Institutions resume with historic shifts

Published on: 02/03/2024 – 08:35

3 minutes

After a two-year standstill linked to the Brexit fallout, Northern Irish institutions are set to reopen on Saturday, February 3, for the first time in the British province’s history with Nationalist Prime Minister Michelle O’Neill.

The Northern Irish parliament at Stormont must elect a president before the Sinn Fein boss of Northern Ireland officially becomes the first head of government of a British province favored for unification of the island.

Under co-rule as a result of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, which ended three decades of bloody conflict, Michelle O’Neill, 47, will be a federalist deputy prime minister at his side.

See also thisIn Belfast, life was changed by the Good Friday Peace Agreement

Sinn Fein came first in the May 2022 election, an unprecedented shift that marked the demonization of the formation that was once the political showcase of the IRA (Irish Republican Army).

Michelle O’Neill promised to be a “prime minister for all” and described the recovery as a “day of optimism” for institutions whose paralysis had affected local public services and overwhelmed the population.

Avoiding physical border returns

After months of negotiations with the British government, unionists from the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) announced their decision to end their boycott this week. This led to the paralysis of the Assembly and the local executive, where power was shared between unionists – committed to keeping Northern Ireland in the British fold – and nationalists.

Two years ago today, the Unionist Party announced it was withdrawing from local bodies in protest at the post-Brexit trade arrangement, which it denounced as a threat to Northern Ireland’s place within the United Kingdom.

In implementing Brexit, one of the main difficulties was to find a solution that avoids the return of a physical border between the Republic of Ireland, a member of the European Union, and a British province, while protecting the integrity of the single European market. .

See also this‘It’s hard to leave the past behind’: growing up in post-conflict Northern Ireland

Changes to these provisions negotiated between London and Brussels a year ago, called the “Windsor Framework” and reducing controls on goods, were not enough to convince the DUP.

But the Unionist Party, led by Geoffrey Donaldson, ended up accepting the deal with the British government this week, believing the text provided enough guarantees and removed the Irish Sea border it had condemned. However, the decision was not unanimous in the party.

Under the watchful eye of Brussels

The agreement is being scrutinized in Brussels, which has pledged to “carefully analyze” the text, monitoring any fundamental changes to the provisions negotiated with London.

Downing Street argued on Thursday that the measures announced were “operational” and did not require formal approval from Brussels.

Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar spoke to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday and said “any red flags or anything that causes us any major concern at this stage.”

The reopening of Northern Irish institutions would also allow London to release a 3.3 billion pound sterling (about 3.9 billion euro) envelope to support public services, which recently experienced strikes. Historical intensity.

with AFP