Main focus of Wednesday, May 9, 2007

Devolved power has been returned to Northern Ireland

On Tuesday May 8th, Ian Paisley, the protestant leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), became the First Minister of a devolved regional government. The Deputy First Minister is the catholic chief negotiator of the republican Sinn Féin party Martin McGuinness. Both men were sworn in yesterday before a Northern Irish assembly that had been suspended for almost five years. Will they manage to establish lasting peace in Northern Ireland?

The Irish Times - Ireland

"Northern Ireland has shown us that the noble, and rare, art of statesmanship is alive and well - and works", writes Tom Foley, US ambassador to Ireland. "Statesmanship is an amalgam of subtle, and not-so-subtle, attributes, among them leadership, patience, persistence, evenhandedness, courage and commitment to a high purpose. But statesmen and stateswomen are almost more easily defined by what they are not. They are not petty, squabbling, divisive or self-serving. Three people critical to the peace process deserve special recognition for their statesmanship - Tony Blair, Bertie Ahern and George Mitchell [US peace envoy to the North]. ... As advocates for their communities, Ian Paisley, Gerry Adams, Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness have not until now been in roles calling for statesmanship, but they have shown remarkable leadership. Their turn at statesmanship lies ahead in their new role representing all the people of Northern Ireland." (09/05/2007)

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Frankfurter Rundschau - Germany

Peter Nonnenmacher lauds British Prime Minister Tony Blair for his contribution to the Norther Ireland peace process: "The Briton generated the dynamic that advanced the process – with unsurpassed engagement, sharp focus, a keen analytical eye and tactical deftness. Northern Ireland has become Blair's greatest success. And it prompts the question, accompanied by an inevitable sense of regret, as to what the Blair era might have been had the Labour Prime Minister stood up for peace in other areas as well, rather than letting himself be dragged into a military adventure." (09/05/2007)

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The Economist - United Kingdom

The weekly points out that "despite grand comparisons with historic political compromises elsewhere, such as the joint rule of whites and blacks in post-apartheid South Africa, the province's new government represents the coming together not of moderates and visionaries but of hardline parties. Both Mr Paisley's Democratic Unionist Party and Mr McGuinness's Sinn Féin - the political wing of the terrorist Irish Republican Army - are responsible for ditching decent parties in the province that had striven for peace and compromise far more consistently over the years. ... As for Northern Ireland's future, the brave talk of prosperity will depend in part on getting closer economic ties with the strong economy south of the border. But the province has also to wean itself off massive subsidies from Britain. Over a third of the 770,000 people in jobs are directly employed by the public sector, which accounts for two-thirds of economic output." (09/05/2007)

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El País - Spain

The daily expresses a few reservations on the subject of the compromise reached in Belfast. "Even if it was unthinkable not so long ago, this agreement struck up between enemies is not a cure-all. It is indeed restoring Northern Irish autonomy thanks to a Parliament of 108 seats and a government of 10 ministers (Westminster is, for the time being, keeping a hold of defence, immigration and income tax issues). Difficulties will however arise, especially on the economic front, given the fact that this province is entirely dependent on money from London. Discussions will be bitter between the two camps and all will sometimes seem about to collapse. This will also be due to the fact that the agreement was not negotiated by the moderate parties who disappeared along the way, but by radical groups. Despite all of this, however, we can hope that the front pages of the Ulster dailies won't once again become sickening catalogues of sectarian violence devastating a divided society." (09/05/2007)

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