Europe says No

Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, has stated that “the Protocol is the only possible solution… protecting the integrity of the European Union’s single market.”

Unionism’s response must be clear, positive and firm. It must not convey an image, long viewed by others, that it has a negative, hard line, ‘Unionism says No’ attitude.

Rather, unionism has a right to expect the same democratic standards as apply elsewhere in Europe. The Council of Europe, a leading international human rights body, makes clear that a fundamental principle of international law is respect for “the territorial integrity and national sovereignty of states”.

The protocol breaches fundamentally this principle of international law. European Union integrity does not trump a country’s territorial integrity as demanded by international law. Consequently, Ursula von der Leyen articulates a shameful hard line ‘Europe says No’ attitude to international law standards.

This simple two-pronged message must be the constant touchstone for Unionism in carrying forward its firm opposition to the Protocol.

Dermot Nesbitt, Co Down

——— ———

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers — and consequently the revenue we receive — we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.

Subscribe to newsletter.co.uk and enjoy unlimited access to the best Northern Ireland and UK news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit https://www.newsletter.co.uk/subscriptions now to sign up.

Our journalism costs money and we rely on advertising, print and digital revenues to help to support them. By supporting us, we are able to support you in providing trusted, fact-checked content for this website.

Alistair Bushe

Editor