Posted 2/3/2024, 6:59:00 PM
Michelle O'Neill Becomes Northern Ireland's First Sinn Fein First Minister in Historic Power-Sharing Government
- Michelle O'Neill, an Irish nationalist, becomes Northern Ireland's first minister in a historic moment as the government returns after a 2-year boycott by unionists
- O'Neill is the vice president of Sinn Fein, which captured more seats than the Democratic Unionist Party in recent elections
- Her appointment represents progress for Irish nationalists after decades of unionist rule in Northern Ireland since its establishment in 1921
- Both O'Neill and deputy first minister Emma Little-Pengelly pledge to work together across divides to shape a better future
- The return of the power-sharing government came after the UK agreed to new changes addressing DUP concerns over Brexit trade rules, bringing the 2-year political impasse to an end