Brexit triggers new political crisis in Northern Ireland

After a fierce debate in the Stormont Parliament in Belfast, Northern Ireland's first minister, Paul Givan, submitted his resignation, creating a political vacuum in the face of the controversial Brexit agreements between the European Union and the United Kingdom. The problem arose a few hours earlier, when the Minister of Agriculture unilaterally ordered the suspension of existing controls on goods traffic with Britain.

It is a deal that is generating discontent among the population, which has seen some products become scarce on the market, and others such as fishery products are causing problems. The complicated arrangements of shared government between unionists (DUP) and nationalists (Sinn Fein) do not allow the president to be replaced by the vice-president, Michelle O'Neil. The impasse has arisen three months before the elections.

Events have been precipitated in the last few hours when the minister Edwin Poots decreed a breach of agreements that Brussels immediately denounced as a violation of international law. The resignation of the head of the government (shared between the two opposing parties, not a coalition) took place in an acrimonious debate in Parliament.

Unionist (pro-British Protestant) leader Donaldson concluded that it was time for the people to have their say. It will undoubtedly be a tough election with no chance of overcoming the internal crisis other than for the two parties to share the government again. But, in addition, at the heart of this specific crisis is the unleashed rejection of the Brexit agreements.    

The agreements, which are very weak and subject to new negotiations, are specified in the so-called Protocol that establishes a customs control that maintains Northern Ireland in the single market and all its goods entering or leaving Great Britain comply to a large extent with the customs conditions of the countries of the European Union.
 
The protocol is based on maintaining the famous Good Friday agreements of 1998 that ended the Ulster War, underpinning the Belfast government and keeping the border with the Republic of Ireland, an EU member, open for both people and goods.