And for the first time, it is a Catholic nationalist who will lead the executive against the backdrop of post-Brexit negotiations with London and Brussels.
It has been almost two years since Northern Ireland’s MPs sat at Stormont, the region’s parliament building in the United Kingdom.
Several reasons explain this long pause. First, deep disagreements between London and Belfast over the conditions of leaving the European Union.
For a long time, there was talk of a border between Northern Ireland, a region geographically located on the island where the Republic of Ireland is also located, and the United Kingdom, the country to which it belongs.
This condition was a blocking point for many in Northern Ireland, notably the Unionists of Democratic Unionist Party, the DUP. The latter want a rapprochement between Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom, and share Protestant values with their Great Breton neighbors.
The British authorities have just abandoned the idea of this border, which will therefore not be part of the post-Brexit customs agreements.
Another reason explaining the two-year break in the Northern Irish parliament: the results of the legislative elections in May 2022.
An Irish nationalist party in power
In an unprecedented way, the Northern Irish made the nationalist party Sinn Féin the leading political force in Northern Ireland during the last elections.
Traditionalist parties like the Traditional Unionist Voice and the DUP unionists did not view this political event favorably.
On euronews the traditionalist Jim Allister describes the arrival of Sinn Féin in power as a “horrible change” For “Northern Ireland values“.
Like Jim Allister, some associate Irish nationalism and its supporters with terrorist acts of the 1990s. The so-called period of Troubles at the end of the 20th century traumatized an entire generation.
Attacks committed by Irish separatists from the IRA, a paramilitary group which wanted to reunite Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, left thousands dead.
Today, Sinn Féin’s rise to power gives hope to some Irish nationalists : “This could mean that in 10 or 15 years we will be considering a referendum” rejoices a resident of Belfast at the microphone of euronews.
“Calls for a referendum on Irish unification are expected to grow louder in the years to come.“, warns Ken Murray, euronews correspondent in Northern Ireland.
For now, Michelle O’Neill should be appointed Prime Minister in the coming days, at the same time as the resumption of parliamentary activity. This will be the first time Sinn Féin has led the Northern Ireland executive.
