Is There a Strategy for the EU?

In Asia, there are reliable whispers that there is about to be movement on the Northern Ireland protocol. And it will involve the UK caving on European courts retaining their status as arbiter of last resort. I mean, what a huge shock. It's literally the thing we've been saying for three years that the EU ain't going to accept some other person defining the single market. The EU are furious, apparently, according to the Brexit press,. which is surprising. They're usually very sanguine, stuff like that. What is soon next strategy here? I don't think he really has a strategy. He feels out of his depth at the moment trying to keep these coalitions together