Northern Ireland’s fate in the end of the European Union: The case against an EU-ruled Northern Ireland based on von der Leyen and the King
The dispute over trade rules in Northern Ireland has become a sore point in Europe and the island of Ireland after Britain’s decision to leave the EU.
Von der Leyen’s meeting with the King has proved controversial. “The King is pleased to meet any world leader if they are visiting Britain and it is the Government’s advice that he should do so,” the Palace said when it announced the sit-down.
There was a double dilemma of how to avoid a hard border and ensure that Northern Ireland was not treated separately when the UK left the EU, which dragged on for many years.
It was criticized by some unionist figures. It is difficult to believe that No 10 would ask the King to get involved in the lastising of a deal as controversial as this one. “It’s crass and will go down very badly in NI.”
Ordinarily, the existence of a border between an EU member state and a non-EU nation like the UK would require infrastructure such as customs posts. The security posts along the border between Northern and the Republic of Ireland were targeted by paramilitary groups who fought for a united Ireland during the Troubles.
That enraged the pro-British unionist community in Northern Ireland, who argued they were being cut off from the rest of the UK and forced closer to the Republic. Disputes about the arrangements, in part, have been a barrier to the restoration of the Northern Ireland Assembly, which has been suspended since 2017. The peace deal that ended the Troubles was based on the sharing of power between unionists and republicans.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak reached a deal with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Monday that will allow goods to enter Northern Ireland freely from other parts of the U.K.
The EU grant of a unique status to Northern Ireland means that goods from England, Wales and Scotland would need to be inspected by officials before entering the country.
People in Northern Ireland who strongly want to remain part of the U.K. saw this as an affront. The Democratic Unionist Party refused to participate in local government after that. It has helped reignite some tensions between different communities.
Some members of the Conservative Party resented the idea that the EU bureaucrats would still have the power to intervene in trade flows within the United Kingdom after Britain leaves the EU.
Northern Ireland’s power sharing deal: The new red and green lanes and the role of the Northern Ireland Assembly in the EU leaving the EU
The new plan proposes red and green lanes for goods arriving in Northern Ireland from elsewhere in the U.K., and red for goods that will be sold to the Republic of Ireland.
Theresa May, one of Sunak’s predecessors, said in a parliamentary debate that the newly agreed measures will make a huge difference.
Keir Starmer, the leader of the Labour Party, said he would back the new deal because it would boost Britain’s international standing and hopefully put an end to the country’s endless disputes with its neighbors.
Sunak has also promised that the local legislature in Northern Ireland, known as the Stormont Assembly, will have the ability to diverge from European Union laws, in a way that was difficult under the previous deal.
The DUP has, over the past two years, refused to take part in the power sharing agreement in Northern Ireland, essentially grinding local governance to a halt, and thus potentiality endangering the 1998 Northern Ireland peace agreement.
Sunak will be hoping that this is a catalyst to get people to talk and come up with creative ways to resolve the conflict that has come about from the whole process of leaving the EU.