Why Northern Ireland Is on Cusp of Crisis Again: QuickTake Q&A

Northern Ireland is preparing for its second election in a year, scheduled for March 2. The power-sharing arrangement between the pro-U.K. Democratic Unionist Party and Sinn Fein, which wants a united Ireland, collapsed in January. While the vote won’t change how Theresa May’s U.K. government treats talks to leave the European Union, the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland could become an issue in how Brexit is carried out.

Negotiations following the election to the power-sharing assembly may be the only chance for Northern Ireland to avoid a return to direct rule by the U.K. and retain the ability to govern itself. The assembly was one of the key pieces of architecture in the region’s peace process, which ended decades of sectarian conflict. If the key players can’t reach a deal in the aftermath of the election, London may have to take control again.