The last votes were counted late into the night, but it was already clear on Saturday evening: Michelle O’Neill made it. For the first time in Northern Ireland’s history, Republican-Catholic Sinn Féin is the strongest force in Parliament, and with her as the lead candidate. O’Neill now has the right First Ministers to become, that’s what the head of government is called in Northern Ireland. But whether there will be a new executive in Belfast at all is completely open.
And so, on the day of her success, O’Neill stood in front of the television cameras and did what she probably has to do for a long time: she called on the other parties to cooperate. Because she depends on it. According to the Good Friday Agreement of 1998, which ended the Northern Ireland conflict, the largest parties from both denominational camps must agree to work together in a unity government. The only problem is that the largest unionist-Protestant party, the DUP, is refusing to join a government in protest at Northern Ireland’s special Brexit status.
There’s nothing O’Neill can do about that, and she seemed helpless as she said, “Let’s work together.” The citizens voted for the executive to act quickly and take care of people’s problems. For O’Neill, these are above all the rising energy prices, the ailing health system and the acute housing shortage. From her point of view, it shouldn’t be the case that politicians get into a fight while many people can hardly pay their bills and purchases. So she promised to start work on a government program as soon as Monday. O’Neill has experience with this. She had been deputy for two years First Ministersuntil the DUP ousted the government in February.
The Sinn Féin politician represents a new generation in her party, and not just because of her age. O’Neill is 45 and wants to put his bloody past behind him once and for all. But it’s not that easy. Sinn Féin was once the political arm of the Irish Republican Army (IRA). There were also sympathizers in O’Neill’s family; her father Brendan Doris, called Basil, was an IRA activist and had to go to prison for a while. His goal was the union of Northern Ireland with the Republic of Ireland. He fought for this, also later on in the local council in Dungannon Council.
Dungannon is a good 45 minutes’ drive from Belfast. Michelle O’Neill grew up there, went to school there and began commercial training, which she broke off. She preferred to do politics. With success: in 2007 she was elected to the Northern Irish Parliament for the first time. After working in various committees, she was Minister for Agriculture, later for Health, and finally the position of Deputy Prime Minister.
O’Neill calls for debate on ‘United Ireland’ issue
O’Neill has a reputation as an assertive woman who makes social democratic politics and has not given up on her dream of a united Ireland, especially not now. Over the weekend, O’Neill called for a broad social debate on the question of a “United Ireland”. During the election campaign, she largely ignored the topic. But now it’s back. And with it the memories of images that still divide Northern Ireland. And who haven’t forgotten O’Neill’s political opponents.
For example, the pictures of the funeral of IRA veteran Bobby Storey in the summer of 2020. Because of Corona, only 30 people were allowed to attend at the time, but many ignored it, including Michelle O’Neill. At the time, she rejected calls for her resignation. What remained, however, is the impression that she is far from being able to get rid of the shadows of the past.