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“The most Irish president since JF Kennedy” is what newspapers on the island of Ireland occasionally refer to as Joe Biden. The incumbent US President feels deeply connected to his Irish roots.
Nevertheless, the visit is not a family excursion. The Good Friday Peace is arguably the most important document signed in the UK in the past 50 years. After long and tough negotiations, a bloody civil war in Northern Ireland ended 25 years ago. This was made possible by the willingness to compromise and the goodwill of the conflicting parties.
Crucial role of the USA
However, the United States also played a crucial role. US Senator George Mitchell was a key negotiator. In the final phase of the negotiations, the then US President Bill Clinton is said to have put fickle negotiating partners on course by telephone from the White House.
To date, the US has retained patronage of the agreement. This was evident during Brexit. The divorce drama has taken a toll on the fragile coexistence in Northern Ireland. Boris Johnson played with fire and made false promises to Northern Ireland.
Belfast yes – Coronation no
It was the US administration that regularly exhorted the British government to protect the peace. Otherwise there will never be the desired free trade agreement between Washington and London. Even these days, Joe Biden is subtly showing where his priorities lie. He may be landing in Belfast today, but has signed off for the coronation of King Charles in London.
No bombs have exploded in Northern Ireland since 1998. Nobody needs to be scared anymore when they are sitting on a school bus in the morning. But the wounds are far from healed. The mistrust has remained.
A long way
A police jeep caught fire in Derry after riots on Easter Monday. A few weeks ago, a police officer was shot at. Northern Ireland has not had a functioning government for a year. Hopes that the anniversary could bring pro-British unionists to their senses have not materialized.
They remain absent from Parliament out of frustration with the Northern Ireland Protocol. For this reason, Joe Biden has refused to address the Northern Irish “ghost parliament”. Instead, he will appeal to the parties in the auditorium of Ulster University in Belfast, because the road to reconciliation is far from over in Northern Ireland.