In EU member Ireland, nearly 3.7 million people were called to vote on Friday to elect a new parliament. Recent opinion polls show a close race between the three largest parties, former centre-right coalition partners Fine Gael and Fine Gael, and the strongest opposition force, Sinn Féin, which It was previously considered the political branch of the terrorist organization the Irish Republican Army.
Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris.Image: trapezoid
Fine Gael Prime Minister Simon Harris called on people to vote for a stable government. Harris told British news agency PA that target would be in jeopardy if dozens of independent candidates were elected to Dublin parliament.
The head of government, who only took over from party colleague Leo Varadkar in April, has seen his approval ratings plummet recently. One reason was that Harris met a woman who asked about his commitment to people with disabilities and their caregivers. The “Prime Minister” (pronounced roughly “tie-shock”) in the Prime Minister's Office suddenly turned away. The 38-year-old later apologized.
Why historical rivals rule together
Since the last election in 2020, two centre-right parties, Fine Gael and Fine Gael, which are effectively considered rivals, have been in power together with the Greens. The main reason for the historic collaboration is that the two major parties want to exclude left-wing nationalist Sinn Féin from the government. As a result, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael took turns at the head of government during the legislative midterms.
Mary Lou McDonald, leader of Sinn Féin.Image: trapezoid
According to opinion polls, they are likely to maintain their alliance in the country of some 5.1 million inhabitants. Both, like Sinn Féin, are around 20%. Prime Minister Harris and deputy Michael Martin from Fianna Fail have both ruled out working with Sinn Féin.
Sinn Féin, led by Mary Lou McDonald, strongly advocated a united Ireland. In the neighboring British province of Northern Ireland it was the most powerful force, but in the Republic of Ireland it never achieved this and never ruled. Sinn Féin has come under pressure for covering up numerous cases of child abuse by former employees.
Housing shortage is a big problem
The most important issue in the election was social problems such as the housing shortage. Despite being employed, many young people cannot afford accommodation and continue to live with their parents. In recent times, right-wing populists have increasingly blamed the influx of immigrants for further shrinking living space.
174 representatives will be elected in 43 constituencies. Polling stations open at 8am and close at 11pm (both CET). Counting will not begin until 10am (CET) on Saturday. Due to complex electoral laws, it is unclear when the results will be determined. In the European elections, it took a week to get all the mandates. (DAB/Sudan Development Authority/Department of Political Affairs)
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