Vote Counting Begins in Tight Irish Election
Vote counting in Ireland’s general election began Saturday, following a tight race between the country’s three main political parties, as indicated by an exit poll. After voting closed late on Friday, the exit poll showed pro-Irish unity party Sinn Féin leading with 21.1 percent of the vote, closely followed by the centre-right Fine Gael, led by outgoing Prime Minister Simon Harris, with 21.0 percent. Fianna Fáil, the centre-right party and Fine Gael’s partner in the outgoing coalition, secured 19.5 percent.
The counting process, which began at 0900 GMT, is expected to take several days, as Ireland uses a proportional representation system that involves multiple rounds of vote redistribution once candidates are eliminated. This system makes it difficult to predict a final result quickly, with partial results anticipated throughout the day.
Harris, who became Ireland’s youngest-ever Taoiseach (Prime Minister) in April, entered the campaign with a strong lead but lost momentum following a viral incident in which he appeared dismissive towards a care worker, which impacted his popularity. Both Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil have campaigned on their pro-business and pro-EU platforms, emphasizing their ability to provide stability amid global uncertainties, particularly regarding threats to Ireland’s economic model posed by incoming U.S. President Donald Trump’s policies on tariffs and corporate tax.
In the 2020 election, Sinn Féin won the popular vote but could not secure coalition partners, leading to an agreement between Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil to form a government. Sinn Féin, led by Mary Lou McDonald, has campaigned heavily on housing policy, positioning itself as the only real alternative to Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil. McDonald, who could become Ireland’s first female Taoiseach, called the election a “historic day” for change in the country.
