On Monday, Northern Ireland celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, which ended 30 years of violent conflict in the territory, La Presse reminds. Although a peace deal ended the fighting, deep divisions remain among the population, and Britain’s recent Brexit exit from the European Union has revived some tensions between Catholics and Protestants. This is what should be remembered from this historic agreement, writes Le Point, citing Rador.

More than 3500 dead in 30 years

Signed on April 10, 1998 in Belfast, the Good Friday Agreement ended three decades of violence (1969–1998) between Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland. On the one hand, the Catholic community was nationalist and advocated reunification with the Irish Republic, while the Protestants were loyal and advocated keeping Northern Ireland in the United Kingdom.

These units led to numerous attacks and caused the deaths of 3,500 people, including 2,000 civilians.

What are the contours of the Good Friday Agreement?

The agreement gave Northern Ireland its own political body, the Northern Ireland Assembly, consisting of 108 proportionally elected members, and allowed for a council of ministers (the British Irish Council) headed by the Prime Minister of Northern Ireland. Various paramilitary groups (including the Provisional IRA, the UVF and the UDA) were ordered to destroy their weapons and prisoners accused of violent crimes related to the conflict were released.

The agreement also secures the right to hold both Irish and British citizenship, regardless of how Northern Ireland’s status changes in the future. The signing of this agreement was approved by the majority of Irish people in a referendum in May 1998.

The anniversary was marked by a visit from Joe Biden

While the signing of the Good Friday Agreement was the culmination of four years of talks and negotiations between London, Dublin and Washington, US President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will be in Northern Ireland on Monday 10 April. 25th anniversary of the agreement. Joe Biden, who often mentions his Irish roots, will also be present in Dublin, Ireland.

Constant political instability

Despite the signing of the agreement in 1998, the political situation in Northern Ireland remains extremely difficult. And it is not for nothing that the text indicates that the government should be jointly run by a loyal and nationalist party.

Therefore, any decision must be taken together, and each camp has a veto power that allows it to block decisions it does not favor or to leave the government. Therefore, for 25 years, the parliament was regularly paralyzed, and the right of veto was scandalously used.

Brexit raises concerns about the deal

After Brexit and the UK’s exit from the European single market, Northern Ireland could leave the European Union altogether, and thus the physical border between the two parts of Ireland could be restored.

But such a prospect would create a serious step backwards and a situation similar to the one that existed before 1998, but worse, since at that time both countries were in the EU. After months of negotiations, Britain and the European Union reached an agreement in late February on control of Northern Ireland after Brexit.

The Northern Ireland Protocol, signed in 2020, regulates the movement of goods between Northern Ireland and Great Britain, the only land border with the European Union. The aim was to protect the single European market without jeopardizing the peace agreements by placing the border in the Irish Sea, writes Le Point, citing Rador.