[Skybird]

The UK does want border routines in the middle of its nation as much as Germany wants customs unions between Thuringia and Bavaria, or Berlin and Meck-Pomm.

Brussels sees the opportunity to put pressure on London here by insisting there have to be customs, either between RoI and NI, or internally inside the UK between the big isle and NI.

Obviously there must be some kind of customs between the EU and UK. The EU wanst the UK to compromise territorial integrity on behalf of the Good Friday agreement, for this woudl mean damage to the sovereignty claim of London, would be a dimplatic defeat. London wants not threatening the "peace" in Ireland, but also does not accept a compromising of its territorial integrity: no sovereign nation could do that.

The rational solution obviously is to have border checks between RoI, an EU state, and NI, because between these two it is where the border between the UK and the block is located. So there, at that border, the customs duties have to be done. No-brainer.

So, the solution is to have them there - without some crazy Irishmen freaking out over it.

The problem is two-fold. London signed something of which they - stupidly - hoped the EU would not mercilessly press for, and the other problem is the instable sentimental attitude of the Irish over past things long lost in history.

What can be done NOW? Obviously London has no other choice, it almost must a.) break this part of the treaty they signed , the NI protocol, and it must b.) accept being blamed for violating treaties and earning the reputation of maybe not being seen as a trustworthy signator of future treaties. As I said many times before: they should never have signed this crappy Brexit deal. There is a reason why in brussel the champagne was flowign when it became known the Brits would sign this NI protocol - they knew they had the Brits by their balls with that one. Why Johnson did not see this, will remain his secret forever, I think.

The Brits do surprisingly well,btw, different to the gloomy picture EU media try to paint fo them. While they have problems, they are not as big as one expected (even hoped) for, and their foreigng trade relations have improved dramatically and to a degree that Brussel can just watch with envy. It seems right what the EU wanted to prevent ar all cost - Brexit leading to an economical success story - in the aftermath of Covid could become a reality. Too early to call it already a big success, but thing slook better than in Europe, and than expected. Thats the worst outcome possible - from Brussel'S perspective. I remind of the Swiss vote recently, and the growing dissatisfaction with the EU in Norway and Iceland.

Merkel'S time is finally over, and Macron may think it now is the hour of France. A nightmare for German payers. The more blocked and stuck things become in Brussel, the cheaper for net payers, and the greater the chance that people wake up and see the EU for what it really is. It seesm without big crisis and spectacular drama the eu cannot get overcome. So be it, let the drama have its way - the worse, the better. Better an end with horrors than horror without end.