Brexit Impact on Good Friday Agreement: What You Need to Know
The Good Friday Agreement, signed in 1998, brought peace to Northern Ireland after decades of sectarian violence. The agreement established power-sharing between nationalist and unionist parties, recognized the Irish language, and called for the removal of British army checkpoints and the release of paramilitary prisoners. However, Brexit has brought new challenges to the agreement, threatening to undermine the progress made towards peace.
The issue at the heart of the Brexit-Good Friday Agreement relationship is the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Currently, there is no physical border between the two, thanks to the European Union`s single market and customs union. However, with the UK exiting the EU, a new border must be established, and this has raised concerns in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
A hard border, with customs checks and infrastructure, would be a reminder of a dark time in Northern Ireland`s history, making it a target for renewed sectarian tensions. This is why both the UK and the EU agreed to the Northern Ireland Protocol, which keeps Northern Ireland aligned with the EU`s single market and customs union. This has led to a de facto border in the Irish Sea, creating a new set of challenges.
One of the provisions of the Good Friday Agreement was the principle of consent, which holds that the status of Northern Ireland could not change without the agreement of its people. The Northern Ireland Protocol has been seen by some as infringing on this principle, as it creates a different regulatory regime in Northern Ireland than in the rest of the UK. Unionists in Northern Ireland have argued that this puts them at a disadvantage and could lead to the breakup of the UK.
Brexit has also brought into question the rights of citizens in Northern Ireland. The Good Friday Agreement guarantees the right to identify as British, Irish, or both, with the right to hold both British and Irish citizenship. However, with the UK leaving the EU, citizens in Northern Ireland will no longer have access to EU citizenship. This has led to calls for a mechanism to allow Northern Irish citizens to retain EU citizenship.
In conclusion, Brexit has had a significant impact on the Good Friday Agreement and the peace process in Northern Ireland. The Northern Ireland Protocol has created a new set of challenges, with the potential to undermine the principle of consent and the rights of citizens in Northern Ireland. The UK and the EU must continue to work together to find solutions that uphold the Good Friday Agreement and ensure peace in Northern Ireland is maintained.
