The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Boris Johnson announced today that the British government will pass a controversial law, which violates the exit agreement that the United Kingdom signed with the EU last year. Unexpectedly, the British bill arouses strong feelings within the EU.
In Brussels and around the capitals of EU countries, there are strong reactions to the British bill.
“The exit agreement has been approved by both sides and it must be fully implemented. Violating international law is unacceptable, “EU President Charles Michel wrote on Twitter.
Similar statements come from European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who also expresses great concern.
The proposed law can certainly be seen as a way for the British government to put pressure on the EU in order to actually reach an agreement, before the post-Brexit transition period expires at the turn of the year.
But sources that Ekot has been in contact with suggest that it could be the other way around – that the EU loses the little confidence it had left in Britain and that there is thus a risk that there will be no agreement.
This, in turn, could lead to a new border between the EU country Ireland and British Northern Ireland, which both parties say they want to avoid for fear of new violence in Northern Ireland.
Ireland is the EU country which would be most affected. The country’s Deputy Prime Minister Leo Varadkar calls the British bill a “kamikaze threat”. He tells the radio channel RTE that he does not think there can be a future agreement with the UK if they break the exit agreement.
At the same time, Varadkar is still hoping for a settlement and he adds that if the parties reach an agreement that involves duty-free trade, the most controversial parts of the British bill can be avoided.
Source: ICELAND NEWS