11-27-2017, 11:15 PM
*** 28-Nov-17 World View -- The issue of Ireland's border threatens to collapse EU-UK Brexit negotiations.
This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com
****
**** The issue of Ireland's border threatens to collapse EU-UK Brexit negotiations.
****
![[Image: g171127b.jpg]](http://Media.GenerationalDynamics.com/ww2010/g171127b.jpg)
Border checkpoint between Sweden, which is in the European Union, and Norway, which is NOT in the EU. (Sky News)
European Union Brexit negotiators are demanding that by December 4,
the UK must provide written commitments in three areas, having to do
with EU citizens working in the UK, money the UK must pay to the EU,
and the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
Without those written commitments, the EU says that it won't allow
negotiations on the trade UK-EU trade relationship after Brexit occurs
to begin at a summit meeting on December 13-14.
Without the being able to start trade negotiations on December 13, the
UK says that it may pull out of Brexit negotiations, and allow a "hard
Brexit" to occur, where the UK will be a completely separate country,
with no direct relationship at all with the EU except as specified by
international organizations like the World Trade Organization (WTO).
Leo Varadkar, the prime minister of Ireland, has made the EU demand
explicit:
<QUOTE>"We’ve been given assurances that there will be no
hard border in Ireland, that there won’t be any physical
infrastructure, that we won’t go back to the borders of the past.
We want that written down in practical terms in the conclusions of
phase one [by December 14]."<END QUOTE>
Liam Fox, the UK's chief Brexit negotiator, says that the UK will not
be able to provide a committed solution to the Irish border problem in
time to meet the EU and Irish demands. Fox says that the Irish border
problem cannot be solved until trade negotiations are well under way.
The EU says that trade negotiations cannot get under way until the
Irish border problem is solved. Chicken and eggs for breakfast,
anyone?
Northern Ireland is a part of the UK. Southern Ireland, the Republic
of Ireland or just Ireland, is a separation nation, and a member
nation of the European Union. Today, both Northern Ireland and
Ireland are part of the European Union, and there's no visible border
between the two. Goods and people can travel freely between them.
If the UK leaves the EU, then Northern Ireland and Ireland will be in
two different countries, and there would have to be border controls
between them -- watchtowers, border posts, visa and passport checks at
ports and airports, and tariffs on imported goods.
Leaders of all the parties -- the UK, the EU, Northern Ireland, the
Republic of Ireland -- all agree that the invisible border must remain
invisible. The problem is that no one can figure out how to do that
if Brexit is to occur.
The border issue goes beyond watchtowers and border posts, because of
the decades of violence known as "The Troubles," where there were
violent clashes between the indigenous ethnic Irish Gaelics (the
Catholics) and the descendants of the English and Scottish invaders
(the Protestants). These clashes were resolved only 20 years ago by
the 1998 Good Friday Agreement (the Belfast Agreement) that resolved
many issues, and particularly eliminated the hard border, turning it
into an "invisible border" that anyone can cross at any time. Many
people are expressing concerns that a new hard border would bring
about a return to The Troubles. BBC and Reuters and Irish Times and Guardian (London) and NY Review of Books
****
**** Ireland's government faces vote of no confidence on Wednesday
****
Leo Varadkar, the prime minister of Ireland, is facing a vote of no
confidence on Wednesday that could lead to the collapse of his
government and force new elections before Christmas, possibly further
complicating the Brexit negotiations.
In 2015, Sergeant Maurice McCabe became a whistleblower and came
forward to report several issues involving corruption in the Garda,
Ireland's National Police Force. Officials in the Garda allegedly
tried to undermine McCabe's testimony with a phony sexual abuse
accusation.
A May, 2014, e-mail message to then-Minister of Justice Frances
Fitzgerald has emerged, suggesting that she was aware of the phony
charges, but did nothing about them. Fitzgerald says that she may
have read the e-mail message, but forgot it because it recommended she
take no further action.
Frances Fitzgerald is currently Ireland's deputy premier, and
Varadkar's opposition is demanding that she resign.
Varadkar is now in intense negotiations with the opposition:
<QUOTE>"We are trying to find a middle way that allows the
Government to continue and continue with the important work we are
doing, particularly with Brexit and ensuring that we have
necessary legislation through. We are doing everything we
can."<END QUOTE>
If no compromise is reached, then a motion of no confidence will be
offered on Tuesday night. If the government collapses, then Varadkar
will be a caretaker prime minister when he travels to Brussels for the
December 13-14 Brexit summit. Belfast Telegraph and Bloomberg and Independent (Ireland) and Ireland Joe
Related Articles
KEYS: Generational Dynamics, Ireland, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom,
European Union, Brexit, Leo Varadkar, Liam Fox,
Good Friday Agreement, Belfast Agreement, The Troubles,
Maurice McCabe, Frances Fitzgerald
Generational Dynamics, Ireland, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom,
European Union, Brexit, Leo Varadkar, Liam Fox,
Good Friday Agreement, Belfast Agreement, The Troubles,
Maurice McCabe, Frances Fitzgerald
Permanent web link to this article
Receive daily World View columns by e-mail
Contribute to Generational Dynamics via PayPal
John J. Xenakis
100 Memorial Drive Apt 8-13A
Cambridge, MA 02142
Phone: 617-864-0010
E-mail: john@GenerationalDynamics.com
Web site: http://www.GenerationalDynamics.com
Forum: http://www.gdxforum.com/forum
Subscribe to World View: http://generationaldynamics.com/subscribe
This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com
- The issue of Ireland's border threatens to collapse EU-UK Brexit negotiations.
- Ireland's government faces vote of no confidence on Wednesday
****
**** The issue of Ireland's border threatens to collapse EU-UK Brexit negotiations.
****
Border checkpoint between Sweden, which is in the European Union, and Norway, which is NOT in the EU. (Sky News)
European Union Brexit negotiators are demanding that by December 4,
the UK must provide written commitments in three areas, having to do
with EU citizens working in the UK, money the UK must pay to the EU,
and the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
Without those written commitments, the EU says that it won't allow
negotiations on the trade UK-EU trade relationship after Brexit occurs
to begin at a summit meeting on December 13-14.
Without the being able to start trade negotiations on December 13, the
UK says that it may pull out of Brexit negotiations, and allow a "hard
Brexit" to occur, where the UK will be a completely separate country,
with no direct relationship at all with the EU except as specified by
international organizations like the World Trade Organization (WTO).
Leo Varadkar, the prime minister of Ireland, has made the EU demand
explicit:
<QUOTE>"We’ve been given assurances that there will be no
hard border in Ireland, that there won’t be any physical
infrastructure, that we won’t go back to the borders of the past.
We want that written down in practical terms in the conclusions of
phase one [by December 14]."<END QUOTE>
Liam Fox, the UK's chief Brexit negotiator, says that the UK will not
be able to provide a committed solution to the Irish border problem in
time to meet the EU and Irish demands. Fox says that the Irish border
problem cannot be solved until trade negotiations are well under way.
The EU says that trade negotiations cannot get under way until the
Irish border problem is solved. Chicken and eggs for breakfast,
anyone?
Northern Ireland is a part of the UK. Southern Ireland, the Republic
of Ireland or just Ireland, is a separation nation, and a member
nation of the European Union. Today, both Northern Ireland and
Ireland are part of the European Union, and there's no visible border
between the two. Goods and people can travel freely between them.
If the UK leaves the EU, then Northern Ireland and Ireland will be in
two different countries, and there would have to be border controls
between them -- watchtowers, border posts, visa and passport checks at
ports and airports, and tariffs on imported goods.
Leaders of all the parties -- the UK, the EU, Northern Ireland, the
Republic of Ireland -- all agree that the invisible border must remain
invisible. The problem is that no one can figure out how to do that
if Brexit is to occur.
The border issue goes beyond watchtowers and border posts, because of
the decades of violence known as "The Troubles," where there were
violent clashes between the indigenous ethnic Irish Gaelics (the
Catholics) and the descendants of the English and Scottish invaders
(the Protestants). These clashes were resolved only 20 years ago by
the 1998 Good Friday Agreement (the Belfast Agreement) that resolved
many issues, and particularly eliminated the hard border, turning it
into an "invisible border" that anyone can cross at any time. Many
people are expressing concerns that a new hard border would bring
about a return to The Troubles. BBC and Reuters and Irish Times and Guardian (London) and NY Review of Books
****
**** Ireland's government faces vote of no confidence on Wednesday
****
Leo Varadkar, the prime minister of Ireland, is facing a vote of no
confidence on Wednesday that could lead to the collapse of his
government and force new elections before Christmas, possibly further
complicating the Brexit negotiations.
In 2015, Sergeant Maurice McCabe became a whistleblower and came
forward to report several issues involving corruption in the Garda,
Ireland's National Police Force. Officials in the Garda allegedly
tried to undermine McCabe's testimony with a phony sexual abuse
accusation.
A May, 2014, e-mail message to then-Minister of Justice Frances
Fitzgerald has emerged, suggesting that she was aware of the phony
charges, but did nothing about them. Fitzgerald says that she may
have read the e-mail message, but forgot it because it recommended she
take no further action.
Frances Fitzgerald is currently Ireland's deputy premier, and
Varadkar's opposition is demanding that she resign.
Varadkar is now in intense negotiations with the opposition:
<QUOTE>"We are trying to find a middle way that allows the
Government to continue and continue with the important work we are
doing, particularly with Brexit and ensuring that we have
necessary legislation through. We are doing everything we
can."<END QUOTE>
If no compromise is reached, then a motion of no confidence will be
offered on Tuesday night. If the government collapses, then Varadkar
will be a caretaker prime minister when he travels to Brussels for the
December 13-14 Brexit summit. Belfast Telegraph and Bloomberg and Independent (Ireland) and Ireland Joe
Related Articles
- European Union Brexit negotiator gives Britain a two-week ultimatum (11-Nov-2017)
- Sectarian violence in Northern Ireland grows again (23-Jun-2011)
- England threatened with IRA terrorists from Northern Ireland (12-May-2016)
- European Union lays out demands for Britain over Brexit negotiations (30-Apr-2017)
- Brexit: The die is cast, and the EU is playing hardball (31-Mar-2017)
KEYS: Generational Dynamics, Ireland, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom,
European Union, Brexit, Leo Varadkar, Liam Fox,
Good Friday Agreement, Belfast Agreement, The Troubles,
Maurice McCabe, Frances Fitzgerald
Generational Dynamics, Ireland, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom,
European Union, Brexit, Leo Varadkar, Liam Fox,
Good Friday Agreement, Belfast Agreement, The Troubles,
Maurice McCabe, Frances Fitzgerald
Permanent web link to this article
Receive daily World View columns by e-mail
Contribute to Generational Dynamics via PayPal
John J. Xenakis
100 Memorial Drive Apt 8-13A
Cambridge, MA 02142
Phone: 617-864-0010
E-mail: john@GenerationalDynamics.com
Web site: http://www.GenerationalDynamics.com
Forum: http://www.gdxforum.com/forum
Subscribe to World View: http://generationaldynamics.com/subscribe
