Explainer-in-brief: A Northern Irish deadlock, continued
This week saw a new development in the Northern Ireland Protocol row, as Maroš Šefčovič, the European Commission Vice President, said the EU was willing to reduce the physical checks on goods travelling from Britain to Northern Ireland to “a couple of lorries a day”. It sounds minor, but when Northern Ireland is concerned, any breach of the stalemate is hopeful.
Both sides are trying to avoid a confrontation this week, because even border impasses must pay respect to the Queen. A legal deadline for grace periods is pending for this Thursday, but is likely to be postponed.
The new prime minister Liz Truss has been very vocal about her strong stance on the NI protocol, triggering fears that she might go for an all-or-nothing approach that would bring about a trade war with the EU. But officials on both sides are now increasingly trying to push for a renewal in talks to avoid that scenario.
The Truss camp says there’s “nothing new” in Šefčovič’s offer. But small steps could make a difference in the long run.