After two years of deadlock, Northern Ireland regained self-government

Posted On: April 16, 2024

After an evening meeting, DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson got his party to say ‘yes’ to a coalition with Sinn Féin. Pressure has been exerted to this end by the British government, London having pledged £3 billion. He also managed to convince pro-British unionists that Northern Ireland, despite having a customs border in the Irish Sea, remains part of the UK and does not have to follow new EU laws. There has always been a fear within the DUP that ties with the UK mainland would be severed as a result of Brexit.

Good Friday Agreement

The latest government crisis emerged after Sinn Féin, which supports Irish reunification, won elections two years ago. This general election is necessary because the DUP has destroyed the coalition. Suddenly there is a possibility that Sinn Féin will appoint the Prime Minister of Northern Ireland and the DUP Deputy Prime Minister. The Good Friday Agreement, which brought peace to Northern Ireland in 1998, stipulated that the two largest parties would automatically share power at Stormont, the government building in Belfast.

This political shift coincided with the DUP’s dissatisfaction with the Brexit agreement agreed under British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. In it, London and Brussels have stipulated that there will be a customs border between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK. This ‘maritime border’ made pro-British Northern Irish citizens feel cut off from their mother country. For the DUP, this is once again an own goal. The reason is, the party supports Brexit. Northern Ireland has become a battleground between Britain and the European Union.

A year ago, the European Union gave in to British objections by excluding goods destined for Northern Ireland, and therefore not likely to end up in Ireland, from checks. The so-called Windsor agreement failed to end the stalemate. The moderate Donaldson wants to do this, but faces reluctance from hardliners within his party. Meanwhile, public opinion turned against the DUP. In recent weeks there have been strikes and protests against the lack of governance. The required investment must be eliminated.

Hours of briefing

In a news conference Tuesday morning, Donaldson said after five hours of meetings, party officials agreed to his proposal to work together. ‘Provided that the agreement between the DUP and the UK government is fully fulfilled, the package of measures provides a good basis for our party to return to government.’ In the coming days there will be discussions regarding the distribution of ministerial positions. The Northern Ireland Council will be chaired by Sinn Féin’s Michelle O’Neill.

The DUP’s defeat is good news for British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. As British elections approach, expected to take place in the autumn, he does not want unrest and discontent in the Province, as Northern Ireland is called. For Sinn Féin, previously the political arm of the IRA, leadership in Northern Ireland is a step towards the dream of a reunited Ireland, something the DUP and other pro-British parties fear. Within a year, Sinn Féin also hopes to win the post of prime minister in elections in Ireland.