After an impasse of almost two years, Northern Ireland appears to be able to be governed again from next weekend. An agreement presented on Wednesday with the British government should address concerns that the pro-British Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) from Northern Ireland had about the free movement of goods between Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom after Brexit. The deal paves the way for the first Prime Minister to take office on behalf of Sinn Féin, the party that strives for a united Ireland.
The concerns were raised by the de facto establishment of a customs border in the Irish Sea following the UK’s departure from the European Union and the introduction of checks on merchandise. The open border between EU member state Ireland and Northern Ireland is the only place where the UK touches the European internal market on land. But the agreements made by the government in London with the EU would have placed Northern Ireland at a greater distance from the rest of the UK and thus undermine the position of ‘the province’ in the UK, the DUP found. In February 2022, the DUP, which itself was in favor of Brexit, therefore left the government.
With the elections lost to Sinn Féin a few months later, the unionists had an extra reason to delay the appointment of a new government for Northern Ireland for a little longer. The DUP was necessary for this because it was agreed in 1998 as part of the Good Friday Agreements that unionists and nationalists would permanently share power in Belfast. Relaxations in the customs agreements that were presented as a “breakthrough” almost a year ago by British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the so-called Windsor Framework, also did not move the party.
Strike
That happened after a massive strike on January 18 in Northern Ireland. DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson was under heavy pressure to make a deal. Many public facilities have recently run into problems due to a lack of resources; Healthcare in particular is in bad shape. London has approximately 3.3 billion pounds (3.8 billion euros) ready for a new government in Northern Ireland. In the night from Monday to Tuesday, Donaldson managed to get the deal through at the DUP leadership.
Visibly relieved, he announced on Tuesday morning that there will be “no checks” on merchandise from the rest of the UK for Northern Ireland and that “no more paperwork at customs” will be necessary. This is “the best we could get,” Donaldson said Wednesday afternoon. According to him, the “border in the Irish Sea” has now been “removed”.
However, part of his party continues to have difficulty with the fact that EU law continues to apply to some goods in Northern Ireland due to open borders. According to the Financial Times London has not consulted with the European Commission about adjusting the Windsor agreements.
If parliament approves the deal on Thursday, a new Northern Ireland administration could be quickly installed, according to representatives of the DUP and Sinn Féin. It is expected that Michelle O’Neill, who was Deputy Prime Minister until February 2022, will then become Prime Minister. This prompted the leader of the Irish branch of Sinn Féin, Mary Lou McDonald, to respond on Wednesday afternoon that “Irish unity” is now “within reach”.
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