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Politician O'Neill: Historic election
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Mark Marlow/EPO
After a two-year political crisis, Northern Ireland has a regional government again - headed by a politician for the first time who seeks reunification with EU member Ireland and rejects remaining in the United Kingdom.
The regional parliament in Belfast elected 47-year-old Michelle O'Neill from the Sinn Féin party as the new head of government on Saturday. Sinn Féin is the strongest party among Catholic residents.
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However, O'Neill has to govern together with the largest Protestant party, the DUP, which advocates political union with Great Britain. The DUP provides the deputy head of government, who has equal power political power with O'Neill. Commentators nevertheless spoke of a historic development.
The previous government in Belfast collapsed two years ago to the day. Since then, the DUP has refused to participate in a new government as required - in protest against special Brexit rules for Northern Ireland. She argued that the agreement reached with the EU endangers the union of Northern Ireland and Great Britain.
Recently, the DUP agreed with the British central government on a document that emphasized state unity and then gave up its opposition.
The so-called Good Friday Agreement, which ended the civil war in Northern Ireland in 1998, provides for a unity government between the two sectarian camps.
ssu/dpa