Ireland set to hold general election

7/11/2024 6:05

        Ireland plans to hold a
        general election on Nov. 29, Prime Minister Simon Harris said on
        Wednesday, as his centre-right coalition bids to capitalise on a
        popular budget and a dramatic slide in support for opposition
        left-wing nationalists Sinn Fein.
        
        Harris had until the end of the coalition's five-year term
        in March to go to the polls, but has been paving the way for an
        earlier election, announcing 10.5 billion euros in tax cuts and
        spending increases in last month's budget.
        
        The package takes advantage of Europe's healthiest public
        finances just as U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's plans to
        slash U.S. corporate taxes and impose tariffs threaten Ireland's
        low-tax economic model, which relies on huge U.S. investment.
        
        "It's my hope that we will have polling day in this country
        on the 29th of November and I'm looking forward to the weeks
        ahead and asking the people of Ireland for a mandate," Harris
        told RTE News, saying he will seek the dissolution of parliament
        on Friday to start the campaign.
        
        Sinn Fein's ambition to prevent an unprecedented fourth
        successive term for Fine Gael looked probable a year ago, but
        the opposition party's support has collapsed over the last year
        and been further hit by a string of internal controversies.
        
        An average of the most recent polls put Fine Gael on 24.5%,
        its main coalition partners Fianna Fail on 21.5% and Sinn Fein
        on 18.5%, according to the Irish Polling Indicator. Sinn Fein
        was polling at 35% as recently as a year ago.
        
        
        
        CHANGE OF FORTUNES
        
        Harris has strengthened Fine Gael's lead since he replaced
        Leo Varadkar in April, but faces frustration over unaffordable
        housing costs, under-resourced state services and concerns over
        migration. He must also convince voters he can handle Trump.
        
        Polling suggests Sinn Fein has been caught between its
        traditional working-class voters who are more sceptical about
        immigration and newer, younger middle-class supporters, shedding
        support among both groups.
        
        The party that was once the political wing of the Irish
        Republican Army has long sought a referendum on unifying with
        Northern Ireland, the British region where it is already the
        lead party.
        
        But it would likely need to finish well ahead of rivals Fine
        Gael and Fianna Fail to cut off their path to re-election, since
        both have pledged to govern together again without it.
        
        Polling suggests the two parties, former rivals who have
        between them been part of every government for a century, could
        reach a majority with current junior partners the Green Party,
        or another small centre-left party. Such a coalition would
        likely entail few major policy shifts.