FILE PHOTO: Fine Gael leader Simon Harris speaks at a conference in Athlone, central Ireland, March 24, 2024, after becoming the de facto prime minister-elect. Harris takes over following the shock resignation of predecessor Leo Varadkar.
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Ireland’s two long-dominant centre-right parties look likely to form a new government as national election results diverge despite a reduction in vote share and future coalition talks are complicated.
Counting continues on Sunday, with the current ruling Fine Gael Party, Fine Gael and the center-left opposition Sinn Féin vying for seats in the 174-seat lower house of Ireland’s parliament.
Sinn Féin aims to reunify the Republic of Ireland with the British territory of Northern Ireland, but it lacks a clear path to power as the other two parties have said they will not work with Sinn Féin, in part because of Sinn Féin’s history with the IRA Contacts during thirty years of violent conflict in Northern Ireland.
Fine Gael’s outgoing Taoiseach Simon Harris, Fine Gael leader Michael Martin and Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald all won re-election to their parliamentary seats in results released on Saturday.
Ireland uses a complex proportional representation system in which several legislators are elected in each of the country’s 43 constituencies, with voters ranking the candidates in order of preference. Therefore, it may take several days before full results are known.
“The Irish people have now spoken,” Harris said. “We now have to figure out exactly what they said, and that’s going to take some time.”
Partial results from Friday’s election showed voters casting their votes broadly toward the three major parties, several smaller parties and a variety of independent candidates, with any coalition likely to involve smaller parties or independents.
The cost of living – and in particular Ireland’s severe housing crisis – has been a major talking point in the three-week election campaign, as has immigration, which has become an exciting and controversial issue in the country of 5.4 million people. Challenging questions.
If the early results are confirmed, Ireland could buck a global trend of incumbents being ousted by disaffected voters after years of pandemics, international instability and cost-of-living pressures.
The outgoing government is led by the two parties that have dominated Irish politics for the past century. Fine Gael and Fianna Fail have similar policies but are long-time rivals, originating from opposing sides in the Irish Civil War in the 1920s. They formed a coalition after the 2020 election nearly ended in a draw.
Fine Gael candidate and outgoing government minister Pascal Donoghue said the election was about “one of centrism”.
Still, voter dissatisfaction was reflected in some unexpected results. Among a slew of independent candidates is Gerry “the Monk” Hutch, a prominent organized crime boss who won the election last November after being released on bail in Spain on money laundering charges. Outpouring of support.
Part of the results suggest Hutch, who was acquitted of killing a gangland rival last year, is likely to win a seat in Dublin.
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