Northern Ireland in doubt. Local elections are taking place in the United Kingdom this Thursday, May 5. On Shankill Road, one of the main roads through north-west Belfast, you quickly know the trend of the district. Blue white red sidewalks like the Union Jack, even if the color has faded a little, frescoes in homage to British soldiers: we are among the loyalists, those who want to stay in the United Kingdom. Obviously, the inhabitants vote mainly unionist, and rather for the most radical branch. Unthinkable here to imagine, as the polls promise, a Prime Minister of Sinn Fein, the nationalist party which advocates leaving the United Kingdom. And even less to share governance.
This is the official line of the main movement but not that of Francis. He has lived here forever. “I think it’s sillyhe says. If you are a democratic party, you must accept the voters’ choice. So if Sinn Fein has more votes, they should join them in governing.” Francis will indeed vote Unionist out of conviction, out of habit too. But as the ballot allows it, it will mix with other lists.
Sinn Fein, a party like the others?
A kilometer further on, the same birds chirping, the same modest one-story red brick houses, the same gray sky, but here it is the stronghold of the nationalists. There are also murals: they celebrate the heroes of the fight against London and those who want a united Ireland like Henry. But the Sinn Fein he loved so much ended up pissing him off. They are no better than the others he says today. “We don’t see them all year and then there, 15 days before the elections, you see themlaments Henry. In the past, I had more confidence in them, but, in fact, it is not so much a question of confidence. Even if you think they can do something for you, they won’t be able to.”
Henry’s skepticism is explained because Northern Ireland does not decide alone. The proof, six years ago: if she voted against Brexit but she was swept away with all of the United Kingdom outside Europe. But above all, the country no longer sees politics solely through the prism of ancestral combat, unionist against nationalist, protestant against Catholic. Health, education, purchasing power are the concerns of Northern Irish today when going to vote.