BORIS'S DANGEROUS GAME

BORIS'S DANGEROUS GAME The British trampled on the word, Brussels was overwhelmed by the controversial law: We have only one step Following the adoption of the Common Market Act by London, only a lawsuit against the British government is seen as a necessary consequence in Brussels Writes: Jutarnji.hrPosted: October 2, 2020 10:37 pm Boris Johnson Jack Hill / AFP Facebook Twitter Messenger E-mail After London passed its Common Market Act, a lawsuit against the British government is seen in Brussels as a necessary consequence. Because there are more and more people in the EU who are tired of such games by Boris Johnson , writes Deutsche Welle . The Union has set a deadline for the British government: the disputed common market law should be withdrawn by midnight on September 30, as it violates the agreement on Britain's departure from the European Union. Namely, in practice, this law would mean the annulment of the decisive provisions on the status of the British, northern part of the Irish island, which is contained in the agreement between the EU and Great Britain. But as many expected, London did not comply with the demands of Brussels and the threat of a lawsuit is the only logical consequence, writes Deutsche Welle . High stakes poker? Because the response from London turned out to be short and a bit presumptuous: the government there will stick to the so-called Common Market Act because it provides "a legal security background to protect the integrity of the British common market (...) and sustain the achievements of the peace process", said a government spokesman. Brussels, on the other hand, considers this explanation tense and assumes that it is a strategic game, a kind of poker in high-stakes negotiations. In the Brexit negotiations, this was one of the bigger problems: how could Britain leave the EU without a strict border on the island of Ireland between the EU member of the Republic of Ireland and part of the island within Great Britain, Northern Ireland? This is not only an economic but also a sensitive political issue whose solution has been sought by all the inhabitants of the island of Ireland, both in the British north and in the EU south. To that extent, the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson committed himself to the European Union to a kind of exception: Northern Ireland would to some extent remain part of the EU's common market, but this then meant that controls on trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland should be introduced. Johnson called the solution a "fantastic moment" and a "magnificent victory" for the British negotiators when signing the agreement. Suddenly not "fantastic" But in London, meanwhile, they have changed their minds. Proponents of a “hard” Brexit among British conservatives have attacked the prime minister: such a solution is unacceptable because it violates British sovereignty and the unity of the kingdom. Johnson eventually put the so-called Common Market Act on the table, which in fact also considers Northern Ireland to be an integral part of the domestic market - but that then necessarily means that the border will arise towards the Republic of Ireland. Then the question really arises, what does Johnson want? One can only assume that he wants to satisfy the "hardliners" in his page, and Brussels also senses London's desire to put pressure on the EU. RELATED NEWS Prime Minister Boris Johnson BREXIT DISPUTE British lawmakers have confirmed a controversial bill despite threats from a Brussels court THE PRESIDENT OF THE EC Ursula Von der Leyen: 'Brexit deal still possible, despite distant views' Because for the EU, there is no doubt: this new law means that the sensitive agreement on the movement of goods and persons on the island of Ireland is annulled. This means that there would be a border between the EU and a country with which there is not even an accession agreement, such as between Poland and Belarus. And that would inevitably mean chaos - both economically and politically. Europeans are losing patience That's why German European Integration Minister Michael Roth has told London in recent weeks, "Stop those games!" But the British government persisted: this Tuesday, in an urgent procedure, this law suddenly passed in the British Parliament. It is a breach of the agreement with a warning that it will be violated: even at the presentation of the law, the British Minister for Northern Ireland Brandon Lewis carelessly admitted that accepting the law really means a violation of international law. Likewise, all former British prime ministers, from John Major to David Cameron, have warned that this will have serious consequences: Britain will thus gamble on international trust and its own credibility. Despite everything, no conservative in parliament voted against the bill. In Brussels, the only possible consequence is a lawsuit against the British government. "This step is the only possible one," said Markus Ferber, a Bavarian Christian Democrat MEP . He goes a step further and says: "The question in principle is whether any agreements with Great Britain are worth the paper on which they are written. In the end, the British not only violated their own word, but also the legally binding agreement they themselves wrote. barely a year ago. " Social Democrat Bernd Lange believes that the European Union cannot afford to have such a ball with it. On top of that, it holds true: "British Common Market Law hangs like a sword of Damocles over negotiations. The European Parliament will not accept any such amended agreement as long as something like that is mentioned at all." "How can we even trust London?" His party colleague Katharina Barley wonders: "If the contractual partner does not abide by the agreement, how can he be trusted not to violate the agreements that are yet to be concluded?" French Minister for European Affairs Clement Beaune was also clear that "it will not be possible to confirm a future agreement to leave the UK" until the common market law is withdrawn. Despite this flagrant case, the European Union will not be the one to suspend negotiations with London: "We will negotiate with the UK until the very end," EP President David Sassoli confirmed . EU chief negotiator with London Michael Barnier and his market experts will continue to negotiate with the British delegation. But negotiating circles say that there are "insurmountable differences". This Friday, Barnier will report on the current state of negotiations, according to which it will be decided what will be done next. Brexit will be discussed at the EU summit in Brussels in two weeks, because the final text of the Brexit agreement should be drafted by the end of October at the latest. It needs to be ratified by both the EU and the UK - and time passes, writes Deutsche Welle .