EU commissioner has not (yet) withdrawn 'insensitive' remarks about Ireland, Sinn Féin MEP says
reports from Brussels
SINN FÉIN MEP Kathleen Funchion has not received any correspondence from the EU's foreign affairs commissioner after she called on Kaja Kallas to withdraw remarks she made about Ireland last week.
Kallas, during a debate ahead of this week's Nato summit in Brussels, claimed got that Ireland got to 'build up their prosperity' following World War II while the rest of Europe experienced 'atrocities, mass deportations, suppression of our culture and language'.
During the same debate earlier,
Funchion had criticised the increased debates and discussions on war and conflict, suggesting that the EU should instead focus on its original role as a peace project
.
Speaking to reporters in Brussels today, after the Midlands North West MEP on Thursday called for the remarks to be withdrawn, Funchion said that she has not heard back from Kallas.
She added: 'I really was taken aback by the comments… For her to actually single us out like that, I thought was really bad form, first of all. Second, she was completely wrong in what she was saying.'
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Funchion noted that the letter was only sent a number of days prior to today's event. She hopes that to hear from the European Commission Vice President with an apology and that she accepts an invitation to visit Northern Ireland.
Last week, Funchion said Kallas' comments were 'ill-advised and deeply insensitive to the experiences of Irish communities still seeking justice to this day'.
'Delighted' by Varadkar comments
The Sinn Féin MEP was also
asked about former Taoiseach Leo Varadkar's recent comments in support of a United Ireland
, who said he would sacrifice economic growth for the reunification of the island.
Funchion said: 'Really delighted to see that… I really welcome [it]. You're going to expect that people from Sinn Féin will talk about a United Ireland, but I will always welcome people from other sectors saying [it] too.'
She pushed back on the suggestion that reunification would cause economic hardship, adding that the EU could have a role to play in a transitionary process or in the development of the region.
Responding to questions by
The Journal
, Funchion said that through her work on the UK-EU plenary group and correspondence with colleagues, members of the public in Northern Ireland are represented.
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