Juncker: The Brexiteers are forgetting the history of Ireland
Jean-Claude Juncker speaking with Sky's Sophy Ridge. Picture: Sky - Credit: Archant
The president of the European Commission has told Sky's Sophy Ridge that a no-deal Brexit would lead to the return of a hard border on Ireland.
Speaking in Brussels on Thursday, Jean-Claude Juncker confirmed that controls would need to be put in place on the island if Britain crashed out of the EU on October 31.
He said: "We have to make sure the interests of the European Union and the internal market will be preserved.
"The EU is in no way responsible for the consequence entailed by Brexit. That's a British decision, a sovereign decision we are respecting.
"The European Union is not leaving the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom is leaving the European Union.
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"We were never pleading in favour of any kind of Brexit, that's a British decision."
Addressing the issues no-deal could create for North-South co-operation on the island, Juncker said that the Good Friday Agreement "should be respected in all its parts."
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In a sly dig, Juncker added: "Sometimes I have the impression that some people are forgetting about the history [of Ireland]."
When pressed by Ridge on who he meant, Juncker said that some members of parliament were guilty of neglecting the recent past.
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