The Emperor has no clothes.

So, it is official.  There has been an attempted coup d’etat. 

No, I am not referring to what is happening across the globe this morning in Myanmar where the military is on the move yet again.  I am talking about in the EU where the President of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, the Commission being the equivalent of our UK Civil Service, decided to unilaterally invoke restrictions in both a Member state and a non Member state.   No negotiation.  Just straight in.  And Ms von der Leyen didn’t even have the courtesy to tell the Ireland's Taoiseach, Micheál Martin, what she was doing.  How excruciatingly humiliating for him. The tanks just rolled in. 

Now, imagine if Simon Case, (her equivalent in the UK), as the Cabinet Secretary and Head of the UK Civil Service, had done what Ms von der Leyen did, I think he would be out the door in a pair of handcuffs.       

But why did the EU commit a wild hostile act with no provocation?  Why did she do something that would unite the leaders of Sin Fein and the DUP, and indeed every other mainstream party in the UK? The exception was the SNP who notably kept schtum.  But perhaps Ms Sturgeon is going to have bigger problems on her plate over the next week or two.  

There is no rhyme or reason to Ms von der Leyen's actions.  But the hostile intent towards the UK is clear.  Brussels was threatening to halt the sale of life-saving drugs to a neighbouring country, not in response to any provocation, but simply because it was cross that that country was further advanced in its vaccination programme.    

But it gets worse.  In order to deflect criticism from its hopeless record in ordering vaccines, the European Commission aimed its law expressly at Britain. Its export ban did not apply to other neighbouring states, such as Iceland, Morocco, Egypt, Syria, Ukraine or Belarus.  The only country in the vicinity to be targeted was the UK.       

Why has this all occurred?  Some would argue, not without reason, that the blame lies firmly on the doorstep of Ursula von der Leyen.  Clearly she was not the popular choice for the position.  On her elevation to the post Ska Keller, a German MEP and co-leader of the Greens in the European Parliament, had harsh words.  “This backroom stitch-up after days of talks is grotesque.  It satisfies no one but party power games. After such a high turnout in the European elections and a real mandate for change, this is not what European citizens deserve.”       

Some saw her “election” as yet another case of von der Leyen being promoted merely to get her out of the way.  As the German media turned against her, magazine der Spiegel put it succinctly this week of her failed spells at various ministries: “in each instance, von der Leyen’s departure was perfectly timed.  Just as the time had come for evaluations, she had already climbed up to the next rung on her career ladder.”. 

Let’s say it as it is.   The EU threw Ireland and the Taoiseach under a bus last week.  And they tried to do the same to the UK.  Let’s not forget they did it with Greece.   And they will do exactly the same with Scotland should Ms Sturgeon get her way.     

Patrick O'Flynn summed it up well.  "Brussels has absolutely humiliated the Republic of Ireland tonight, treating its government as a third rate colonial outpost - not worthy even of receiving a telegram about new arrangements being imposed in its territory."      

Andrew Neil dryly noted: "After four years of lecturing Great Britain that it could never countenance anything that might lead to a hard border in Ireland, the European Union, in a desperate response to its own vaccine incompetence, introduces a hard border.  Then thinks better of it."      

The EU Commission is beyond inept and has turned itself into a laughing stock. It is not democratic.  It is not fit for purpose.  And the whole world can now see that.   

The emperor has no clothes.