United Kingdom: Boris Johnson visits Belfast to encourage the formation of an executive

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is visiting Northern Ireland.

(Illustrative photo).

AP - Frank Augstein

Text by: RFI Follow

1 min

In Northern Ireland, ten days after the local elections, still no executive in sight: the Unionist community, near London, refuses to participate if the Northern Irish protocol is not abolished.

It is this provision of Brexit that places a customs border between the province and the rest of the United Kingdom.

Boris Johnson is currently in Belfast to push the negotiations forward.

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With our correspondent in Dublin

,

Emeline Vin

Prior to his visit to Belfast, Boris Johnson offered himself a platform in the local daily

Belfast Telegraph

to address the new Northern Irish MPs:

“elect a Speaker of the House.

Form an executive.

Get back to work.

»

A message addressed particularly to the Democratic Unionist Party, the DUP, which refuses to support a coalition as long as London does not renounce the Northern Irish protocol, included in the agreement to leave the EU.

The Prime Minister invites elected officials to focus on the daily problems of Northern Irish people: health, education, the cost of living.

In exchange for this return to business, Boris Johnson should be reassuring and renew his intention to change the protocol.

Faced with the refusal of the European Union to reopen

negotiations on a text

signed by the United Kingdom, the Prime Minister advances the changes undergone since by the world economy – the pandemic, the war in Ukraine… The government could present as early as Tuesday its statement of intent to legislate, unilaterally, on the issue.

► To read also: Northern Ireland: the unionists block the constitution of the new government

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  • North Ireland

  • UK

  • Boris Johnson