Under Aerlingus Articles of incorporation to pass a special resolution you need greater than 75% of the votes. Ryanair can block all of these resolutions with its stake and therefore exerts influence on the company now and has done in the past. Its presence on the register serves to depress share price and stifle any further company strategies that do not fall in with Ryanairs' plans.
Wrong.
To exert influence on a company is to influence it to do things rather than the other way round.
The idea that presence of Ryanair on the register is depressing share price is laughable in the extreme.
The actions of a number of CEO's and crass management aided and abetted by Unions is what has driven the share price downward as Aer Lingus dreams up stupid strategy after stupid strategy to blow hundreds of millions in €.
Having Europe's most successful airline over last 10 years on your register isn't going to depress price.