Sinn Féin can celebrate a historic victory. And it is, in the truest sense of the word, because for the first time in Irish history, the nationalist party Sinn Féin - in favor of reunification with the Republic of Ireland - wins the elections which took place on Thursday in Northern Ireland and in rest of the UK. Michelle O'Neill, leader of Sinn Féin, is therefore the first of her party to become prime minister of Ulster (provided that the defeated unionist democrats do not trip her up which could delay the formation of the new government). And perhaps it is no coincidence that it was a woman who achieved this sensational result, the consequences of which will be measured in the coming months, with London busy negotiating the Brexit agreement with Europe – partly already signed by Boris Johnson – and stranded precisely on the delicate question of the customs borders between Northern Ireland, the United Kingdom and Eire. The detachment, when 87 out of 90 seats were assigned, is now clear.
Who is Michelle O'Neill
The protagonist of the Sinn Fin victory is Michelle O'Neill, 45, born Michelle Doris from a republican family well in sight at the time of the Troubles. Her father Brendan was a prisoner of the IRA, the armed wing of the republicans, later elected in Dungannon where she herself took over the seat in 2005. Becoming a very young mother, she has always had her family by her side.
The leap forward was in 2007 when three big names (Francie Molloy, Martin McGuinness and Gerry Adams) promoted her candidacy for leadership of the party and she was elected by the assembly. An astonishing result for a young woman of the working class and a Republican to boot, married and in the meantime become a mother of two children. From then on it was downhill, agriculture minister, health minister and now prime minister in pectore. Her success comes precisely from her young age, from the desire to represent a generation tired of Protestant-Catholic religious conflicts and to free the party from the IRA. The electoral campaign was entirely focused on winning center votes, on economic and social issues (cost of living and healthcare) and the growing hardships for the less well-to-do as opposed to the benefits of a united Ireland. He relied on kindness rather than opposition. And she won.
How the elections went in Northern Ireland
Sinn Fin achieved 29% of first preference votes (the first to be counted in the complex voting mechanism in Northern Ireland) by ousting the Democratic Unionist Party (PDU) which stopped at 21.3%. This projects O'Neill into the prime minister's seat, the first nationalist leader to conquer the podium with a historic turnaround to the detriment of the unionists.
Already on Friday night it had become clear that the Democratic Unionist Party (PDU) was clamorously in danger of losing its role as the first party at the helm of the government. A role played by unionists continuously since 1921 in Northern Ireland.
The other big winner of the elections is the centrist Alliance, with 13,5% of the first preferences which allows it to conquer the third position on the podium, overtaking the other two parties in the race. If you go to measure the seats, the difference is not as sensational as it initially seemed. "The defeat of the PDU is not catastrophic, however the crown is lost", sums up a careful analyst.
It was a tough heads-up in the finale. According to the latest data - when 87 seats out of 90 were assigned - Sinn Féin obtained 27 Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLA), the PDU 24, the Alliance Party 17. At this point the PDU cannot rise above 25 and the therefore victory is certain. This is followed by the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) with 9, and the Social Democratic and Labor Party (SDLP) with 7 after a disappointing performance.
There should be no doubt that Michelle O'Neill will lead the new executive even if her birth could be delayed by the boycott of the Democrats. Symbolic factors also count for a real and definitive victory. Northern Ireland is in fact subjected to a system of compulsory coalition between the first two parties. And although the prime minister and the deputy prime minister have identical powers, the designation of the prime minister has a significant symbolic value. The legislative assembly will have to vote on the ticket. The PDU has accepted the outcome of the election but insists on postponing the appointment of the government until the Northern Ireland Protocol with the EU, which fixes the customs barrier after Brexit in the Irish Sea. The ultimate goal for Sinn Féin is reunification with the Irish republic to be obtained with a "Border poll", but it will not be imminent. In fact, there is talk of a consultation in 5 years.
UK local elections, a bad blow for Boris Johnson
The administrative elections in the UK ended with a heavy setback for Borsi Jonson: he is not risking the premiership but certainly puts his party, that of the Tories, in great difficulty.
Johnson pays for the personal involvement of in the Partygate scandal, or the scandal of the gatherings organized in defiance of the anti-Covid rules in Downing Street in the era of lockdown. But he also weighs the negative economic scenario marked by the return of inflation and high bills.
In total, 146 municipal and local councils went to the vote. The Tories have lost a dozen out of the more than 30 they have led since 2018, leaving about 300 councilors out of almost 2000 by the wayside. Fewer than the 550 in the worst forecasts, but enough to create problems nationwide.
In particular, the slippage of London burns: a city of which Bojo was popular mayor for 8 years and where his people now hand over to Labor 3 symbolic district municipalities (out of 32 overall in the capital): Westminster (heart of the palaces of power), Barnet (with a strong Jewish presence) e Wandsworth (feud dear to Margaret Thatcher).
