Northern Ireland, in the midst of a political deadlock due to its post-Brexit status, is heading for early elections, an attempt at mediation by the British minister in charge of this file having failed on Wednesday, October 25.
Chris Heaton-Harris, minister responsible for Northern Ireland in the British government, spoke with the various parties to convince them to agree on a new executive.
Failing an agreement by Friday, London will have to legally call early elections in the British province.
UK Integrity
Unionists, attached to belonging to the United Kingdom, have refused since February to participate in any government.
They demand the repeal of the Northern Irish protocol negotiated between London and Brussels at the time of Brexit, which establishes a special customs status for the province to avoid the return of a border with the neighboring Republic of Ireland.
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According to them, this undermines the integrity of the United Kingdom, with a de facto customs border separating Northern Ireland and the island of Great Britain.
After a telephone interview with Chris Heaton-Harris, the leader of the unionist DUP party, Jeffrey Donaldson, considered that the problem of protocol was "
far
" from being resolved.
"
I don't see how a snap election is going to help
," he said.
“
But we are ready to go into battle
,” he warned, adding that he had only just approved the party's electoral propaganda.
In May, the last local election had led for the first time in the centenary history of the territory to a victory of the republicans of Sinn Fein, favorable to a reunification of Ireland, in front of the DUP.
Under the 1998 peace accords ending three decades of conflict between Unionists, especially Protestants, and Republicans, mostly Catholics (3,500 dead), the local executive must be shared between the two communities.
Boycott of the DUP
Sinn Fein leader Michelle O'Neill should have become prime minister.
But the DUP maintained its boycott.
"
People deserve parties to work together to help them deal with the rising cost of living
," Michelle O'Neill said on Wednesday.
The impasse was also the subject of a call Wednesday evening between British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, in office since Tuesday, and his Irish counterpart Micheal Martin.
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Both stressed "
the urgent need for a functioning executive in Northern Ireland
", according to a spokesperson in Downing Street.
Regarding the Northern Irish protocol, Rishi Sunak “
indicated that he preferred a negotiated outcome and said he hoped that all parties approach the current challenges with pragmatism and good will
”.
Faced with the political crisis, London wants to renegotiate the protocol but Brussels only accepts arrangements to reduce disruptions in trade with the province.
The previous British government decided to legislate unilaterally to change it, at the risk of a trade war with the European Union.
Rishi Sunak also spoke on the phone Wednesday with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who tweeted that she looked forward to working with him “
to find common solutions regarding the Northern Ireland protocol that will provide stability and predictability.
".
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