Ireland goes to early polls in parliamentary election

By Necva Tastan Sevinc

ISTANBUL (AA) — Ireland is set to vote Friday in a highly contested early general election, with the ruling center-right coalition battling a surge from the left-leaning Sinn Fein.

Opinion polls suggest a three-way deadlock, with Fine Gael, Fianna Fail, and Sinn Fein each commanding around 20% of voter support, making for an unpredictable outcome, The Guardian reported.

The election follows a swift three weeks of campaigning focused on pressing issues, including the country's housing crisis, rising living costs, and immigration.

The Fine Gael party, led by the head of government, Taoiseach Simon Harris, has centered its campaign on maintaining economic stability, while Fianna Fail, under former Prime Minister Micheal Martin, has emphasized its track record in governance alongside pledges for housing reform and support for struggling households.

Sinn Fein, historically linked to the Irish Republican Army (IRA), is led by Mary Lou McDonald, pushing for a transformative agenda and advocating for a left-wing coalition.

Earlier, McDonald had called on voters to cast their ballots "for change," signaling her readiness to partner with progressive groups like the Social Democrats, Labour, and People Before Profit.

“I’m asking people to come out and vote, not just for Sinn Fein but to change the government,” McDonald told reporters.

Ireland’s proportional representation system allows voters to rank candidates by preference, making second-choice votes pivotal.

Sinn Fein has urged this tactical voting among progressives to maximize representation in the Dail Eireann, Ireland’s parliament, where 88 seats are required for a majority.

In the 2020 election, Sinn Fein secured 24.5% of the vote, while Fianna Fail and Fine Gael garnered 22.2% and 20.9%, respectively.

No party has won an outright majority in decades and coalitions have been the norm.

Fine Gael and Fianna Fail have ruled out forming a government with Sinn Fein, raising the likelihood of independents — who are polling at around 20% — playing a kingmaker role, as they did in previous decades.

The Green Party, a junior partner in the outgoing coalition, is projected to lose some of its 12 seats but remains open to joining a new government.

Smaller parties like Labour and the Social Democrats, each holding six seats, are also positioning themselves for influence in potential coalition talks.

The election takes place against a backdrop of international uncertainty. Fine Gael has warned that a Sinn Fein-led government could pose economic risks, especially as the second term of US President-elect Donald Trump is set to begin in January.

Trump has said he would slap tariffs on EU exports to the US, a move that could significantly impact Ireland’s open economy.