Boris Johnson in the (new) Brexit fight

Boris Johnson / Photo: EPA-EFE / ANDY RAIN

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is taking steps to change the protocol for Northern Ireland, at a time when Brussels is threatening legal action

The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Boris Johnson is still facing problems over the Brexit deal, and one of the main obstacles is Northern Ireland. The United Kingdom has announced a plan to skip some points in that agreement with the European Union. Previously, in laborious agreement with the European Union, sanitary and customs checks were introduced on goods moving from Britain to Northern Ireland. Now the British government is looking for ways to facilitate that trade, changing the 2019 Northern Ireland protocol.

But after this decision, Britain came across serious threats from the European Union.

"We note with considerable concern the decision of the United Kingdom Government to introduce a bill to change the Northern Ireland Protocol," European Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic told reporters in Brussels.

Maros Sefcovic / Photo by Hollie Adams / PA Images / Profimedia

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson faces serious threats that his country would violate international agreements if the British government uses the new law.

But Johnson, hurt by the "domestic drama" and growing pessimism about his ability to lead the Conservative Party, is pushing for changes to the Northern Ireland protocol, which has sparked resentment among the European Commission.

Brussels is expected to give a detailed answer these days, although it immediately warned of legal action and reminded London that its trade relationship with the bloc depends on trust.

Opponents of Boris Johnson immediately linked Britain's problems with the EU to the prime minister's plight in domestic politics, while politicians in London and Belfast whom he wanted to side with were silent for the time being. Washington, meanwhile, has called on London to resume talks with the EU with "good hope".

Northern Ireland / Photo EPA-EFE / LIAM MCBURNEY

"Nothing scary"

Johnson hopes his unilateral action plan - contained in the House of Commons Draft Northern Ireland Protocol - will unlock talks with the EU and persuade the European Commission to make concessions beyond those proposed in October. He hopes to open a new window for new ideas before the bill is passed.

"This is a reasonable, practical solution to the problems facing Northern Ireland," said British Foreign Secretary Liz Tras. "It will protect the EU's single market and ensure that there is no firm border on the island." We are ready to deliver that through talks with the EU. "But we can only make progress through negotiations if the EU is ready to change the protocol itself, but at the moment they are not."

Liz Trace / Photo EPA-EFE / MILAN JAROS

The British prime minister called the proposal "nothing scary", explaining that the plan was a way to remove "bureaucratic barriers" that Britain believes only fuel political tensions in the Northern Ireland negotiations.

Ignoring threats from Brussels and Dublin, Johnson continues to push his plan.

The Prime Minister of Ireland, Michael Martin said it was too "unfortunate" for a country like Britain to abandon a major international agreement.

"I think this is a new low point because the natural expectation of democracies like us, the United Kingdom and the whole of Europe is to respect the international agreements we are concluding," Martin told a news conference in Cork.

Michael Martin / Photo EPA-EFE / OLIVIER HOSLET / POOL

 

Next steps

The European Commission has so far not accepted London's invitation to resume political talks, but has confirmed that it will now consider unfreezing breach proceedings against Britain over previous protocol disputes.

In what is seen as a covert threat by the bloc in the London dispute, EU Executive Vice President and Brexit pointer Maros Sefcovic said that the EU-UK withdrawal agreement "was a precondition for negotiations on the Agreement". Trade and Cooperation ", a pact governing post-Brexit trade between the United Kingdom and the EU.

"Unilateral action is detrimental to mutual trust," he warned.

Warning from Berlin

Great criticism of the policies of the United Kingdom also came from Berlin. The German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said "there is no reason for the British government to make such a difficult decision".

He promised: "The EU will react to this in a unified way. "We have a bunch of tools at our disposal."

Meeting Johnson - Scholz / Photo EPA-EFE / NEIL HALL / POOL

London, meanwhile, is not expected to make any policy changes before the bill is passed, and the legislative process across parliament is expected to take a long time, especially in the House of Lords, where many members oppose Prime Minister Boris's government. Johnson.

If the bill is passed, UK ministers will have to decide whether and when to use any of the new powers, and then by-laws detailing the alternatives will be needed to make that happen.

"Trade War"

The First Minister of Scotland also commented on this issue, Nicholas Sturgeon.

"With this policy, the government risks a severely damaging trade war with the EU," Sturgeon said.

Nicholas Sturgeon / EPA-EFE / Finn Hall / Scottish Parliament

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Northern Ireland, Simon Covenisays the British government's proposal has hampered negotiations with his country.

"What Britain is saying, not just to Ireland, but to the EU and the wider world, is give us what we want, or we will violate international law to get ours," he told the BBC. .

Simon Coveni / Photo by Rebecca Black / PA Images / Profimedia

Britain has made its demands clear, and now all eyes are on Brussels and their response.

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