Immigration and housing dominate election campaign in Ireland
Christian Democratic Party Fine Gael (FG)centrist Fianna Fáil (FF)Partners in coalition government, and leftists Sinn Féin (SF)Opposition leaders are fighting for victory this Friday general election in ireland,
All three parties are contesting the elections very equally. Surveys show support for every party about 20%Thus, it is expected that he will once again have to seek compromise with himself and/or other minority parties.
He taoiseach (Celtic word for Prime Minister), Simon Harris, leader of the FG, early elections are called On 8th November. He did this to take advantage of economic prosperity, good results for Christian Democrats and centrists in the European and local elections in June, and his own popularity. The mandate of the executive formed in 2020 with Michael Martin’s FF and the Green Party expires next March.
Immigration and housing crisis at the center of debate
For the first time, the issue of Immigration has been placed at the center of the election debateA significant increase in arrivals of foreigners into the country has exacerbated the housing crisis, putting pressure on public services and sparking protests, which have sometimes turned violent. Encouraged by the extreme right,
The government realized that this is one of the issues that concerns voters the most. has recently tightened its policy In this case. On the other hand, SF’s ambiguity in this regard has reduced its popularity, especially among people Voters from the most deprived areas.
Housing is also an issue of debate. more than 60% citizens Housing shortage and exorbitant rental prices have been cited as the main problems affecting the country. The rising cost of living is also worrying Irish people.
Three main candidates in the election
Harris, known as “taoiseach The 37-year-old ousted TikTok partner Leo Varadkar in April due to his hard work on the social network. youngest head of government in Irish history and halted the decline of Fine Gael after three terms in power.
Still its image has been tarnished after this make many mistakes During the campaign. Among them, he highlighted an uncomfortable encounter with a social worker who complained about the Disability Care Service, whom he treated rudely and whose video went viral. After this, Harris has repeatedly apologized.
Who was the current Deputy Prime Minister and Head of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Defence, Michael Martin? taoiseach Between 2020 and 2022, it is favorite to win the electionThat’s according to a Business Post/Red Sea survey conducted at the start of the campaign.
The FG and FF were at odds since the Irish Civil War (1922–1923), since then they have shared power. they both put a seal Historic agreement to stop SFThe party received the most votes in the 2020 elections, ahead of the centrists, although they won one more seat due to the electoral system of vote transfer.
Mary Lou MacDonald, leader of Sinn Féin, the former political wing of the now defunct IRA, was then unable to form a government. Lack of support among leftists Of the country. And this is where she should go again if she wishes to become the first leader of a republican formation at the head of the executive in Dublin.
20% support for each of the three main candidates
The latest polls indicate that support for each of the three major parties is around 20%. In the latest poll on November 26, Harris’s party was showing signs of stabilization. The results that this Friday’s elections will produce if repeated Possibility of returning to government For the current coalition of FG and FF.
The electoral system makes an absolute majority difficult and favors coalitions such as the FF and FG. Both parties have indicated that they would be willing to return to the Executive and have committed to Rule again without Sinn Féin: They distrust his economic policies and still criticize his past involvement with the IRA. If the left wants to reach the executive, it will have to be far ahead of the FG and FF to change the dynamics.
The pro-independence faction also accounts for around 20% and minority formations such as the Labor Party, Social Democrats and the Greens account for between 4% and 6%. This percentage may give them the key to enter the future government.
McDonald’s leadership in SF tested in these elections
Observers say Harris and Martin will return to government in coalition, alone or with another party, but it is not yet known whether they will exchange positions. taoiseachIt will depend on how many seats they get. For his part, McDonald, who enjoyed more than 35% support just two years ago, will once again be accused of lacking allies among the country’s progressive wing, as predicted by polls.
McDonald’s is putting a big chunk of its money at stake in this Friday’s election. Take over the head of the now defunct IRA’s former political wing After two turbulent years. It is back in the election campaign and standing parallel to the other two major parties of the country.
The SF became the party with the most votes in the 2020 general elections, but was overtaken by the FF by one seat, thanks to the complex electoral system of vote transfers. Again, nationalist leaders were also unable to form a government due to lack of support from the Left.
Only two years earlier, according to polls, MacDonald’s party had surpassed 35% support, placing its leader as favorite to become the first Republican leader to lead the executive in Dublin. However, there have been several sexual scandals within SF, internal feuds, and some ambiguity in its immigration policy. These weakened his options for the elections.