SDLP leader Colum Eastwood welcomed an open letter to Taoiseach Leo Varadkar from 200 representatives of nationalist civic society which called on the Irish government to support northern nationalists as the UK leaves the European Union. Whilst acknowledging that northern nationalism is currently frustrated, as reported by the Irish News, Mr Eastwood said nationalism needs a “better strategy” – one that promotes greater reconciliation while persuading unionists about the merits of a united Ireland. “The only way to break free from that failed strategy and re-establish northern nationalism’s power and place,” he said, “is through the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement.”

UK Prime Minister Theresa May said her government is “proving the doubters wrong” in Brexit negotiations, despite suffering the first House of Commons defeat of her premiership when MPs voted to give Parliament a legal guarantee of a vote on the final deal struck with the EU. Writing in two Sunday newspapers, she said that the last ten days had marked a “watershed” in the Brexit process, and pledged that she would not be “derailed” from securing an “ambitious” deal.

Former Prime Minister David Cameron is to take on a new role leading a UK government-backed investment initiative between the UK and China. According to media reports, Mr Cameron will take charge of a £750m ($1bn) fund to improve ports, roads and rail networks between China and its trading partners. It is understood that China’s President, Xi Jinping intends on developing ancient trade routes through China and Europe to make it easier for the world to trade with China.

Austria became the only country in western Europe to have a far-right political party in power when its Freedom Party secured the key posts of foreign, interior and defence in the country’s new government. The anti-immigration party joins the conservative People’s Party in coalition, two months after inconclusive elections. People’s Party leader Sebastian Kurz becomes the world’s youngest head of government, aged 31. He said the two parties had agreed “on a clear pro-European outlook”.

Ahead of elections in Catalonia next week, Xavier Domènech, candidate for the left-wing Podemos party, called for a three-way left coalition made up of the pro-independence Esquerra Repúblicana (Republican Left), the Socialists and his own party, the Catalan version of Podemos, named Catalunya en Comú-Podem. Mr Domènech promised a new start after October’s unilateral declaration of independence in Catalonia, which plunged Spain into a constitutional crisis. He said, “We are the key, so that people don’t have to choose between one bloc or another… We are not going to play Russian roulette with our country, we will create a government that represents all Catalans.”

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