Filenews 11 May 2022
Britain's Foreign Minister Liz Trasch remains intransigent over the Northern Ireland protocol. Strict tones from European leaders.
It is clear that the UK, or more correctly London, at the moment does not have the upper hand in the negotiations. On the one hand it must respect the agreement it signed in 2019 with the EU to deliver Brexit and on the other hand it must "tame" the nation of Northern Ireland, which is in a state of ungovernability and in fear of an independence referendum.
How should he respect the Brexit deal? With the observance of the notorious Protocol of Northern Ireland, which created a hard border with Great Britain, but at the same time allowed the free movement of goods and services with the rest of Ireland, which is an EU member state. But the hard border is disappointing Northern Irish people, with the DUP unionist party being punished in the recent elections and making it clear that it will not cooperate in forming a government unless the Protocol issue is resolved.
The impasse of the Johnson government
Boris Johnson's government is therefore trying to find the right balance that will keep the UK together. But the threat of unilateral actions in the Brexit agreement is not called a "golden mean", but a field for more tensions. Liz Truss, who a few months ago took responsibility for negotiating the Protocol, seeing a deadlock in the agreement her government signed, rejected European proposals to simplify it. On Tuesday she said that "the answer cannot be more controls, bureaucracy and disruption. Our choice will always be a negotiated solution, but if it is not found, I will not hesitate to take drastic measures to stabilise the situation in Northern Ireland."
The Minister's intransigent attitude is reportedly confirmed by sources who claim that she is preparing new British legislation and will present it immediately, even next week. But the point is that 'it takes two to tango' and the EU does not seem willing to accept arbitrariness. Brussels is reportedly preparing retaliation for the abolition of any freedoms that had been agreed for the post-Brexit era, effectively declaring a trade war with the UK.
Brussels-Berlin consensus
During his visit to Berlin yesterday, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander de Krou told Johnson "not to touch the protocol", something that Chancellor Olaf Scholz reiterated, stating that "we have found a good solution to the issue of Northern Ireland and no one should unilaterally change an agreement that we jointly signed".
The strict tone towards the moves of Liz Truss, however, did not only remain outside the borders. An additional problem for her plans is that she does not have the full support of the interior. Finance Minister Rishi Sunak expressed his concerns that "the dispute with the EU will have an impact on the country's already overburdened economy." In a final effort to find a solution, European Commissioner Maroš Šefkovic called on Liz Truss to urgent talks on Thursday. The issue was captured in a proposal by a top government official to the Telegraph, who said "There is a big gap. It looks like we're going to have to go and do something that no one else wants."
Zoe Katzagiannaki, London
Source: Deutsche Welle
