Bonne chance, Ireland

Seventy years ago this month, a prime minister led a divided nation towards the exit from what was then one of the world’s most important organisations. On that occasion, Ireland was the country wanting to leave and there was no backstop to hold things up. Despite the pleas of the other member states, the Irish walked out of the Commonwealth.

I was reminded of that moment this week as the budding bromance between the Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar and France’s President Emmanuel Macron unfolded. Relations have never been better, Mr Varadkar cooed to nods from M. Macron. As well he might. For Varadkar has just returned his nation to the Commonwealth fold — by signing up to the French Commonwealth.

To the astonishment of diplomats all over the world, Ireland is now a proud junior member of the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie, the Paris–based organisation for those bits of the world once ruled by the French. The official reason, according to Varadkar’s government, is that Ireland wants to increase its ‘global footprint’ and because Samuel Beckett wrote the odd play in French.

Only a cynic would suggest that this is a calculated two fingers to Brexit Britain. Only the mean-spirited would suggest that little Leo will do anything to suck up to the top gang in the EU playground. He is going to need to, of course, if he wants to hang on to his nation’s cosy corporate tax deals once the Brits are no longer around to help fight Ireland’s corner against big EU tax reforms. Britain stood ready with a £3.2 billion emergency loan when Ireland faced bankruptcy after the financial crash. Indeed, we have agreed to go to the back of the queue of creditors, behind the IMF, when it comes to repayment.