After Sinn Fein’s historic victory in Northern Ireland, London on Sunday called on nationalists and unionists to unite with a local executive to ensure the “stability” of this province in Britain at a time when the risk of political paralysis looms. in the backdrop of Brexit. .
A supporter of reunification in the Republic of Ireland, Sinn Fein became the first Northern Irish party after a poll organized on Thursday. He did indeed win 27 seats out of 90 in the local Assembly, against 25 for the DUP unionists, which are union affiliated with Great Britain.
The latter threatened to boycott the new local executive, led by nationalists and unionists under the Good Friday peace agreement reached in 1998, if their Brexit demands were not met.
” Above all, what we want to see […]is stability. “
We want to see an executive formed at the parties unite to give this stability to the peopleBritish Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab told Sky News.
Before meeting with local party leaders on Monday, the British minister responsible for this province, Brandon Lewis, also said he estimated the BBC that it is a important moment to show that everyone can work together.
Sinn Fein’s victory, which has the potential to change the United Kingdom, allows the former political window of the paramilitary group Irish Republican Army (IRA) to appoint local Prime Minister, Michelle O’Neill, for the first time in 100 years of the history of a province where Brexit re-emerged.
Ms. O’Neill welcomed the admission to a new era for Northern Ireland, which was marked by political instability, and vowed to lead it into divisions.
Difficult negotiations
But negotiations for the formation of a government promise to be difficult. Second after decades of Unionist domination, the DUP – which includes the position of Deputy Prime Minister – has refused to join a government as long as customs controls remain after Brexit, which it believes threatens the integrity of the United Kingdom. . He urged London to act to eliminate them.
It is also clear that this stability is at risk of problems [générés par] the northern irish protocolabounded Dominic Raab.
Mr. repeated. Raab cited his government’s desire to re-discuss this text approved by London and the European Union, giving a special status to the province by keeping it within the European single market and customs union. This was to prevent the return of a difficult border with Ireland in order to keep the peace.
Although Brussels refused simply by proposing arrangements, the Deputy Prime Minister said he favored the negotiations but did not exclude that London would act unilaterally to protect trade between Northern Ireland and Great Britain as well. the constitutional integrity from the United Kingdom.
Dublin and Washington also called on Northern Irish politicians to share power.
Sinn Fein and the DUP have 24 weeks to find a consensus, on which new elections should be arranged.
It’s easy for everyone to imagine taking all those six months to negotiateunderline Katy Hayward, professor of political sociology at Queen’s University of Belfast, who was asked byAFP.
” However, due to the urgency of the cost of living and crises in the health system, an executive must be formed. Further adjustments to the Good Friday agreement may be considered later. “
Michelle O’Neill even called for a healthy debate on the future of Northern Ireland and that his party is aiming for a reunification referendum within five years, he said he believed the new executive should first deal with the rising cost of living after campaigning in the direction of ito.
Meanwhile, Dominic Raab pointed out that 58% of voters supported parties in favor of union in the United Kingdom or the status quo.
Sinn Fein’s success takes advantage of the weakness of unionism […]. It does not represent a sea change in views in Northern Ireland in favor of reunificationstudies Katy Hayward.
Source: Radio-Canada
