Irish breakthrough, but ‘Brex-eternity’ continues

UK PRIME Minister Rishi Sunak struck a deal over the Northern Ireland protocol on Monday (Feb 27) with the European Union. Yet even if the agreement is approved by legislators, it will not end the UK-EU flux since 2016 which has been called “Brex-eternity”.

Seen from the vantage point of early 2023, it is clear that the EU referendum was a seminal moment in post-war history. Yet far from being a single, isolated event, Brexit should be seen as a process made up of multiple negotiations (a catch-all term used here for formal diplomatic discussions and wider debates), including within the United Kingdom; between the EU and the UK; and within the EU about its future.

The new deal, which must yet be signed off by UK legislators, is only the latest chapter in these debates. After four months of negotiations, Sunak and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the proposed Windsor framework on Monday that seeks to resolve the challenges of the present Northern Ireland protocol.