For the first time in the violent history of Northern Ireland, it was a woman, and a nationalist at that, who became Prime Minister on Saturday under the Good Friday Peace Accords.
Michelle O’Neill made Northern Ireland’s eventful history this Saturday.
At 47, she became the very first Catholic, nationalist and republican prime minister of this region attached to the United Kingdom.
After two years of waiting, and the victory of Sinn Fein in the 2022 elections, the vice-president of the nationalist party has therefore become the head of the government of Northern Ireland.
Michelle O’Neill, was appointed under the 1998 Good Friday Peace Agreement which now shares power between the two main communities in Northern Ireland: British unionists who want to remain in the United Kingdom and Irish nationalists who seek to unite with Ireland.
According to the Good Friday Agreement neither side can govern without the agreement of the other.
But the process stopped after withdrawal from the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP in English) to protest in particular against the trade problems linked to Brexit.
After an agreement with the British government on the question of a non-border between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the situation was resolved.
The new head of government will share power with a DUP Deputy Prime Minister but who has not yet been appointed. The two will be equal, but Michelle O’Neill, whose party won the most seats at Stormont Palace, will hold the more prestigious title.
“It’s a historic day”she declared on X. “As Prime Minister for All, I am determined to lead positive change for everyone and work with others to advance our society in a spirit of respect, cooperation and equality.”
The new head of government comes from a family of Irish republicans. His party was affiliated with the Irish Republican Army during the Troubles, a period of around 30 years of extremely violent conflict over the future of Northern Ireland, which ended with the Good Friday Agreement.
Former President of Sinn Fein, Gerry Adamswho helped negotiate the historic peace agreement, was in the assembly gallery to witness the nomination of Michelle O’Neill.
The return to control of a government came exactly two years after a boycott of the DUP following a dispute over trade restrictions on goods entering Northern Ireland from Great Britain. Northern Ireland’s 1.9 million residents were left without a functioning administration as the cost of living soared and public services were strained.
The question of maintaining an open border between the North and the Republic of Ireland was a key pillar of the peace process that ended the Troubles, so controls were eventually imposed between Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom.
The agreement reached a year ago between the UK and the EU, known as Windsor Framenevertheless relaxed customs controls and other obstacles, but did not go far enough for the DUP, which continued its boycott.
The British government this week agreed to new changes which would eliminate routine checks and red tape for most goods entering Northern Ireland, although some checks would remain in place for illegal goods or disease prevention.
The new changes include legislation “affirming the constitutional status of Northern Ireland” as integral part of the United Kingdom and gives local politicians “democratic control” over any future EU laws that may apply to Northern Ireland.
The British government also agreed to give Northern Ireland more than 3 billion pounds for its ailing public services, once Belfast Government is back up and running.
“I believe my party has achieved what many said we could not do”declared the leader of the DUP, Jeffrey Donaldson, outside the Stormont hemicycle. “We made changes that many said were impossible, and I believe that today is a good day for Northern Ireland, a day when once again our place in the United Kingdom and its internal market will be respected and protected by our law and restored so that all our citizens can enjoy the benefits of our membership (in the United Kingdom).