Naomi O’Leary

Naomi O’Leary

Naomi O’Leary is Europe Correspondent for The Irish Times

EU chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier, who has tested positive the Covid-19 coronavirus. Photograph: Patrick Seeger/EPA
Coronavirus: EU negotiator Michel Barnier tests positive

EU chief Brexit negotiator tweets that he is ‘doing well and in good spirits’

European Union chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier and the British prime minister’s Europe adviser David Frost in Brussels on March 2nd. Photograph: Oliver Hoslet/Reuters
EU sets out proposals for close UK ties after Brexit talks

Document on future EU-UK relationship crosses several British red lines

Italian foreign minister Luigi Di Maio holding a press conference with a limited number of reporters at the Farnesina Palace in Rome. Photograph: EPA/Ettore Ferrari
Italians look at aid from China and a series of slights from the EU

Europe Letter: Italian ambassador to the EU sees the crisis as a test of the union’s cohesiveness and solidarity

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and European Council president Charles Michel: “We have to be very careful with our single market,” says Ms von der Leyen. “In the economy it’s the most precious instrument we have.” Photograph: Olivier Matthys
EU internal market under pressure as Covid-19 shuts borders

Free trade and movement between member states hampered by closures and traffic jams

A coronavirus warning notice at the European Council, in Brussels, Belgium. Photograph: Stephanie Lecocq/EPA
EU-UK talks on Brexit process postponed due to coronavirus

Sides examining possibility of negotiating via video-conferencing or conference calls

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen holds a news conference on Monday. The commission has proposed barring travel from the rest of the world to the EU for at least 30 days. Photograph: Johanna Geron/Reuters
Coronavirus closes borders as France shuts down

European countries close borders to each other and rest of world as Macron declares total lockdown

Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte during a televised address on the outbreak of coronavirus. Photograph: Robin Van Lonkhuijsen/ANP/AFP via Getty
Coronavirus: Dutch adopt controversial ‘herd immunity’ strategy

Prime minister Mark Rutte says ‘large part’ of population will be infected

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen speaking in Brussels on Monday. Photograph: Johanna Geron/Reuters
EU leaders to discuss travel ban in bid to combat coronavirus

Ban on all non-essential travel into bloc proposed by European Commission

A healthcare worker at Shamrock Rovers’ Tallaght Stadium in Dublin which is being used as a testing centre for Covid-19 (Coronavirus). Photograph: Collins
Coronavirus: 54 new cases confirmed in Ireland, 15,000 forecast by end of March

Rise in cases cannot be stopped’ as restrictions set to be extended beyond March 29th

French police officers carry out checks at the border between Italy and France in Menton, southern France, on Sunday. Photograph: Sebastien Nogier/EPA
Europe shuts down as Italy records highest daily coronavirus death toll

France, Spain and Netherlands shut down all but essential services

A woman sings from her balcony in Rome. Photograph: Reuters
Coronavirus: Italy resists disaster with cultural pursuits

‘From the point of view of solidarity, beautiful things are happening ... I feel proud to be Italian’

The Spanish Steps at a deserted Piazza di Spagna in central Rome on Thursday. Photograph: Alberto Pizzoli/AFP
Other countries may see Covid-19 outbreaks like Italy’s, EU body warns

Shutdowns to fight pandemic as disease control centre warns outbreaks may worsen

Morena Colombi is recovering in total isolation in her home close to Milan.
I had coronavirus: here’s what you should know

Follow quarantine instructions and avoid hospitals unless absolutely necessary

Michel Barnier, Brexit chief negotiator for the European Union. Photograph: Geert Vanden Wijngaert/Bloomberg
Brexit: Next week’s London talks called off due to coronavirus

Negotiators say they are looking for alternative ways to continue discussions

Rome’s Termini central rail station in Rome on Wednesday. Photograph: Massimo Percossi/EPA
The lessons of Italy’s coronavirus crisis

Europe Letter: Other countries urged to act promptly and communicate clearly

Deserted Via del Corso in Rome: Austria banned entry to people from Italy on Tuesday, introducing checks on its border. Photograph: Tiziana Fabi/AFP
Italy’s streets empty in historic lockdown to halt spread of coronavirus

Citizens’ movements severely curtailed as cases exceed 10,000 and economy stalls

Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte gives Bruno Bruins, minister for medical care, an elbow greeting. Photograph: Remko De Waal/EPA
How Dutch false sense of security helped coronavirus spread

Flawed advice that only those with symptoms can spread virus contributes to slow response

Police officers and soldiers check passengers leaving from Milan main train station, Italy. Photograph: Antonio Calanni/AP Photo
Evidence emerges people without symptoms can spread coronavirus

EU disease prevention agency to tighten advice on coronavirus transmission

EU Council president Charles Michel (centre) and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen (right) welcome Turkish president Tayyip Erdogan (left) before their meeting at the EU headquarters in Brussels, Belgium on Monday. Photograph: John Thys/Pool via Reuters
EU chiefs hold ‘different opinions’ on migration deal with Turkey

Turkish president seeking to secure more support in Syrian war and migration crisis

An emergency department nurse during a demonstration of the Coronavirus pod and COVID-19 virus testing procedures set-up beside the Emergency Department of Antrim Area Hospital, Co Antrim in Northern Ireland. Photograph: Michael Cooper/PA Wire
Coronavirus: Some Irish embassies cancel St Patrick’s Day receptions

National Maternity Hospital annouces visitor restriction in effort to curb spread of Covid-19

Minister for Health Simon Harris: ‘Let me be very clear, we’re going to see many many more cases in Ireland, we’re going to see many more cases in Europe.’ Photograph: Gareth Chaney/Collins
Harris: Coronavirus containment may not be possible indefinitely

Health minister says he expects to see ‘many, many more cases in Ireland’

Signs at the entrance to Cork University Hospital. Photograph Michael Mac Sweeney/Provision
Coronavirus Ireland: Five new cases confirmed in Republic

Number of cases rises to four in the North; hospitals impose visiting restrictions

Michel Barnier: “An agreement is possible, even if difficult,” he said in Brussels. Photograph: Francois Walschaerts/AFP via Getty Images
EU and Britain say deal looks difficult after first round of talks

Agreement possible but there are ‘very serious divergences’, says EU negotiator Barnier

Migrants carry belongings towards the Pazarkule border gate in Edirne in northwest Turkey as they try to enter Europe. Photograph: Ozan Kose/AFP
Migrants used as pawns as EU takes a hard line

Europe Letter: Greek-Turkish border crisis couched in talk of ‘shields’ and ‘protection’

European Commission president Ursula Von der Leyen with Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, and commission vice-president Frans Timmermans in Brussels on Wednesday. Photograph: Johanna Geron/Reuters
Greta Thunberg accuses EU of ‘surrender’ as it unveils climate law

Target of legally binding net zero emissions by 2050 ‘means giving up’, says activist

Photograph: iStock
EU court backs Google in Hungary tax challenge

Internet giant had challenged fines imposed for non-payment of a national tax on advertising

EU commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarcic (right), gives a press conference flanked by European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen (left), held at the Emergency Response Coordination Centre in Brussels, on the EU response to Covid-19 on Monday. Photograph: John Thys/AFP via Getty Images
EU authorities raise coronavirus risk level to ‘moderate to high’

Dedicated European task force announced as Italy plans €3.6 billion business aid package

Refugees and migrants land ashore the Greek island of Lesbos on Monday. Photograph: Aris Messinis/AFP via Getty Images
Child (5) dies as boat carrying migrants capsizes off Lesbos

Open border sees Greece struggle with thousands of migrants

Chief Brexit negotiators Michel Barnier (right) with David Frost at the start of post-Brexit trade talks. Photograph: AP
Brexit negotiating teams convene for round one of trade talks

UK targets free-trade deal with EU but bloc sticks on close alignment to rules, standards

A group of migrants in Edirne wait to cross into Greece at the Turkish-Greek border. Photograph: Sedat Suna/EPA
Migrants mass on Turkish-Greek border to try to enter EU

Ankara reneging on deal to restrict movement towards EU in wake of Syrian air strike

Dublin Port: under World Trade Organisation rules and tariffs, meat exports to the UK would be taxed at close to 50 per cent and dairy products at over 30 per cent. Photograph: Stephen Collins/Collins
Brexit negotiations kick off in Brussels

High stakes for Ireland as teams for UK and EU meet to formulate post-exit relationship

Hand gel: Hand-shaking is something of an occupational health risk. File photograph: EPA
Coronavirus and Europe: Hand shaking, hand washing and hand wringing in Brussels

Europe Letter: ‘When confronted with a crisis, the commission retreats into technicalities’

EU chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier gives a press conference in Brussels on Tuesday. Photograph: Geert Vanden Wijngaert/Bloomberg
EU issues ultimatum to London ahead of Brexit talks

Barnier thumps podium while warning UK that deal will not be agreed ‘at any price’

Women wearing protective facemasks in central Milan on Monday. ‘Viruses know no borders,’ said Stella Kyriakides, European commissioner for health and food safety. Photograph: Miguel Medina/AFP via Getty Images
Europe grapples to rein in global spread of coronavirus

EU pledges €232m to fight outbreak as seventh person dies in Northern Italy

EU chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier, who has received a mandate from the member states for the next stage of talks with the UK. Photograph: Patrick Seeger/EPA
EU and British positions harden ahead of Brexit talks

European member states approve common negotiating guidelines for next stage of talks with UK

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