Just over a year after Brexit became a practical reality, the Northern Ireland Assembly is in crisis after its First Minister resigned in protest at the Northern Ireland Protocol of the Brexit deal. Ireland's Europe Minister Thomas Byrne tells FRANCE 24 the departure of Paul Givan "has caused deep difficulties within the government system in Northern Ireland", and that the situation is "very very worrying". Byrne asserts that the Northern Ireland Protocol is "potentially the best of both worlds" for businesses there, and that despite calls from Unionist politicians, "the Protocol is staying".
We also discuss military tensions in Europe amid the huge Russian military build-up on Ukraine's borders. Thomas Byrne tells FRANCE 24 that for Ireland, "it's very important that we keep talking about this and try to resolve this in a diplomatic way, while still being firm in the resolve and determination that Ukraine should be able to fulfil its own destiny as a nation and have its own right to its territorial integrity."
Unlike 21 of the European Union's 27 member states, Ireland is not a member of NATO; the other non-NATO EU members being Austria, Cyprus, Finland, Malta and Sweden.
However, since 2014, Dublin has backed EU economic and trade sanctions against Russia over the annexation of Crimea and Moscow's backing of pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine. The minister confirmed to FRANCE 24 that Ireland is ready to join new EU sanctions against Russia if Moscow makes a fresh move against Ukraine: "We've already said there would be massive consequences […] However all minds on the European side at least are focused on trying to ensure that diplomatic efforts succeed, and that's certainly where we as a neutral country are focused.”
Produced by Georgina Robertson, Perrine Desplats, Sophie Samaille and Isabelle Romero
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