would be suicide to put that at risk.
@milton friedman: Irexit is your little wet dream eh?
Like Brexit supporters its an idea that shows just how uneducated people are about the benefits of the EU.
Ireland for the record shows approx 80% support for the EU, the UK never for a second supported the EU anywhere near this much.
@Peter Hughes: let’s say hypothetically we did vote to leave, we wouldn’t do what happened with the UK. We would take Theresa May’s deal and allow for as long if an extension as necessary.
I don’t really see what you have outlined as a problem that can’t be easily overcome.
@Barry Somers: I’ve never referred to Ireland weighing the pros and cons of our membership of the EU and putting it to a democratic vote, as “Irexit”.
For starters, I wouldn’t be so presumptuous to assume we would leave (the figure you cited is a good reason why).
I also didn’t say I would vote to leave. You just seem scared of the debate.
The benefits from the EU are perceived benefits and it is not uneducated to question how they apply to Ireland.
@milton friedman: after we leave the EU, what then re-unite with the uk so that we can have access to the common wealth. Ha see how that goes down
@Barry Somers: same old blather, trying to make out the supporters of the biggest democratic decision in British history were uneducated. Same as when the EU fanatics ensured the results of Irish referendums were overturned. Why do you people refuse to even engage in critical thinking about the current direction the EU is taking?
@Valthebear: Some neck on you. So the Brexit vote was a democratic decision, but Irish votes on treaty matters, which we had previously rejected and sent back for re-negotiation, are not democratic?
And supposedly other people are dead to critical thinking while this blatant hypocrisy does not even seem to register in your own mind.
@David Mccreery: I never said that but the UK is our single biggest trading partner.
@John Considine: give over John, with the ‘some neck’ nonsense and try to constructively engage. There wasn’t a hope in hell that the initial Irish rejection of EU referendums was ever going to be accepted. Suggest you research Mr Gilmore’s admission at the time re same. If your unthinking devotion to the nascent EU superstate prevents you from seeing this, then you’re even more politically clueless than previously displayed. Varadkar is finally waking up to where the power balance lies in Europe and Ireland has to examine all optimum strategic positions rather than be dictated to by uncritical EU fan boys.
@Valthebear: I should “constructively engage” but then you move straight to calling me “unthinking” and “politically clueless” within two sentences. How constructive of you. Tell you what lad, when you learn not to make a complete hypocrite of yourself within a single post then maybe you’ll have an argument that can actually be engaged with. Because you don’t, you have a political religion and a desire to preach.
@John Considine: refer to previous post.
From the mouth of a man and a party that does everything Europe says and then asks can we do it again.
And it begins…
FFG = EU
IREXIT .
@Willy Mc Entire: Yeah its all the EUs fault we voted for FFG the last 100 years, they made us do blast them all to hell!…….we deserve every drop of pain we get lets face it, we vote for it after all.
@Willy Mc Entire:
Here’s a littrle correction for you
SF/FG/FF/SD/Greens = EU
Irexit = so called Irish Freedom Party who got exactly 0 TD’s into power.
Honestly its actually tragic you are pushing your little dream of pushing high unemployment and ecnomy in the toilet by wanting Ireland to leave the EU.
@Willy Mc Entire:
@Willy Mc Entire:
@Willy Mc Entire: cop on
@Willy Mc Entire: all EU27 need to agree.
@Barry Somers: not a problem if we sign a deal to become the 51st state
Why should anyone pay attention to him after he’s told the media that he is ‘relishing’ going into opposition. Who is he claiming to represent?
@The Risen: well considering he is our acting leader for now, everyone should pay attention before mad mary comes into ruin us.
@The Risen: he is still the main man until a new government is formed
@Mark Murphy: I can see it now. Its Frankfurts way, or Belfasts way.
@Sim0n: you can? Hmm, when i see that I see Eamonn Gilmore with FF and FG as they were screwing us
@The Risen: all EU27 need to agree.
@The Risen: You’ve come out with some whoppers in the comments section, but this tops them all! Because he’s the outgoing leader and because you don’t like him, you’d rather we have no representation during EU budget talks?
Oh Leo, trying to convice us you suddenly care about this country.
How much have we given to Europe in our fish stock?millions?billions?who rescued the European bank while every Irish citizen had a forever debt on our shoulders?we are only the equivalent to achill island off the coast of europe.we have no say or pull.
@nicknack: estimated 600bn in fish from our waters since we joined
@Michael McGrath: that type of money we could have been the Dubai of Europe
@nicknack: We are in the EU 50 years….6 billion a year and I’d say that is way over stated. Our GDP is approximately 300 billion a year….anything else irrelevant you want to mention ?
@nicknack: You are right.For Germany and France: Ireland is where you take the plain or the boot to Europe.
@Peter Hughes: irrelevant!!go f… yourself
@nicknack: considering this.
In 2014 Ireland became a net contributor to the EU Budget for the first time since it joined the bloc in 1973. Had it not been for the EU Ireland would still be a 3rd world country.
I for one are happy to pay it forward and and help lift other countries out of poverty and corruption. We got our fair share.
As for the bailout it was our own bloody fault, deal with and learn from it and move on.
@nicknack: no doubt we were conned
I believe it is impossible to get out of EU
@Brian Henoll: is Switzerland or Norway a 3rd world country?
@nicknack: An economy based on the export of pharmaceuticals, semiconductors and tech is far more valuable than one based on fish.
Leo it’s a bit late “ growing a pair” I’m afraid
He can say what he likes right now and non one in the EU will care since he is Taoiseach in title only and won’t be when a new government is formed.
@Reuben Gray: all EU27 need to agree.
@Reuben Gray: The issue will however be the same for the person succeeds him. Whoever is Taoiseach, they will have to work out the budget negotiations and do so with a fragile coalition behind them. The reality of a budget round with the loss the UK’s net contribution is the same whoever leads Ireland. What LV says now may not matter much in the long term. For those who aspire to take over in the next few weeks; what they say (and more importantly do) is critical.
I wonder if he would state that if he was reelected as Taoiseach. A lot of states pay more in than they get out. Ireland in the past paid less in and got more out.
Before someone brings up the IMF and EU loans – remember it was our own central bank, government and banks that allowed the situation to occur in the first place.
@Jim Buckley Barrett: Yes, and it was also the ECB who threatened a sovereign nation that it would set a financial bomb off in Dublin if it didn’t shoulder 42% the the European banking debt arising from the.crash. We owe Europe nothing.
@Jim Buckley Barrett: Our banks were lending recklessly with borrowed money that had been lent recklessly.
@Seanboy: Yes, but where did our banks borrow the money?
@The Risen:
Think of international markets and message coming out of ireland dail and taoiseach we elects that IRELAND OWES EU 42 BILLIONS EURO AND NOT ONE CENT PAID BACK all changed as soon as that bill laid before the dail cos there is no debt until dail approve terms plenty of negotiating room .
As for ECB.
Its message from ireland that is imporant that DAIL has last say on the terms .
IMF paid off ,
Sweden paid of Denmark paid off ..
left UK and EU?
V true comment about who responsible about the banking crash but that not issue the issue is the extent and under wht terks to we contin to pay ? yes there has to be change and a lot of change .. bilder still making forunes but thsi is nation debt and min with key to fund to take money out for overspending and TD have ruled dail out .. that hey it need to be in and the bll laid beofe the dail
@The Risen: As much as it may hurt your SF ears to hear it, overall Ireland has done exceptionally well out of Europe. It owes us nothing. And Jim is completely correct – it was the Irish government, Irish regulators, Irish banks and Irish property developers who had the Troika at our front door. But typical SF – it’s always someone else’s fault.
@Teresa Ryan: The more important question is to whom was the money loaned? And the answer is….(drumroll)….Irish people! It’s not Europe’s fault if Ireland is incapable and/or unwilling to hold to account those politicians, civil servants, bankers and developers who lost billions on their hair-brained schemes.
@Seanboy: How do u now they are still not at it this time in derivitives and god know what elses and see terms of deal made by lenihan and what need for legslation giving min /taoiseach to take 500 million out of the fund containing that loan to ‘protect the financial system, as HBSC axes 35 000 jobs .. and price of shares in banks may fall .. u no we need DAIL . but TD jut not prpeared to work
@Teresa Ryan: exactly from German banks
@Philip Kavanagh: I’d be interested to know how you are better off with Ireland being in the EU?
@Philip Kavanagh: In fairness yes property developers et al were to blame for some of the crash but did alarm bells not go off at any stage in the ECB with the amounts of money Irish Banks were borrowing for one sector. Also we nationalised a private bank with half the pension funds of France and Germany in it with losses to the tune of 60bn I wonder who put the squeeze on to do that with every financial expert in the country screaming not to. Our Taoiseach at the time playing golf with Champagne Seanie the day before as well. We were sold a pup and as a consequence payed the price for shouldering failed financial gambles across Europe because we were threatened by the French and German controlled ECB who would have had no control if Anglo had been left to rot
@Philip Kavanagh:.
…”it was the Irish government, Irish regulators, Irish banks and Irish property developers who had the Troika at our front door”
All facilitated by FFG.
.
“It’s not Europe’s fault if Ireland is incapable and/or unwilling to hold to account those politicians, civil servants, bankers and developers who lost billions on their hair-brained schemes.”
All facilitated by FFG.
“But typical SF – it’s always someone else’s fault.”
That’s because it is/was FFG’s fault 100%
@Ananya Sharma: Well, for a start it enables me to do training in Germany and Sweden. I am treated the exact same as a German or Swede in terms of access to and fees for this training. The alternative is to pay through the nose by going to non-EU countries such as US and UK. That satisfy your interest?
@Michael McGrath: I remember talking to a property agent (he had an office in the same building) when I worked in Berlin in 2005. He could not contain his disbelief at the number of Irish people buying property there (often without seeing it first). His exact word was “bescheuert” – daft. If Irish people were too consumed by other things to realise what was happening, too stupid that they continuously voted in the same clowns year after year or too arrogant to listen to what was being said in Berlin and elsewhere (google the patronising waffle Ahern and McCreevy were spouting at Europe), then it’s not Europe’s fault Ireland nearly went bust – it’s Ireland’s fault. You weren’t sold a pup – you bought a baby tiger that you filled with so much rubbish, it keeled over from excess. Ireland’s fault. Not Europe’s.
@Shakka1244: Where exactly did I say that it was not FF/FG’s fault? I clearly mentioned politicians in my post. I wrote that it was not Europe’s fault. And for SF and its supporters, it is always someone else’s fault. “Boo-hoo, we can’t get into government because FF and FG won’t talk to us.” Get over it.
@Jim Buckley Barrett: caused by the flow of cheap money due to euro interest rates that were not suited to the Irish economy.
@Philip Kavanagh: Not too many ordinary people bought up houses in Germany nor did they cause the bust i certainly didnt i didnt even buy a house or get myself in over my head but im still paying for this out of my salary every month and so is my wife my parents my brothers and sisters the vast majority of my family and friends none of us who went OTT boom or no boom but we are still paying. 22 people caused the majority of the crash in Ireland none of whom paid a penny back. The vagaries of private enterprise that went pearshaped and the people have to pick up the mess. And you can preach what you like Anglo Irish had a barrel load of French and German money in it and once it was nationalised and i would say under duress we were on the hook for a load of european debt that was never ours
Negotiate an offset for the way we were screwed
by the EU (Germany and France) during the bailout.
ffs..sure we always pay more and get less..that’s what Ireland under FG and FF is all about….
“Brexit has left the EU with a sizeable budget hole – about €75 billion over seven years.”
FFG on the phone right now – “Paddy will pay that no problem like 2008″
We can stop the EU banking contagion and take on the biggest citizen debt per person alright though…..
@Padraic O Sullivan: All self inflicted and fully deserved after voting for what was well known corruption 3 elections in a row…the EU actually advised against the FF banking guarantee but let’s not let the facts get in the way of a good waffle.
Enough with EU bad treat to Ireland and Ireland need leave EU
@Brian Flavin: that would be economic suicide. I’m no fan of the EU but the benefits are undeniable. It needs to be reformed though.
And given Brexit, that can really only mean one thing: Ireland slipping back to being under Britain’s sphere of influence.
@Ciaran Burke: that it does, I believed Brexit would kick them up the ass and make them cop on a bit but it seems it only hardened their stance to continue on full steam ahead. Wasted opportunity and the EU will evidently not change. Thats another joke but leaving would be suicide, without doubt, thats how they made it.
We now need sombody with balls to go against the EU ideas for Ireland So far we have been very timid We need a new type of political approach and SF is the only one who have the power and knowledge to handle this Remember the mess who got us into this needs to be taken out of control as they are not capable of dealing.
@Martin Stewart: “Sinn féin have” hahahahahahahahahahahahaha “Power” hahaha haha “and” haha hahaha “knowledge” hahahahahaha
@Martin Stewart: We need DAIL on board and TD to act how they were mandated to .Dd u see how eu daling with uk ? Did u yea she is feisty but and me but looked at he man and sorry but that one for a country in control of its own finances ie govt accountable to dail and this is whre DAIL needed badly so why dont u get on to your TD who vote for taoiseach and tell him her then not to vote for nominee taoiseach unless he she undertakes to lay bill before the dail to begin process it has to come from minister cos EU Commission can put squeeze on taoiseach if a TD move the bill and commission does not want to talke to the dail.
@Sim0n: You know SimOn, the last time we heard such laughter was when the EU/IMF/Troika boarded the plane after leaving the citizens of this country with PTSD and funnily enough there wasn’t a single SF politician in office at the time, so who do you think handed the power and the keys to the national safe to the overlords, hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha you guessed it alright.
@Honeybee: Come on, saying only Sinn féin have the power and knowledge is comedy gold. I genuinely burst out laughing.
@Sim0n: But then SimOn you are easily amused and as a child we had a rather offensive add on to a name as yours ‘simple simon,’ not nice but there you are,never found it funny myself.
@Honeybee: You’re right I do enjoy a good laugh. The suggestion, about sinn féin having the power and knowledge, reminded me of the Monty python sketch where your man attempted to jump across the English channel. Hilarious stuff!
The bloke is hard work
Who’s laughing now….. The Irish were laughing at the UK when it decided to leave the corrupt union and now who’s laughing??? What did you all think was going to happen? Someone has to fund the MEP’s billionaires lifestyle and someone has to pay….. and guess who? The Irish people have to put into the pot now that the UK have left a big hole in the pot. Bye bye Eu
@John John: MEP you really are funny. We still are laughing at the UK its hilarious to see a country implode like it is.
@Gary Kearney: really???? you are deluded. Just wait and see…. you must be a FG/FF
@Gary Kearney: how has the UK imploded? Ridiculous comment.
@John John: yuk who
The EU is a bloated organisation which has only ever known unrestrained expansion. Time for reality.
I’m sure the EU are looking at him going “maybe you should collect that tax from those large multinationals in Ireland”
So Leo doent that mean not 1 more red cent to be paid to banksters
Full Employment… Add all those on Goverment Sponsored Scheme’s CE, Tus, ect that’s one quarter million. Then add those job-path the private company that replaced Fas. See what happens when the Spin & Lies are believed cooking the book’s sor a PR stunt.
He’s more than happy for the squeezed middle to endlessly pay far more in tax than they receive in services…. #grandstanding
At least he is trying to get more. What would SF do.. Run away blame everyone else. Point the finger
@Joseph Molloy: ehhhhh…doh….seems SF are now being judged by psyics …..
@CJ Stewart: No, SF is being judged on its previous actions (or in most cases, its lack thereof).
Weak leader
How much is being given to the EU army,any journalists interested in informing us.
Hehehe, but at the same time Ireland get compared with the richest country’s by media and high flying politicians.
Fixed house loans for house purchase at less than 2% are the norm in Europe when will something be done to stop the over charging of Irish consumers
What about asking for a infrastructure or housing grant/ no interest loan?
If there is a recession keep the builders building when costs might be lower.
All the talk during election no mention of a mechanism to keep economy going if it stalls.
Is there another European country that we can use for labour?
With trumps was on German car makers and like clock is ticking on globalised E. U.
Leo turns right wing the day he not PM PLAYING TO THE CROWD, TRATOR
It’s a bit late for the statesmanship leo
Will someone tell that clown
Cut cap under the guise of climate change and buy in cheap inferior quality food shipped from South America, absolute madness Europe will once again starve like it did in the 40’s and 50’s
A lot of British people will be very pleased that they will not be paying 75 billion over the next five years for “action on climate change” and I suspect many Irish people that I know will feel much the same.
You mean just like Joe Irish citizen under your fu&^in government….the Ass%$le has just figured it out !
When we get back what the vulture funds & EU charged Ireland for the bail out, When this debt is cleared it could be then considered, The EU has some neck asking us to pay at this stage.
If Leo had this attitude from day 1 then he and his party would have received more votes .
Constantly looked weak as a leader
Varadkar was never convincing as Taoiseach. Unfit for purpose. In every way.
Hahahaha
have your say