Political tensions in Ireland

Why in news?

Ireland’s Deputy Prime Minister Ms. Fitzgerald, has resigned and averted the risk of an early election.

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What are the reasons behind the resignation?

• Ms. Fitzgerald becomes the second political casualty in less than a year of a longstanding scandal, after former premier and highly regarded centre-right leader.
• The specific allegation against Ms. Fitzgerald was that as the Minister for Justice in the previous administration she did not take action despite having knowledge about an attempt by an ex-chief of police to discredit a whistleblower.
• But once Sinn Fein, the hardline party of the left, moved a vote of no-confidence this month, her exit was inevitable.
• While Prime Minister Leo Varadkar initially defended his deputy, the opposition on whose support the Fine Gael minority government depends, moved a motion against her.

What are the prospects of this move?

• Ms. Fitzgerald’s resignation has averted the collapse of the government for now.
• The reprieve Prime ministermove has come at a critical stage in Ireland’s negotiations in the European Union over the implications of Britain’s exit from the bloc.
• London’s conservative government, view this as no more than political posturing by an equally weak government across the border.
• The broader reality is that Britain is Ireland’s largest market, and the gateway for sizeable exports to Europe and the rest of the world.
• In the current state of Brexit negotiations, a spirit of reasonable accommodation could well define the future.
• The future of the Irish border is intertwined with the nature and shape of the U.K.’s relationship with the bloc, and clarity could take some time coming.

Source: The Hindu