Boris Johnson has been warned that “there is no legal or political justification” for his plans to overturn the Brexit deal in Northern Ireland, in an extraordinary joint complaint by the Irish and German governments.
With senior officials already warning Johnson that he risks breaking the union by pushing ahead with the plan, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and her Irish counterpart Simon Coveney are making a rare joint statement condemning the UK for “unilaterally violating an international agreement.” ”.
Writing to the Observer, the two ministers suggest that Johnson’s determination to effectively repeal the so-called Northern Ireland Protocol, which he agreed two years ago, runs the risk of undermining the “international order”. rules-based “in the same way that the continent tries to confront Russia’s illegality. invasion of Ukraine.
The two ministers say the recent elections to the Northern Ireland assembly, which gave a majority of members supporting the protocol, showed support for the current agreements. They add that the EU had been and would continue to be “flexible and creative” in tackling the problems that have hampered trade between the region and Britain.
“Unfortunately, the British government chose not to participate in good faith with these proposals,” they write. “Instead of the path of partnership and dialogue, the British government has opted for unilateralism. There is no legal or political justification for unilaterally breaking an international agreement signed just two years ago. The presentation of the legislation this month does not it will solve the challenges around the protocol, instead creating a new set of uncertainties and making it more difficult to find lasting solutions.
“In these difficult times, while Russia is leading a ruthless war in Ukraine, breaking with our European peace order, the EU and the United Kingdom must be united as partners with shared values and a commitment to maintain and strengthen the rules-based international order.
“We urge the British government to withdraw from its unilateral approach and show the same pragmatism and willingness to commit that the EU has shown. Working together, in partnership and with mutual respect, common ground can be found and challenges can be overcome, no matter how difficult they are ”.
The intervention shows a coordinated effort within the EU to support Ireland in the dispute, as well as a tightening of Germany’s position on Brexit with the arrival of the new German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz. It will intensify concern that Johnson’s decision to go ahead with the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill, which many legal experts believe violates international law, will trigger a trade war with the EU as inflation continues to hit.
Although the UK proposals passed its last parliamentary vote last week, more than 70 Conservative MPs abstained or received permission to lose the vote. The proposals were also criticized for violating international law by former Prime Minister Theresa May. Other senior officials who did not vote included former Northern Ireland secretaries Julian Smith and Karen Bradley, and former Johnson Attorney General Geoffrey Cox.
Theresa May: Northern Ireland Protocol Bill “will reduce the UK in the eyes of the world” – video
Some lawmakers are already plotting ways to prevent the government from deploying the plans, which effectively overturn the existing agreement. A plan, drawn up by Sir Bob Neill, chairman of the justice committee, would give parliament a veto on whether or not the new powers of the bill could be deployed.
Anger has been growing in Dublin since the bill was passed. Leo Varadkar, the Deputy Prime Minister of Ireland, last week accused the British government of risking a break with the UK with its management of Northern Ireland. Varadkar, who is due to succeed Micheál Martin as taoiseach later this year, agreed on the principles of the protocol in talks with Johnson in 2019.
He said last week that the actions of the UK government were disrespectful. “I think it’s a strategic mistake for people who want to keep the union, because if you keep imposing things on Northern Ireland that a clear majority of people don’t want, that means more people will move away from the union,” he said. he told the BBC. “It’s a peculiar policy that comes from a government that seeks to defend the union.”
Liz Truss, the secretary of foreign affairs, has stated that the proposals put forward by the EU to solve some of the trade problems created by the protocol would create more unwanted bureaucracy.