After UK elections
Worry about hanging game in Northern Ireland
Are voters pressuring Prime Minister Boris Johnson? And will Northern Ireland make history? Photo: Tejas Sandhu/SOPA Images via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
© dpa-infocom GmbH
Northern Ireland’s Sinn Fein party could become the strongest party in the province for the first time. In England it should be clear today whether Prime Minister Boris Johnson was punished by the voters.
A full picture of the results will be eagerly awaited on Friday following the landmark regional election in Northern Ireland and local elections in the rest of the UK.
Although the first results from England were already known overnight, it will probably only become clear in the course of the day whether and how severely the conservatives of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson were punished by the voters. The local elections are considered the first mood picture since the affair about illegal lockdown parties in the London seat of government Downing Street and other scandals.
Sinn Fein may be the strongest force in Northern Ireland
Even in the elections to the regional parliament in Northern Ireland, a clear result is not expected until the afternoon. It is expected that the Catholic-Republican party Sinn Fein will be the strongest force for the first time. But even before the election there were concerns about a deadlock in the formation of a government. It could be a long time before a regional government comes into being, Katy Hayward from Queen’s University in Belfast told the German Press Agency. The political sociologist said it was to be expected that the Protestant-unionist DUP (Democratic Unionist Party) would continue to block the formation of a unity government.
The 1998 peace agreement known as the Good Friday Agreement envisages a unity government in the former troubled province made up of the largest parties from both camps. Should Sinn Fein actually emerge from the election as the strongest political force, the party would be entitled to the office of Prime Minister. Symbolically, that would be a clear turning point in the history of the part of the United Kingdom that was created a good 100 years ago.
Political arm of the IRA
Sinn Fein was once considered the political arm of the militant organization IRA (Irish Republican Army), which fought violently to unite Northern Ireland with the Republic of Ireland. So far, the post of head of government has always gone to politicians from parties who are committed to maintaining the union with Great Britain.
The DUP has zeroed in on the categorical rejection of the special status for Northern Ireland set out in the Brexit Agreement and, in February, burst the previous unity government over the dispute. She is demanding that the government in London overturn the agreements with Brussels.
Trade war between EU and UK?
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson expressly reserves the option to break the agreements laid down in the so-called Northern Ireland Protocol. But that should provoke a violent reaction from Brussels. Even a trade war between the EU and Great Britain cannot be ruled out.
The Northern Ireland Protocol is intended to prevent new border controls between Northern Ireland and the EU member Republic of Ireland due to the British exit from the EU. Instead, goods must now be inspected when brought into Northern Ireland from England, Scotland or Wales. The DUP fears this intra-British goods border could be the first step in the province’s detachment from Britain. However, it is questionable whether the DUP has done itself a favor with its hard line. According to polls, she must expect a catastrophic election result.