Irish presidential election: Who is running and what’s at stake?

1 week ago 8

Voters successful Ireland volition caput to the polls connected Friday to elite a caller president for a seven-year term.

While the Irish presidency is simply a mostly ceremonial role, this predetermination takes spot amid a historical displacement towards a much polarised governmental system, Barry Colfer, manager of probe astatine Dublin’s Institute of International and European Affairs, told Al Jazeera.

Since the constitution of the Irish Free State successful December 1922 and the consequent extremity of the Irish Civil War successful May 1923, Irish politics, dissimilar successful different European countries, person not been drawn on left-right lines, helium said. “What we’re seeing contiguous for the archetypal clip successful Irish past is simply a statesmanlike predetermination betwixt objectively left-wing and right-wing candidates.”

This alteration has go much evident successful caller years. In the 2020 wide election, left-wing nationalist enactment Sinn Fein – the erstwhile governmental helping of the Irish Republican Army – won the astir first-preference votes for the archetypal clip since the country’s founding, bringing an extremity to the accepted two-party dominance of the centre-right parties Fianna Fail (FF) and Fine Gael (FG). By the extremity of the voting process, Sinn Fein had 37 seats, finishing adjacent to neck-and-neck with FF astatine 38 and FG astatine 35.

There are 174 seats successful Dail Eireann (Irish for Ireland’s little location of parliament) successful total, with 88 needed to signifier a government.

The 2 antecedently ascendant parties’ origins day backmost to the Irish Civil War and its aftermath, with FG’s forerunner supporting the Anglo-Irish Treaty, which granted the state partial independence, and FF opposing it.

For the archetypal clip successful their history, FF and FG were forced to participate into a ceremonial conjugation authorities with the Green Party successful 2020 to beryllium capable to signifier a government. Following the 2024 election, they partnered with independents alternatively of the Greens.

Who serves arsenic president of Ireland, and what bash they do?

The presidency has a comparatively constricted governmental role, comparable to that of monarchs successful different countries, said Gail McElroy, a prof of governmental subject astatine Trinity College Dublin. It is “seen arsenic a unifying relation beyond politics”.

The president represents Ireland overseas and hosts visiting heads of authorities and different dignitaries astatine the authoritative statesmanlike residence, Aras an Uachtarain, successful Dublin’s Phoenix Park.

The president is, supra all, liable for ensuring that the Irish Constitution is followed.

After the presidency was established successful 1938, 1 twelvemonth aft the existent Bunreacht na hEireann (Irish constitution) was adopted, it was mostly held by a statesman with a agelong affiliation to 1 of the 2 main governmental parties. For instance, Eamon de Valera, 1 of the starring governmental figures during Ireland’s War for Independence and laminitis of FF, served arsenic taoiseach (prime minister) from 1937 to 1948, 1951 to 1954 and from 1957 to 1959, and past arsenic the country’s 3rd president from 1959 to 1973.

The predetermination of Mary Robinson, Ireland’s archetypal pistillate president, successful 1990 “marked a watershed moment”, McElroy told Al Jazeera.

The predetermination of Robinson, who had been nominated by the Labour Party and the Workers’ Party, and besides received authoritative enactment from the Green Party, transformed the presidency from a mostly symbolic, blimpish bureau into 1 with much important diplomatic influence. Her statesmanlike run had included a committedness to grow the relation of the president into a much progressive 1 focused connected societal issues and to foster an representation of a “new Ireland”.

Before becoming president, she had served arsenic a legislator successful Seanad Eireann (Irish senate) from 1969 to 1989, and been a subordinate of the Dublin City Council from 1979 to 1983.

During her clip successful office, she signed 2 important bills that she had fought for passim her governmental career: a 1992 measure to afloat liberalise the instrumentality connected the availability of contraceptives, and a 1993 measure afloat decriminalising homosexuality. She besides signed the legalisation of divorcement into instrumentality successful 1996.

As president, Robinson besides took important steps to foster an ambiance of reconciliation betwixt Ireland and the United Kingdom. She made past by being the archetypal Irish president to conscionable a British monarch, past Queen Elizabeth II, successful an authoritative capacity. She besides controversially met and shook hands with Gerry Adams, past the person of Sinn Fein, a important determination towards dialog astatine a captious clip successful the Northern Ireland bid process.

And finally, Robinson utilized her statesmanlike level to advocator for quality rights worldwide, notably becoming the archetypal caput of authorities to sojourn Somalia successful 1992 pursuing the civilian warfare and famine, drafting planetary attraction to the country’s humanitarian crisis.

Mary McAleese, the archetypal idiosyncratic calved successful Northern Ireland to service arsenic president, held the bureau from 1997 to 2011 – similar Robinson, during pivotal years for the Northern Ireland bid process that culminated successful the 1998 Good Friday Agreement ending the three-decade struggle that had begun successful the precocious 1960s successful Northern Ireland, known arsenic The Troubles. Her accent connected reconciliation culminated successful a historical authorities sojourn to Ireland by Queen Elizabeth II.

Michael D Higgins, president since 2011, has stretched the conventions of his bureau with, astatine times, beardown disapproval of authorities argumentation connected some home and overseas argumentation issues, peculiarly regarding the country’s lodging situation and longstanding argumentation of subject neutrality.

Higgins has besides been a vocal protagonist of the Palestinian cause, successful enactment with the overwhelming bulk of the Irish public, and has been unequivocal successful calling for a imperishable ceasefire since the commencement of Israel’s warfare connected Gaza.

The Irish authorities has been 1 of the astir captious voices of Israel wrong the European Union, supporting South Africa’s genocide case astatine the International Court of Justice (ICJ) successful The Hague.

Higgins has described Israel’s warfare connected Gaza arsenic the “incredible demolition of an full people” and echoed the Irish authorities successful calling it a breach of planetary law.

At times, Higgins has made statements and projected actions that spell beyond the realm of ceremonial authorities policy. He said accusations of anti-Semitism against those who criticise the policies of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu magnitude to “slander against Ireland”, and has adjacent suggested that Israel and the countries that proviso it with weapons should beryllium excluded from the United Nations.

Who tin basal for the presidency and who tin vote?

Any Irish national aged 35 oregon supra tin question information for the presidency by pursuing 1 of 3 routes.

One mode to beryllium nominated is done being endorsed by 20 members of the Oireachtas (parliament). There are 174 members of the Dail and different 60 senators successful the Seanad. Alternatively, a statesmanlike hopeful tin beryllium nominated by 4 retired of Ireland’s 31 section authorities.

A sitting president whitethorn besides nominate themselves to tally for a 2nd and last term, without the enactment of members of the Oireachtas oregon section authorities. In caller history, some McAleese and Higgins nominated themselves for 2nd terms.

Only Irish citizens who are astatine slightest 18 years aged tin ballot for the president. About 3.5 cardinal radical successful the state are eligible. Official elector turnout is mostly debased for statesmanlike elections successful Ireland, with the past 1 successful 2018 astatine conscionable 43.9 percent.

Who is lasting successful the upcoming election?

Officially, determination are 3 statesmanlike candidates: Catherine Connolly, Heather Humphreys and Jim Gavin, who withdrew from the statesmanlike contention earlier this period – but aft a deadline for doing truthful had passed, meaning that votes for him tin inactive beryllium counted.

Whichever campaigner is elected volition person ample shoes to fill, arsenic Higgins, whose 2nd word ends successful November, is regarded arsenic 1 of Ireland’s astir fashionable politicians.

While pollsters presently person Connolly arsenic the favourite for the race, much than 35 percent of respondents person indicated successful polls that they volition either spoil their ballot oregon not ballot astatine all.

Catherine Connolly

Connolly, 68, an independent, is backed by a conjugation of left-wing parties, including Sinn Fein, the Green Party and the Social Democrats, among others, and respective autarkic Oireachtas members.

Connolly began her governmental vocation successful 1999, erstwhile she was elected to the Galway City Council arsenic a Labour campaigner and past served arsenic politician of Galway, successful the occidental portion of the country, from 2004 to 2005. She near the Labour Party successful 2007 owed to a quality implicit campaigner enactment for the wide election, starring her to tally arsenic an autarkic candidate.

She has been serving arsenic the TD (Teachta Dala; subordinate of the Dail) for Galway West since 2016. Connolly has besides worked arsenic a barrister and objective psychologist.

Connolly would beryllium expected to proceed Higgins’s bequest of criticising the government, “and possibly spell adjacent further than Higgins”, fixed that she has ever been successful opposition, some erstwhile she was a subordinate of the Labour Party and arsenic an independent, said Colfer.

Connolly has said she is moving to usage the presidency arsenic an progressive motivation and ethical dependable for the nation, with a beardown absorption connected addressing the lodging and homelessness situation and supporting the astir vulnerable, including radical with disabilities. Her level besides includes promoting the Irish connection and supporting a imaginativeness for a agreed – and much adjacent – Ireland. And lastly, she is campaigning connected defending Irish neutrality arsenic an progressive contented of peace-making and advocates for quality rights connected the planetary stage, including beardown enactment for the Palestinian people.

Regarding Israel’s warfare connected Gaza, she has said: “Israel person committed genocide successful Gaza. The normalisation of genocide is catastrophic for the Palestinian people, and it is catastrophic for humanity. History didn’t statesman connected October 7. I volition basal successful solidarity with the Palestinian radical arsenic agelong arsenic I person enactment successful my body.”

Opinion polls conducted during the statesmanlike run bespeak that young radical overwhelmingly enactment Connolly, on with those aligned with the left-wing and autarkic governmental parties backing her statesmanlike bid.

Connolly is the favourite to triumph the presidency, with the latest canvass conducted by Irish broadcaster RTE putting her enactment astatine 38 percent.

Heather Humphreys

Humphreys, 62, the campaigner for FG, is an experienced furniture member, having held a scope of portfolios, including justness and agrarian development, from 2014 to aboriginal 2025.

She besides served arsenic a TD for the Cavan-Monaghan constituency, connected the borderline with Northern Ireland, and arsenic the FG’s lawman leader.

Given Humphreys’s governmental background, she would beryllium overmuch much apt not to situation authorities orthodoxy, frankincense returning the bureau to a much ceremonial one, said Colfer.

Her run is centred connected celebrating section volunteerism and extending the presidency’s scope crossed the country. A cardinal facet of her run is besides her inheritance arsenic a Presbyterian from Monaghan. She has pledged to usage this individuality to physique bridges betwixt nationalist and unionist communities successful Northern Ireland and beforehand reconciliation crossed the island, framing herself arsenic a unifying candidate. Humphreys has besides powerfully advocated for the improvement and renewal of agrarian Ireland and enactment for Irish businesses internationally. Lastly, she has pledged to enactment the astir vulnerable, specified arsenic promising accrued pension/disability payments.

Humphreys is predicted to triumph 20 percent of the vote.

Jim Gavin

Gavin, 54, was the campaigner for FF, which is the largest enactment successful parliament and is led by the premier minister, Micheal Martin. He is simply a erstwhile Gaelic shot squad manager who besides served for 20 years successful the Irish defence forces. Gavin is presently moving arsenic the main operations serviceman for the Irish Aviation Authority.

Gavin announced his withdrawal from the contention connected October 5 pursuing allegations successful the Irish Independent paper that helium owed 3,300 euros ($3,850) to a erstwhile tenant. His sanction inactive appears connected the ballot, however, arsenic helium withdrew aft the deadline for doing truthful had passed. “This means helium is inactive a valid candidate,” according to the Irish Examiner newspaper. “Any votes formed for him volition beryllium counted arsenic normal, meaning helium could inactive triumph and go Ireland’s 10th president.”

Ever since Gavin withdrew his bid, helium has nary longer appeared successful statesmanlike debates held connected Irish media outlets, narrowing the statesmanlike contention to a two-horse race.

Gavin is presently predicted to unafraid conscionable 5 percent of the vote.

If Gavin won the election, “he would presumably diminution the relation and truthful trigger a caller election”, which would request to instrumentality spot wrong 60 days, according to Irish online paper The Journal.

How does voting work?

Ireland uses an electoral strategy of proportional practice known arsenic the Single Transferable Vote.

In this system, a elector ranks candidates successful bid of penchant by marking the numbers 1, 2, 3 (in the lawsuit of this statesmanlike election) connected their ballot. The elector is escaped to ballot for conscionable 1 oregon each 3 of the candidates.

Before the authoritative counting tin instrumentality place, ballots are sorted successful bid of first-preference votes. Any spoiled votes are placed to 1 side, arsenic they volition not beryllium counted.

If nary 1 secures an implicit bulk of first-preference votes, the campaigner with the fewest votes is eliminated and their votes are transferred to the adjacent penchant marked by each voter.

This elimination and transportation process continues until 1 campaigner secures much than 50 percent of the votes.

As Gavin’s sanction remains connected the ballot, “it is imaginable that his transfers could yet beryllium precise important successful deciding who volition beryllium the adjacent president of Ireland”, according to the Irish Times newspaper.

The predetermination volition instrumentality spot connected October 24, with the effect expected the pursuing day. The caller president volition beryllium inaugurated astatine a ceremonial successful Dublin Castle.

What are the cardinal issues successful this election?

A fig of governmental issues person emerged during the astir caller statesmanlike debates arsenic some the starring candidates person parliamentary way records connected issues important to voters, said Colfer.

Housing crisis

At the 2020 and 2024 wide elections, lodging was a defining electoral contented for voters. The country’s lodging situation peaked successful 2013, arsenic a terrible proviso shortage combined with a increasing colonisation resulted successful a accelerated escalation successful rent and location prices, starring to grounds levels of homelessness and emigration, arsenic good arsenic wide unaffordability.

Higgins has reflected nationalist choler with the authorities implicit this issue, condemning the lodging situation arsenic “our great, great, large failure”, saying that it could nary longer beryllium considered a situation but “a disaster”.

It has been hard for Humphreys to appease voters erstwhile responding to questions connected this topic, fixed that she has been serving successful authorities during this time, said Colfer.

Triple fastener mechanics and Irish neutrality

Since Russia’s penetration of Ukraine successful February 2022, Ireland has been reckoning with its policy of subject neutrality, which was adopted astatine the outbreak of World War II, dubbed “The Emergency”, and has since been maintained by successive governments.

While this policy, arsenic good arsenic a legislative mechanics known arsenic the triple lock, are not “necessarily related”, immoderate accidental that reforming the mechanism, arsenic the Irish authorities has committed to do, “risks undermining the argumentation [of neutrality] and is simply a slippery slope towards abandoning it”, said Colfer.

While sentiment polls person repeatedly indicated that the bulk of Irish radical privation to support the country’s argumentation of subject neutrality, the sermon astir different aspects traditionally associated with the policy, including defence spending and the triple lock, is “more refined now”, helium said.

“There is an knowing present that some much defence spending and replacing the triple fastener doesn’t needfully compromise oregon undermine neutrality.”

An Irish Times canvass conducted earlier this twelvemonth recovered that 63 percent of voters enactment the country’s existent exemplary of neutrality, portion 47 percent enactment maintaining the triple lock.

A abstracted Irish Times canvass conducted successful June 2023 recovered that 55 percent of voters supported “significantly expanding Ireland’s subject capacity” to support its airspace and territorial waters.

Under the triple lock, nary much than 12 subject unit tin beryllium deployed to enactment successful overseas peacekeeping operations without the support of each 3 of the Irish government, the Dail and the UN.

The Irish government’s main statement for reforming the mechanics is to forestall a imperishable subordinate of the UN Security Council, similar Russia oregon China, from having a de facto ballot connected Ireland’s information successful planetary peacekeeping missions due to the fact that of the UN portion of the triple lock. No caller peacekeeping mandate has been approved by the assembly since 2014.

Higgins has accused the authorities of “playing with fire” by holding nationalist discussions that helium believes are creating a unsafe “drift” distant from Ireland’s argumentation of subject neutrality and that risks “burying” Ireland successful different people’s agendas.

He has besides criticised accrued subject spending arsenic “shocking”, informing that it perpetuates “war arsenic a authorities of mind” astatine the disbursal of investing successful indispensable areas specified arsenic acquisition and healthcare.

While the Irish authorities announced successful July 2022 the largest summation successful defence spending successful the country’s history, jumping from 1.1 cardinal euros ($1.3bn) to 1.5 cardinal euros ($1.7bn) by 2028, Ireland continues to person 1 of the lowest defence budgets successful Europe.

The authorities argues that reforming the triple fastener would not alteration the argumentation of subject neutrality, which it defines arsenic “non-membership of subject alliances oregon communal defence arrangements”.

Over the people of the statesmanlike campaign, Connolly has positioned herself arsenic a beardown defender of Ireland’s longstanding argumentation of subject neutrality and the triple fastener mechanism.

“I judge successful neutrality arsenic an active, surviving contented of peacemaking, bridge-building, and compassionate diplomacy. The triple fastener is halfway to our neutrality. It is 1 of Ireland’s top strengths, and I volition support it and the triple fastener with determination.”

Connolly has besides stated that she is opposed to immoderate determination that would pb the state to go progressive successful “dangerous NATO oregon EU militarisation”.

Humphreys, however, has stressed that portion she supports a reappraisal of the triple lock, she is not proposing abandoning Ireland’s argumentation of subject neutrality.

Regarding the triple lock, she has said: “No different state should person a veto implicit wherever members of the Irish defence forces serve.”

Humphreys has framed herself arsenic a campaigner who would support beardown relationships with European partners and allies and has warned against Connolly’s approach, which she says could beryllium seen arsenic “insulting Ireland’s allies” similar Germany, France, the United States and the UK.

Irish reunification

Since Brexit, Britain’s departure from the EU successful January 2020, the taxable of Irish reunification has been overmuch much successful the nationalist realm than it was adjacent 10 years ago, said Colfer.

Both main candidates person stated that they are arrogant Republicans and explicit enactment for Irish reunification.

While Connolly whitethorn look to person the evident vantage with the authoritative enactment of Sinn Fein, Colfer argues that Humphreys whitethorn really person the precocious manus owed to her idiosyncratic transportation to Northern Ireland.

In summation to her spiritual inheritance and upbringing, Humphreys has a transportation to the Orange Order, a blimpish Protestant fraternal nine associated with British unionism, done her begetter and husband, who are some erstwhile members. Her gramps signed the Ulster Covenant successful 1912, a petition against Irish self-government.

These links to a longstanding Protestant organisation “will assistance unfastened up a enactment of connection with Unionists” for Humphreys, seen arsenic important successful bridge-building betwixt Northern Ireland’s Catholic and Protestant communities up of a reunification referendum, said Colfer.

Read Entire Article

Irish presidential election: Who is running and what’s at stake?

Who serves arsenic president of Ireland, and what bash they do?

Who tin basal for the presidency and who tin vote?