Irish leader: 'Those who think EU solidarity will break in for nasty surprise'

Those who think the solidarity of European Union member states about Brexit will break at the last moment “are in for a nasty surprise,” Irish prime minister Leo Varadkar said on Friday.

“Despite many attempts to bilateralise issues or to divide the 27 [member states], the solidarity has been strong and resolute,” Varadkar said.

Many Brexiteers believe that the EU will make concessions on the Northern Ireland backstop contained within the withdrawal agreement, which is designed to prevent a hard border on the island of Ireland, if it is faced with the prospect of a no-deal Brexit.

“Ireland’s concerns have become the European Union’s concerns, and our insistence on a legally binding and operable solution to avoid a hard border has become an EU redline as well,” Varadkar said.

He noted that he was assured “in the strongest terms” last week that the bloc stands by the withdrawal agreement, including the backstop, by the presidents of the EU’s institutions.

READ MORE: Irish leader rules out border between EU and island of Ireland

“This is because the commitment on the border has to be watertight. And despite what some people have suggested, nobody in two years has identified credible alternative arrangements that can avoid a hard border,” Varadkar said.

In January, the Dutch government was forced to deny that it was pushing the EU to make concessions on the backstop.

Varadkar also had strong words about the impact of the current political impasse in Westminster on Northern Ireland.

“It is simply not right that communities and businesses are being held hostage due to political division,” he said, noting that the majority of political parties and people in Northern Ireland support the backstop and withdrawal agreement.

Varadkar was speaking at an all-island Brexit dialogue event on Friday in Dublin Castle — the fifth such event to be held since the UK voted to leave the EU.