Northern Ireland: IRA's Political Victory

Sinn Fein eyes historic victory in Northern Ireland election | DW News
143,685 views May 7, 2022 Irish nationalist party Sinn Fein is seeking to make history by emerging with the most assembly seats in British-controlled Northern Ireland.

If it emerges as the largest party, Sinn Fein would be able to nominate the province's First Minister for the first time ever. The election of a First Minister advocating a united Ireland would represent a sea change in the province's politics.

As the former political wing of the paramilitary Irish Republican Army (IRA), Sinn Fein is committed to a referendum on reunification with the Republic of Ireland to the south.




Northern Ireland has slipped into political crisis after Sinn Féin’s triumph in the assembly election triggered calls for a referendum on a united Ireland and the Democratic Unionist party vowed to block the formation of a new power-sharing executive at Stormont.

Jubilant Sinn Féin supporters celebrated across the region on Saturday when final vote counts confirmed a historic victory that turned the former IRA mouthpiece into the biggest party, with the right to nominate the first minister.

Sinn Féin won 29% of the first preference vote and will be the biggest party in the Stormont assembly, a seismic moment for a state that was designed a century ago to have a permanent unionist majority.

The party once led by Gerry Adams seeks to abolish what it considers an illegitimate entity and shuns the term Northern Ireland, instead referring to “the North”, presenting an existential challenge to the UK. Sinn Féin’s MPs boycott Westminster.

In a coded reference to Irish unification, Michelle O’Neill, the party’s deputy president, and the first minister elect, said: “It’s a defining moment for our politics and for our people. Today ushers in a new era which I believe presents us all with an opportunity to reimagine relationships in this society on the basis of fairness, on the basis of equality, and on the basis of social justice, irrespective of religious or social backgrounds.”

It was time for Ireland north and south to discuss a new, shared island, she said. “Let’s have a healthy debate about what our future looks like.”

Sinn Féin’s leader, Mary Lou McDonald, had a message for unionists: “Don’t be scared. The future is bright for all of us.”

She added there was a collective responsibility to get the government “up and running quickly”. “This is not a time for theatrics, this is not a time for playing games this is the time for grown-up sensible partnership politics, that’s what people want,” she said. “The idea, at a time of a cost of living crisis, that people would stand on the sidelines and allow people to struggle, and struggle badly, for us is unthinkable, so we would appeal to everybody to take stock.”

Sinn Féin has been in power at Stormont with other parties for 15 years and has promised to make the region work – but it sent a stark message to Boris Johnson’s government that a referendum on a united Ireland was now on the agenda.

The DUP will not go back into government in Northern Ireland until its concerns about post-Brexit trading arrangements are resolved, the party's leader has said.

Sir Jeffrey Donaldson was among the party leaders to meet with NI Secretary Brandon Lewis in Belfast on Monday.

Thursday's historic election saw Sinn Féin become Stormont's largest party.

Would-be first minister Michelle O'Neill said there could be no attempt by the DUP to "punish the public".

Ms O'Neill and Sinn Féin president Mary Lou McDonald held talks with Mr Lewis, who also met with the leaders of the Alliance Party, Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) and Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP).



The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) is resisting pressure from the UK and Irish governments, as well as Northern Ireland's other main parties, to nominate ministers after the dramatic election result.

For months, the DUP has protested against the Northern Ireland Protocol, part of the UK's Brexit deal with the European Union which retains free trade across the Irish border.

It has angered some unionists for introducing new checks on some goods moving across the Irish Sea.

They also say it undermines Northern Ireland's place in the UK.

In his meetings on Monday, Mr Lewis urged the party leaders to respect the outcome of the election on Thursday and re-establish Stormont as soon as possible.

He said the government would have to address issues relating to the protocol and "continue to press the EU to agree the crucial changes that are urgently needed".

The NI Secretary stated that he will remain in close contact with all the party leaders over the coming days.

'Game of chicken'
Sinn Féin, whose ultimate goal is for Northern Ireland to leave the UK and become one country with the Republic of Ireland, won the most seats - 27 out of 90 - after Thursday's vote.

This means the party can nominate Northern Ireland's first minister, an unprecedented move for a nationalist party, but it is reliant on the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) taking up its position as deputy first minister.

The roles form a joint office, with equal responsibility, however, the allocation of the titles is regarded as symbolically important.

Sir Jeffrey said his party would not nominate ministers until there had been "decisive action" on the protocol.

"They (UK government) gave a firm commitment to protect our place in the UK internal market," Sir Jeffrey said.

"They have not done so, they have failed over the last two-and-a-half years to honour that commitment."

But Ms O'Neill said the DUP and the UK government must respect the election's outcome, and that it was down to Boris Johnson and the EU to resolve differences over the protocol.

"Brinkmanship will not be tolerated where the north of Ireland becomes collateral damage in a game of chicken with the European Commission," she said.

"Make no mistake, we and our business community here will not be held to ransom."