Brexit, demographic change and political turmoil in Northern Ireland have left many wondering if reunification could come sooner than expected.

In their conclusions, the authors recommend Northern Ireland – which remains relatively poor and heavily reliant on public sector spending and employment – embark on major reforms to improve its residents’ standard of living.

“Even though Ireland has a much higher national income, funding the needs of the people of Northern Ireland in a united Ireland would put huge financial pressure on the people of Ireland, resulting in an immediate major reduction in their living standards,” the report says.

  • viking@infosec.pubEnglish
    385·
    9 months ago

    Sounds about as bad as the reunification of (Western) Germany and the GDR, they are still way behind 30+ years later, and the western states are paying the bill to this day, while young people still migrate from east to west, with Berlin as the only real exception.

    • Q ⠀English
      21·
      9 months ago

      But the reunification of Germany was literally ‘alternativlos’ (without alternatives).

      This does not say, it was implemented perfectly or even okay. But in the moment of time it happened, I think the great majority of actors really tried to do the right things.

    • tal@lemmy.todayEnglish
      101·
      9 months ago

      Yeah, maybe. The GDR was under a whole different economic system, though. I mean, the UK and Ireland are pretty similar.

      But I also think that if Ireland were in the UK and the UK were in the EU that probably everyone involved would be better-off – not to mention all those not-UK not-EU British territories, like the Isle of Man and Jersey and Guernsey. Obviously a lot of people who actually live in the British Isles don’t see things the same way, though, so…