In all areas, the UK continues to backtrack.

The European Union argues that we should be subject to rules of the club that we have left.

The precondition is the level playing field.

We can deliver a real Brexit that achieves our objectives.

But if there is not a deal, we still need the Irish protocol or the Northern Irish protocol fully implemented.

I'm going to miss being the pantomime villain. protocol or the Northern Irish protocol fully implemented.

I'm going to miss being the pantomime villain.

Hello and welcome to Brexit Republic, RTE's podcast on Brexit.

I'm Tony Connolly, RTE's Europe editor in Brussels.

And I'm Colombeau Mungain, RTE's Deputy Foreign Editor in Dublin. Each week, Brexit Republic assesses all the latest Brexit developments in Brussels, London and Dublin.

Last week, due to some unforeseen circumstances, we were unable to bring you Brexit Republic,

so we're catching up in the first part of this week.

And what a week of Brexit it is.

The EU is poised to agree to extend the grace

period for chilled meats entering Northern Ireland from Great Britain, with the EU's Marashevich

bringing his message to the Northern Ireland Executive. We'll hear from Simon Kovny and Brandon Lewis

on the protocol after they met at the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference in Dublin on Thursday

and from Geoffrey Donaldson after he emerged as the solitary candidate to be the new leader of the DUP.

And also this week, the High Court in Belfast is due to give its verdict on the legal challenge

taken by leading unionists and Brexiteers, claiming the protocol is contrary to Article 6 of the

1801 Act of Union and the Good Friday Agreement.

This week also sees the deadline for EU citizens living in the UK to apply for settled status under the British government's EU settled status scheme.

...