Germany’s and Ireland’s governments criticize the “unilateralism”, devised by the Executive of Boris Johnson in order to resolve the problems of implementing the Brexit Agreement for Northern Ireland during these “difficult periods when Russia is engaged with a ruthless War in Ukraine”. The Foreign Ministers of the United Kingdom and Europe, Annalena Baerbock from Germany and Simon Coveney from Ireland, declared in a joint statement that they must “remain united as partners with shared value and a commitment for the defense and respect the international order built on rules”.
Foreign ministers have criticized the London Government’s lack of good will in negotiations with the EU. They also warned that there is no political or legal justification for unilaterally breaking an agreement two years ago. These ministers refer to the Westminster Parliament’s processing of a bill which, in its current form, removes parts of the Northern Ireland Protocol and allows ministers to modify other mechanisms in future.
Last week, the legislative text was passed in second reading with a vote limit of 74 votes. This includes unionist seats. After harshly criticizing Johnson’s plan, more than 70 Conservatives abstained – including former Prime Minister Theresa May as well as former Northern Ireland ministers.
Baerbock & Coveney highlight the EU’s plans to correct technical and bureaucratic problems identified in the implementation protocol. “We are willing to be flexible, creative,” they wrote before asking London to “step back” from its one-sided approach and show the same pragmatism as the EU.
Liz Truss (foreign minister responsible for Brexit), justified the bill as necessary. This would violate the Brexit treaty, but it would protect the Good Friday Agreement, which was the engine that ended terrorism on the island. The unionist leadership agrees that the Protocol violates the principle of consensus in peace pacts. It also incorporates obstacles in East and West relations, which is between Northern Ireland and the rest the United Kingdom. Brexit has created a commercial and customs house in Ireland Sea.
Baerbock & Coveney insist that the province “completely respects both the spirit and the letter of the Good Friday Agreement”. They also note that 52 out of the 90 members elected to the Belfast Parliament in May “support” the Protocol. The main protestant group in the province is the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), and threatens to stop the formation of self government if London does not abrogate its EU-exit commitments.
