Biden urges Northern Ireland to sustain peace, reap gains
Associated PressApr 12, 2023
The Facts
During a speech in Belfast on Wednesday, US Pres. Joe Biden urged for a political compromise in Northern Ireland (NI), calling on political leaders to restore their power-sharing government.
Biden — who arrived in Belfast on Tuesday evening to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement — also hinted that US companies were prepared to "triple" their investment in the country's economy to $6B.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
Biden has sent a clear message to the Democratic Unionist Party about the need to get back to work and restore the country's power-sharing dynamic. With his very strong track record of supporting the peace accord, his guidance is fitting. However, the future of NI is in the hands of the assembly, and they need to get it together and do what's best for the country.
Establishment-critical narrative
Despite Biden's optimistic speech, the political situation in NI hasn't changed, and power-sharing isn't the answer. Biden — touting his Irish heritage to legitimize his opinion — is dangling the promise of money to push his own agenda, but the words of a foreign politician who is so clearly pro-nationalist, anti-unionist, and anti-British won't change anything.
Nerd narrative
There is a 35% chance that Northern Ireland will hold a reunification referendum before 2030, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
