When this is all over, big challenges face the EU. It will live or die by how it deals with the aftermath. Brussels was a bit slow in getting its act together when coming to the aid of its members. The huge financial package announced last week is welcome, but let’s see how it plays out. The response from the “frugal four” in Italy’s darkest hour was a reminder of how fractious and fragile the project remains.

Growing nationalism is at the heart of the threat to the continuing efforts to fiscal and social unity. The Common Agricultural Policy has probably been the only real successful example of the purpose of a federal Europe. Even that faces an uncertain future if state aid rules are not reinforced post-pandemic.

Further tests lie ahead in the rolling out of the Green Deal, with Ireland particularly exposed considering our dependence, for example, on food and live animal exports – not to mention the Brexit effect.

We see how Victor Orban has all but appointed himself leader for life in Hungary. Surely, this goes against everything a modern European democracy stands for. In Italy and France, to name just two, nationalistic sentiment continues to knock on the door of power. And if we just look across the water, we can see how this new age of social media politics has been divided by Brexit. Modern politics and society have become partisan to the point that you align with a particular ideology and you stay there.

The response from the “frugal four” in Italy’s darkest hour was a reminder of how fractious and fragile the project remains

And what of the US? It’s sad to see what is happening there; it’s broken. The murder of George Floyd is a symbol of how Trump’s America is crumbling. Donald Trump has famously said he could walk down Fifth Avenue, shoot a person and still have huge support. Unfortunately, that’s true, and another example of blind allegiance in this social media, "fake news" era. The sad reality is that division is only going to deepen.

To borrow an infamous phrase from the Irish criminal underworld: “If you think we’re bad, wait until you see what’s coming after us”. People wish for the end of the Trump administration. But how many Trumps are being created as we speak?

We need not to be so smug here. Civil war politics is being replaced by this form of angry Twitter politics. A recent example was on the same day Taoiseach Leo Varadkar was snapped socialising in the Phoenix Park, Mary Lou McDonald equivocated about the IRA in a Sunday Independent interview.

The outrage against Varadkar was only matched by the defence of McDonald. Despising the Government and loving Sinn Fein are mutually exclusive. And vice versa. There’s no middle ground.

The slow death of Fianna Fáil in the most recent opinion polls is testament to that. It’s Fine Gael v Sinn Fein, now. You’re one or the other, in general terms. Bipartisan politics is dead and gone in the 21st century western world.

Match of the Day

Match of the Day has been superb in recent weeks. Gary Lineker, Ian Wright and Alan Shearer reminisce insightfully about great teams, players and matches. It’s actually been more interesting than showing match highlights!