New Taoiseach Leo Varadkar says he is ‘willing to make compromises’ over Northern Ireland Protocol
New Irish prime minister Leo Varadkar – seen as a bogeyman by many unionists in Northern Ireland – has said he “understands” and “gets” the concerns that community has about the controversial Northern Ireland Protocol he helped to design.
Mr Varadkar, who began his second term as Taoiseach in mid-December, told reporters at a briefing in Dublin: “I have spoken to a lot of people who come from a unionist background in Northern Ireland over the years.
“I do understand how they feel about the protocol. They feel that it diminishes their place in the union, that it creates barriers between Britain and Northern Ireland that didn’t exist before. And I do understand that and I do get that.”
The Northern Ireland Protocol, part of the Brexit withdrawal deal, was agreed in October 2019 when Mr Varadkar was in his first term as Taoiseach, after a meeting with then prime minister Boris Johnson in Merseyside.
The arrangement, designed to prevent a hard border on the island of Ireland, is opposed by all the unionist parties in Northern Ireland, who see it as threatening the union with Great Britain.
The largest unionist party, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), is currently blocking the formation of a power-sharing government until the protocol is scrapped or radically altered.
“A lot of people who are unionists feel that the protocol has separated them from Great Britain,” Mr Varadkar acknowledged.
“A lot of people from a nationalist background in Northern Ireland feel that it (Brexit) separated them from the rest of Ireland. So there are two sides to this story.”
Leo Varadkar has said he understands unionist concerns
The Taoiseach also repeated his admission that the protocol, as originally designed, is perhaps “a little bit too strict” and “we’ve seen that the protocol has worked without it being fully enforced”, something that he said is “why I think there is room for changes. And we’re open to that. We are willing to show flexibility and to make compromises”.
He continued: “I’m sure we’ve all made mistakes in the handling of Brexit. There was no roadmap, no manual, it wasn’t something that we expected would happen and we’ve all done our best to deal with it.”
The comments will be welcomed in London, as diplomatic efforts to secure a deal with the EU on the protocol resume in 2023.
An unofficial deadline for an agreement – and the possible resumption of the Stormont power-sharing government – is 10 April, the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement that brought peace to Northern Ireland, and a potential visit from US President Joe Biden.
Read more: What is the Northern Ireland Protocol?
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What is the Northern Ireland Protocol?
Many unionists will treat Mr Varadkar’s claims of empathy with scepticism.
He is widely regarded as less sensitive to unionist concerns than his predecessor Micheal Martin, who has now become minister for foreign affairs and Tanaiste (deputy prime minister) under the terms of Ireland’s coalition government.
The DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson directly referenced that fact when he said: “Micheal Martin sought to understand why unionism was wholly opposed to the Northern Ireland Protocol. I encourage Leo Varadkar to follow Micheal Martin’s example in managing north-south relationships.”
Just days before becoming Taoiseach again, Mr Varadkar’s image appeared on posters in loyalist areas of Belfast, against the backdrop of a photograph of the loyalist Dublin/Monaghan bombings of 1974 that killed 33 people.
The posters featured the slogan “Peace or Protocol: It’s your decision”.
Mr Varadkar said he wants to visit Northern Ireland “early” in January, and admitted he did have some “concerns” over his personal safety, but added that it would not deter him from carrying out his duties.
World
Ten explosions near international airport in India-administered part of Kashmir, officials say
Ten explosions have been heard near Srinagar International Airport in India-administered parts of Kashmir, officials have told Reuters news agency.
The blasts followed blackouts caused by multiple projectiles, which were seen in the sky above the city of Jammu earlier on Friday.
Explosions were also heard in the Sikh holy city of Amritsar, in the neighbouring Punjab state, according to Reuters.
An Indian military official told the agency that “drones have been sighted” and “they are being engaged”.
It comes as tensions between India and Pakistan across the line of control around the region of Kashmir have boiled over this week, leading to fears of a wider conflict.
On Wednesday morning, India carried out missile strikes in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered parts of the disputed region.
The retaliation came weeks after 26 people, mainly Indian tourists, were shot dead by gunmen in an India-administered part of Kashmir last month.
The government in India said it hit nine “terrorist infrastructure” sites, while Pakistan said it was not involved in the April attack and the sites were not militant bases.
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Explained: India-Pakistan conflict
Around 48 people have been killed since Wednesday, according to casualty estimates on both sides – which have not been independently verified.
India also suspended its top cricket tournament, the Indian Premier League, as a result of rising tensions, while the Pakistan Super League moved the remainder of its season to the United Arab Emirates.
Meanwhile, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said at a conference on Friday that the US is in constant contact with both India and Pakistan.
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Conclaves are famously unpredictable affairs – and once again the election of Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost as the new pope caught many by surprise.
The newly elected Pope Leo XIV won the consensus of the 133 cardinal electors after only four ballots – a fast process for a diverse college of cardinals.
Though his name had circulated among some Vatican watchers, other cardinals had emerged as clear front-runners, including Pietro Parolin – the Vatican’s number two who would have been the first Italian in almost 50 years to become pontiff – or Luis Tagle, a Filipino cardinal looking to become the first Asian pope.
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What are the conclave’s secrecy measures?
Instead, it was the first North American to win the highly secretive process.
So, what went on behind the closed doors of the Sistine Chapel?
Until Thursday lunchtime, Cardinal Parolin was ahead, gathering between 45 and 55 votes, sources say.
A substantial number, but well short of the 89 votes he needed for a two-thirds majority.
At this point, Cardinal Prevost had between 34 and 44 votes.
But as the Italian struggled to grow his support during the first three rounds of voting, he stepped down from the race, endorsing Prevost instead, Sky News understands.
Read more:
Who is Pope Leo XIV?
List of demands in new pope’s in-tray
How does new pope compare to his predecessors?
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Who is Pope Leo?
An internal battle between Luis Tagle and Pablo Virgilio David – both cardinals hailing from Asia – cancelled out both of their chances.
And a contender from Africa – the most conservative sector of the church – was never likely for a conclave where the overwhelming majority of cardinals had been appointed by Francis, a progressive pontiff, sources say.
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Moment new pope emerges on balcony
An American pope has long been seen as highly improbable, given the geopolitical power of the US.
But Cardinal Prevost was able to draw from across the groups making up the electors: moderate US cardinals, South American cardinals and many European cardinals all coalesced around him.
Italian newspaper La Repubblica said Prevost “certainly attracted cross-party preferences, both ideologically and geographically”.
“In the conclave he was the least American of Americans: Born in Chicago, he lived 20 years in Peru,” the newspaper said.
It added: “As a man used to teamwork, Prevost appeared to many as the right man to make the papacy evolve into a more collegial form.”
Standing on Red Square, this was an intimidating sight, which felt much more like a celebration of war rather than peace.
I could feel the ground shake as the tanks rolled past, their caterpillar tracks on the ancient cobbles providing a deafening clatter.
The hairs on the back of my neck stood up in fear as the phalanxes of troops roared “Hurrah” in response to their commander in chief.
And the sight of combat drones being paraded on their launchers was actually quite sickening. Weapons that have been at the forefront of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine were paraded in a show of pomp and patriotism.
Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin watch the procession. Pic: Reuters
Ukraine war latest: Putin welcomes Xi at Victory Day parade
For the rest of Europe, the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War has been a celebration of peace, but this felt much more like a celebration of war.
And it wasn’t just military hardware on display here, but the very identity of modern Russia.
Pic: Reuters
For this is a country that is now defined by its military and its memory. The glory and sacrifice of 1945 have been weaponised to give credence to Russia’s current course and to make people believe that victory is their right.
For Russians, it served as a rallying cry and there was applause when the troops who have fought against Ukraine marched past.
But for those watching in Kyiv and other European capitals, it was an overt warning that Moscow has no intention of backing down.
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Putin hails sacrifice of Russian troops
The parade was considerably larger in scale than in recent years, when units and hardware have been needed on the battlefield. I think it was a deliberate attempt to project an image of confidence, and so was Vladimir Putin‘s positioning of his guests.
China’s Xi Jinping was given a prime position on the Kremlin leader’s right-hand side. It was no surprise given the economic lifeline Beijing has provided, but it felt like a particularly pointed gesture to the West – that they were looking at a new world order.
Despite that appearance of confidence, there were signs of Moscow’s unease that the parade could be disrupted.
There were snipers on every rooftop. Security was extremely tight. And the mobile internet signal across the city centre was completely shut down for fear of Ukrainian drone attacks, meaning none of the international media that had gathered could broadcast any live transmissions.
After the parade finished, Putin saluted the crowds as they spontaneously erupted into rhythmic shouts of “Rus-si-ya” at the sight of him.
Another PR coup complete without interruption, he will have departed as a very happy man.
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