Northern Ireland: unionists and republicans agree, Paul Givan new Prime Minister
Paul Givan in Dublin, June 3, 2021. REUTERS - CLODAGH KILCOYNE
Text by: RFI Follow
3 min
Unionists and Republicans reached an agreement in Northern Ireland.
Unionist Paul Givan will therefore become Prime Minister, thus avoiding a new political crisis in the region under British control, which is plagued by post-Brexit tensions.
Publicity
Read more
The agreement between the DUP, attached to maintaining within the United Kingdom and Sinn Fein, in favor of reunification with Ireland, was reached shortly after midnight following intense discussions under the aegis of the British minister in charge. from Northern Ireland, Brandon Lewis. "
This will allow the government to re-focus on responding to the issues that really matter to Northern Irish people, such as healthcare, housing, education and employment,
" he said. .
Unionist Paul Givan will be appointed prime minister of the local government in the afternoon, after being appointed by the new leader of the ultraconservative unionist party DUP, Edwin Poots.
Michelle O'Neill, 44, of the Republican Sinn Fein Party, in favor of reunification with the Republic of Ireland, will once again occupy the seat of Deputy Prime Minister.
The British government has pledged to legislate in the fall on the status of Gaelic to protect the language which made it possible to unblock the situation.
► See also: Northern Ireland: seven days to form a government
Arlene Foster, 50, had resigned at the end of April 2021 in the
face of his camp's dissatisfaction with the consequences of Brexit.
He was criticized for his powerlessness in the face of the introduction of customs controls for goods from Great Britain, negotiated as part of the Brexit agreement.
These customs provisions applied to the province to avoid the return of a border with the Republic of Ireland and to preserve peace have caused renewed tensions in Northern Ireland.
Riots of unprecedented violence had broken out in early April, reviving community tensions at the origin of "the Troubles" the three decades of violence between Catholics in favor of reunification with Ireland and Protestants in favor of the British crown.
The DUP and Sinn Fein must share governance under the Good Friday Peace Agreement of 1998, which ended three decades of bloody “unrest” between Republicans (mostly Catholics) and Unionists (mostly Protestants).
► See also: Northern Ireland discreetly celebrates its centenary against a backdrop of post-Brexit tensions
(with AFP)
Newsletter
Receive all international news directly in your mailbox
I subscribe
Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application
google-play-badge_FR
North Ireland
Brexit