Letter to the Editor at The Economist, Charlemagne, ‘How Ireland gets its way’

26 July 2020

Letter to the Editor

The Economist

<letters@economist.com>

Re: Charlemagne, ‘How Ireland gets its way’ The Economist (London, 18 July 2020) at page 23, <https://www.economist.com/europe/2020/07/18/how-ireland-gets-its-way>.

Dear Letters Editor,

Notwithstanding the article’s title—How Ireland gets its way, the article does not mention even one example—not one!—where Ireland achieved a diplomatic goal when opposed. Instead, the article lists Ireland’s record of placing its people into high positions in the European Union and international institutions. In other words, the article is not really about diplomacy, it is about jobs. But if it is about jobs, then the costs to the Irish taxpayer should be reckoned against the financial benefits flowing to her people who score EU and other international posts. How exactly has Ireland fared? Ireland has been a net contributor to the EU since 2013 and is likely to remain so into the foreseeable future. Her obligation towards the EU’s Covid-19 fund has been pegged at over €3,000 per person—the second highest of any EU member.

If this is victory, then what would be defeat?

Sincerely,

Seth

Seth Barrett Tillman

Maynooth University Department of Law

Seth Barrett Tillman, Submitted as a Letter to the Editor at The Economist, Charlemagne, ‘How Ireland gets its way’, New Reform Club (July 26, 2020, 12:10 PM), <https://reformclub.blogspot.com/2020/07/letter-to-editor-charlemagne-how.html>;