I thought it was true, Alain, as Bertie Ahern warned (mentioned in the piece). Also Paul Gillespie who is an absolute expert. Any member of the EU can vote against continuing Brexit negotiations at the December summit. It’s mentioned also in this BBC piece, which quotes the Irish foreign minister as saying he doesn’t want to veto but …. https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/ireland-does-not-want-to-veto-brexit-talks-coveney-tells-bbc-36374339.html
However … if there is a clear reference you could provide from EU sources it would be very welcome to get this right.
Sorry but I don’t think that it is true that Ireland has a legal right to block phase one of the negotiations. Everything concerning article 50 is at qualified majority of the council. It is only because the 27 countries, and especially France and Germany, agree to support Ireland that Ireland has such power.
Politically, it is however true that now is a better time to push their agenda than later. Because the EU has decided that the irish border was one of the 3 topics that have to be agreed before going to phase 2 of the negotiations. If they pass on this, the further negotiations will have so many topics that their specific issue risk at being seen as minor.
I thought it was true, Alain, as Bertie Ahern warned (mentioned in the piece). Also Paul Gillespie who is an absolute expert. Any member of the EU can vote against continuing Brexit negotiations at the December summit. It’s mentioned also in this BBC piece, which quotes the Irish foreign minister as saying he doesn’t want to veto but ….
https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/ireland-does-not-want-to-veto-brexit-talks-coveney-tells-bbc-36374339.html
However … if there is a clear reference you could provide from EU sources it would be very welcome to get this right.
Sorry but I don’t think that it is true that Ireland has a legal right to block phase one of the negotiations. Everything concerning article 50 is at qualified majority of the council. It is only because the 27 countries, and especially France and Germany, agree to support Ireland that Ireland has such power.
Politically, it is however true that now is a better time to push their agenda than later. Because the EU has decided that the irish border was one of the 3 topics that have to be agreed before going to phase 2 of the negotiations. If they pass on this, the further negotiations will have so many topics that their specific issue risk at being seen as minor.