After two years of political crisis, Northern Ireland has a government again – and for the first time a Catholic politician is at its head. The regional parliament in Belfast on Saturday elected 47-year-old Michelle O’Neill of the Sinn Fein party as prime minister.
This means that the former civil war region is now led by a politician seeking reunification with EU member Ireland. However, O’Neill must govern together with the largest Protestant party, the DUP, which advocates political union with Britain and will in the future provide a deputy head of government with equal rights.
Commentators nevertheless spoke of a historic development, a “historic day.” The previous government in Belfast fell two years ago to the day. The DUP has since refused the required participation in protest at the special Brexit rules for Northern Ireland. She argued that the agreement reached with the EU endangers the union of Northern Ireland and Great Britain.
The party recently agreed with the British central government on a document emphasizing state unity, then gave up its opposition. The Good Friday Agreement, which ended the civil war in Northern Ireland in 1998, provides for a unity government between the two sectarian camps.
Source: Krone
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