For 30 years the people of Northern Ireland have lived in fear of nationalist paramilitary violence. More than 3,500 people died and at least 47,500 were injured due to tensions between a predominantly Protestant and English population who wanted to remain in the UK and a Catholic and Irish minority who wanted to join the independent Republic of Ireland. This era, known as The Troubles, finally ended in 1998 with the Good Friday Agreement, which established a power-sharing system of governance between Unionist and Republican political parties. The agreement also opened the border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland and granted residents of Northern Ireland eligibility for Irish citizenship. In the decades since its signing, the Good Friday Agreement has been a model of peace and conflict resolution. However, Brexit reopened old wounds, prompting the resignation of Northern Ireland’s premier and throwing his government into disarray.

In order to maintain a fully open border within Ireland, with the Republic of Ireland remaining a member of the European Union, the UK and the EU have established the Northern Ireland Protocol, which requires that all goods imported into Northern Ireland from other parts of the UK are checked at the border, ensuring they pass EU inspection regulations before they can enter the Republic. It also subjects all goods entering Northern Ireland to EU standards – which no longer apply to Britain. Those aligned with the UK are unhappy that Northern Ireland is being treated differently from other parts of the UK and fear that the double standard will bring Northern Ireland closer to the Republic. However, the alternative is a strict border between Northern Ireland and the Republic, which would contradict a critical point of the Good Friday Agreement and antagonize those with close ties to Ireland. Either way, it looks like a group will be alienated from the nation they feel more loyal to.

The controversy over the Northern Ireland Protocol has had serious ramifications. In 2021, a group of young English loyalists took to the streets of Belfast every night for several weeks, throwing firebombs at walls in predominantly Catholic neighborhoods and setting cars on fire. Most recently, in February 2022, the First Minister of Northern Ireland and leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), Paul Givan, resigned in protest against the Northern Ireland protocol.

DUP supporters want an end to border inspections for goods traveling between Britain and Northern Ireland, even if it means more checkpoints and regulations along the border with the Republic. According to the BBC, Givan said: “I was not prepared to lend a hand to a protocol which so fundamentally undermines the union and the economic integrity of the UK and the position of the UK and the EU. Northern Ireland within it.”

Givan’s resignation forced Deputy Prime Minister Michelle O’Neill of Irish nationalist Sinn Fein to also resign, under power-sharing rules stipulated in the Good Friday Agreement.

The loss of the Prime Minister and the Deputy Minister causes serious problems for the government of the region; the other ministers, including that of Health, cannot take new decisions or meet in an official capacity. O’Neill is furious, says The Guardian, claiming: ‘We had a huge opportunity here by prioritizing the health budget and the DUP for their own selfish interests walked away from it all today and let such collateral damage.”

O’Neill, along with Sinn Fein President Mary McDonald, have called for a snap election, according to the BBC. However, more than a month later, no progress has been made and Northern Ireland still lacks a properly functioning executive.

Clearly, the Northern Ireland Protocol needs to be changed or replaced altogether to maintain peace in Northern Ireland and restore stability to its government. However, this will require tough negotiations between the EU and the UK, and could still leave many groups in Northern Ireland unsatisfied.

Both the UK and the EU have proposed amendments to the Northern Ireland protocol, described by the UK’s Institute for Government. The UK believes that only goods which will then be transferred to the Republic should be subject to checks and paperwork, while goods intended solely for consumption in Northern Ireland should pass freely. Additionally, goods destined for Northern Ireland and not the Republic should only meet UK standards, not EU standards. The EU proposes to simplify the process and reduce the amount of documents required. However, checks would still be necessary. Goods such as chilled meats, which are currently not allowed to travel between Britain and Northern Ireland, would be allowed if they meet EU standards.

The solution proposed by the EU does not go far enough to meet the demands of the unionists. However, the bloc is unwilling to compromise further.

Another solution is to introduce border controls for goods along the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. This was not discussed as it would breach the Good Friday Agreement and undermine one of the greatest achievements of the Northern Ireland peace process. However, only goods, not people, would be prevented from traveling freely between the two nations, and some of the proposals to minimize checks and red tape between Britain and Northern Ireland could be adapted to speed up the process of transporting goods through Ireland.

The only way Northern Ireland can keep a fully open border between Britain and the Republic of Ireland is if Britain continues to meet EU standards for goods. No one suggested this, and in many ways it would defeat the purpose of Brexit. However, the UK has operated as a member of the EU for 47 years and clearly has the ability to keep up with EU goods standards. If Britain agreed to adopt the same standards for goods as the EU, it could pave the way for free movement of goods between Britain, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, as this has been the case since the Good Friday Agreement in 1998. It is the only solution that would appease both Unionist and Republican factions in Northern Ireland.

During the Troubles, Northern Ireland was described as a “zero-sum game”, where any gain for one side was a loss for the other. Brexit has once again placed Northern Ireland in a zero-sum situation. Unionists blame any tightening of the border between Northern Ireland and Britain for cutting off Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK, while Republicans do not want to see a border with Ireland return after several decades of bloody conflict. However, this debate has paralyzed the government of Northern Ireland and, as last year has shown, has the potential to escalate into violence. Any solution to the Northern Ireland Protocol must be radical. The parties will have to be willing to make major concessions and accept Northern Ireland’s unique place in the UK.