Nationalist Michelle O'Neill made history by becoming Northern Ireland's first republican minister after the government returned to work following a two-year boycott by the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP). O'Neill, 47, leader of Sinn Fein in Belfast, was officially appointed on Saturday after an agreement had been reached in recent days to break the political stalemate and return to the formation of a local government of national unity among Sinn republicans Fein (who won the elections in 2022) and the unionists loyal to London.
In front of the parliamentary assembly at Stormont Palace in Belfast, the prime minister he avoided triumphalism and made no explicit reference to the reunification of Ireland in his speech which instead focused on reconciliation and underlying issues. “Wherever we come from, whatever our aspirations, we can and must build our future together,” she said. “We must make power-sharing work because collectively we are responsible for leading and achieving our goals for all our people, for every community.”
The appointment of a Republican prime minister represents “a new era” unimaginable for previous generations, who grew up with discrimination against Catholics, he continued. O'Neill will lead the executive alongside Emma Little-Pengelly, a democratic unionist who has been appointed deputy prime minister, a position with equal powers but less prestige. On her arrival at Stormont, Sinn Fein leader in Dublin, Mary Lou McDonald, said the Northern Irish Government “couldn't be in better hands”.
“Today is a victory for everyone, the demonstration that equality and inclusion are on the agenda,” he added. The province's institutions have been blocked for two years due to a boycott by DUP unionists opposed to post-Brexit trade deals, which they have denounced as a threat to Northern Ireland's place in the United Kingdom. For the past two years, day-to-day affairs have been handled by the administration and London. After months of negotiations with the British government, unionists this week announced their decision to end their boycott.
The stalemate was overcome and sealed by a document of understanding between the opposing Northern Irish factions drawn up, mediated and guaranteed by the British conservative central government of Rishi Sunak; and was hailed by Sinn Fein republicans as the harbinger of “a new dawn” in Belfast.
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