The Sin Feinthe former political wing of the IRAdescribed as a “crucial moment” for Northern Ireland his first election victory in the history of the province and called for a public debate on the creation of a united Ireland.
Sinn Fein secures 29% of the vote, compared to 21.3% for the Conservative Democratic Union Party (DUP) in its favor. of Northern Ireland in the United Kingdom. Although the final result and the distribution of seats in the 90-member parliament have not been officially announced, analysts say no party can beat Sinn Fein.
«Today is a very important time of change. It is a crucial moment for politics and our people“, he said party leader Michelle O’Neill. Now, he added, there should be a “serious discussion” about the party’s goal, that is the Union with the Republic of Ireland.
Asked by a reporter if he expected to become the first Prime Minister of Northern Ireland to come from Sinn Féin, he replied: “The people spoke».
Sinn Fein’s victory will not change the status of the province, as the referendum required for such a thing is at the discretion of the British government and, most likely, it will take years to organize. Nevertheless the symbolism of this primacy is enormous, as it puts an end to a century of domination by pro-British parties, which are supported mainly by Protestant Irish people.
Demographic trends, however, have long shown that pro-British, Protestant parties would eventually be overshadowed by nationalist, Catholic parties in favor of union with the Republic of Ireland.
However, the inter-communal Alliance Party achieved its best election result as it seeks to establish itself as the third pole of the political system.
The first party has the right to nominate its own candidate for the post of First Minister (Prime Minister) of the government, which will necessarily be multi-party. But Sinn Fein’s disagreements with the DUP mean that this appointment could be delayed for months.
Who is Michelle O’Neill?
Michelle O’Neill achieved something that seemed impossible in a century of Northern Ireland’s turbulent history: she could become the first head of a nationalist government with the victory of Sinn Féin.
The 45-year-old blonde politician In her election campaign, she dealt with everyday issues: the improvement of health services, the housing crisis, the cost of living, in the midst of galloping inflation. He put his historical goal in the background Sin Feinthe union of the island.
In recent weeks he has reiterated that he would like to see “the first minister of all», Asking«change”even if she has been participating in for many years Belfast Legislative Assembly as Vice-President.
THE O’Neill comes from new generation of politicians which emerged after Good Friday peace deal1998, which ended the “Riots, A period of 30 years of conflict between nationalists (Catholics) and unionists (Protestants). In her adolescence she was particularly influenced by her father, Brendan Doris, a former prisoner of the IRA (Irish Democratic Army) and later a politician, elected with Sinn Fein. An uncle had also been jailed, and a cousin, an IRA member, had been killed by security forces.
At the age of 21 she joined Sinn Fein. He was elected Member of Parliament for Northern Ireland for the first time in 2007 in 2010 he was elected mayor –The first woman– in Dangamon, her district. She is very communicative and attracts young people with her leftist ideas.
He took over as Minister of Agriculture in 2011 and Minister of Health in 2016. Eight days after taking office, he announced that ends ban on homosexuals and bisexuals donating blood in Northern Ireland. On January 23, 2017, following the resignation of Martin McGuinness, he took over the leadership of Sinn Féin in Northern Ireland.
In 2019, at the party congress, he stated that “the only solution to the chaos of Brexit is union. The question is not whether or not the reunification referendum will take place.». On 11 January 2020 he was elected Deputy Prime Minister of the Government of Northern Ireland within the DUP Government. When DUP’s Prime Minister Paul Givan resigned on February 4 this year, she automatically entered her own term, due to the mandatory co-government regime in the province.
Michelle O’Neill is the mother of two adult children, the first of whom was born when she was 16 years old. She often refers to the difficulties she faced as a teenage mother and emphasizes that she was “lucky” since she could rely on the support of her family to continue her studies. At the age of 18, she married Paddy O’Neill, whom she divorced a few years ago.
Follow Skai.gr on Google News
and be the first to know all the news
