untitled design

EU-London trade war over Brexit?

British Foreign Secretary Liz Trace remains uncompromising on the Northern Ireland Protocol. Strict tones from European leaders.

It is clear that the United Kingdom, or rather London, does not have the upper hand in the negotiations at the moment. On the one hand, it must respect the agreement it signed in 2019 with the EU in order to complete Brexit, and on the other hand, it must “tame” the nation of Northern Ireland, which is in a state of anarchy and fears an independence referendum.

How should the Brexit agreement be respected? Adherence to the infamous Northern Ireland Protocol, which did create a tough border with Great Britain but also allowed the free movement of goods and services with the rest of Ireland, an EU Member State. But the hard borders are disappointing. the Northern Irish, with the DUP uniting party being punished in the recent elections and making it clear that it will not cooperate in forming a government unless the issue of the Protocol is resolved.

The Johnson administration impasse

The government of Boris Johnson is therefore trying to find this golden section that will keep the United Kingdom united. However, the threat of unilateral actions in the Brexit agreement is not called a “golden section”, but a field for more tensions. Liz Trass, who took charge of the Protocol negotiations a few months ago, seeing a stalemate in the agreement signed by her government, rejected European proposals to simplify it. He said on Tuesday that “the answer can not be more control, bureaucracy and unrest. Our choice will always be the negotiating solution, but if it is not found, I will not hesitate to take drastic measures to stabilize the situation in Northern Ireland.” .

In fact, according to information, the uncompromising attitude of the minister is confirmed by sources who claim that he is preparing new British legislation and will present it immediately, even next week. The point, however, 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 agreed upon in the post-Brexit era, effectively declaring a trade war with the United Kingdom.

Unanimity Brussels – Berlin

During a visit to Berlin yesterday, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander de Croix told Johnson “not to touch the protocol”, which was repeated by Chancellor Olaf Soltz, stating that “we have found a good solution to the issue of B. and no one. it must act unilaterally in an agreement we have signed together. ”

The strict tones towards Tra’s movements, however, were not limited to borders. An additional problem for her plans is that she does not have the full support inside. Typically, Finance Minister Risi Sunak expressed his concerns that “the conflict with the EU will have an impact on the already strained economy of the country.” In a last-ditch effort to find a solution, European Commissioner Maros Sefkovic called on Liz Tras for urgent talks on Thursday. “There is a big gap. It looks like we should go do something no one else wants,” a top government official told the Telegraph in a statement.

Zoe Katzagiannaki, London

Source: Deutsche Welle

Source: Capital

You may also like

Get the latest

Stay Informed: Get the Latest Updates and Insights

 

Most popular