Cogito Ergo Non Serviam
UK Denies EU Ambassador Full Diplomatic Status
The fallout from Brexit is going to continue for years, and some of it is downright funny. The Foreign Office of the UK has decided that the EU ambassador will not get the same diplomatic privileges under the Vienna Convention that are accorded ambassadors from nation-states like France and Germany. The argument is that if the EU, as an international organization, gets this status, then other bodies like the International Maritime Organization will demand the same. There are 142 nations that accord the EU ambassador the same status as a representative of a nation-state. It does seem petty of the British. At the same time, it may be a distinction without a difference, and the EU may as well move on.
The Foreign Office has said, "The EU, its Delegation and staff will receive the privileges and immunities necessary to enable them to carry out their work in the UK effectively."
The Guardian expands on this, "It is understood that the Foreign Office is affording the EU the same level of diplomatic protection as other international organisations and this is considered sufficient for the staff. The protection includes embassy property and documents being inviolable, and some staff being exempt from taxes. No staff can be prosecuted for acts committed in the course of their diplomatic duties.
"The head of the mission's residential home is also inviolable, and they are not required to pay any taxes or open personal baggage at airports."
As best as one can tell, the big difference is that the EU ambassador will not be able to present his or her credentials to Her Majesty the Queen. Additionally, it could be that the EU representative gets a place below the salt at ambassador luncheons.
The Trump administration tried this back in 2018, and the White House reversed itself quickly under pressure from the Democrats and from EU institutions. It became a bone of contention, and the EU was adamant about it. The US did not care anywhere near as much, and inevitably, the side that cares more wins the point. Besides, the US ambassador to the EU was facing a similar downgrade.
Some in the UK see this for what it is, a silly distraction when there is serious work ahead. "This is simply petty," Tobias Ellwood, Tory chair of the Commons defence committee, tweated yesterday. "Biden commits to strengthening alliances and we engage in silly spats which will not help strengthen security and trade co-operation. We are better than this." Mr. Ellwood may be disappointed in that final assessment.
The spat over this will detract from matters that the Tory government must address. For instance, Amazon has told its marketplace sellers that from April goods moving from Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) to Northern Ireland must have a customs declaration. The three-month exemption the government put in place expires March 31, 2021. If this is not handled wisely and quickly, total chaos in trade across the Irish Sea is inevitable.
A bit of advice for the Foreign Office is in order. Extend the status of the EU for 4 years, during which time, everyone will forget that this stupid and self-damaging decision. Then, when the arrangement is due to expire, a new election can cover the whole thing up permanently.
A bit of advice for the EU is also proper. Does anyone on the continent really care what the British do anymore?
As one Englishman put it, "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet." The same is true of ambassadors.
© Copyright 2021 by The Kensington Review, Jeff Myhre, PhD, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent. Produced using Ubuntu Linux.
|
|
|
