The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) is set to formally oppose a Sinn Fein bid to secure Northern Ireland Assembly support for observer status within the European Parliament. The unionist party confirmed it will table a petition of concern against the motion when it is debated at Stormont on Monday.
What the Sinn Fein Motion Proposes
Four Sinn Fein Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) have tabled a motion calling for the Assembly to write to the European Parliament, requesting observer status for its members. The motion highlights that 56% of voters in Northern Ireland chose to remain in the European Union during the 2016 Brexit referendum.
It argues that the current situation, where Northern Ireland no longer sends its three MEPs to Brussels, represents a democratic deficit. Before the UK's departure from the EU, the region was directly represented by elected Members of the European Parliament.
The DUP's Constitutional Objection
DUP leader Gavin Robinson stated that his party's MLAs will trigger the petition of concern mechanism. This procedure, established under the Good Friday Agreement, requires a motion to secure cross-community support rather than a simple majority to pass. At least 30 MLAs must sign the petition.
Mr Robinson asserted the motion deals with fundamental constitutional issues regarding Northern Ireland's place within the United Kingdom. He argued that granting the Assembly's corporate backing to the bid would misrepresent unionist opposition and be seized upon by Brussels.
"It is therefore necessary, and in keeping with the terms of the Belfast and St Andrew's Agreements that any vote on this motion should require cross-community support for it to pass," he said.
A Mechanism for Cross-Community Consensus
The DUP leader framed the move as a legitimate use of Stormont's safeguards after what he described as the government setting aside consensus in the past. He referenced the extension of the Northern Ireland Protocol's provisions "via a rigged vote, despite the unanimous opposition of unionists."
Mr Robinson urged all unionist MLAs to support the petition, stating the Sinn Fein motion was a republican ploy designed to advance the goal of breaking up the UK. He dismissed the practical value of observer status, noting it confers no right to speak, vote, or stand for election in the European Parliament.
"Furthermore, it would be a direct attack on Northern Ireland's position as an integral part of the United Kingdom," he added. The outcome of Monday's procedural manoeuvre now depends on whether the DUP can gather the necessary 30 signatures from other parties in the Assembly.
