Coalition talks are now underway after Friday’s largely uneventful general election in Ireland, which was called at the beginning of last month.
Clearly, the wider European trends towards voter disillusion and disaffection with the establishment parties also afflict Dublin.
It looks most likely that there will be a return of an administration involving both ‘centrist’ Fianna Fáil (FF) and centre-right Fine Gael (FG). With just 12 counts yet to be declared out of 174, FF has bagged 43 seats to FG’s 36.
The left-wing Sinn Féin (SF) party—the former political wing of the Irish Republican Army—has also won 36 seats, although both of the other two parties have already ruled out entering a coalition with it.
None of this was particularly unexpected. Reports have, however, noted with interest that the turnout at this election was a measly 59.7%—the lowest in more than a century.
They also treat the Green Party’s slump as the other “main story” of this election, losing all but one of its seats.
On the sidelines, a gangland boss almost gained a seat in parliament after flying in from Spain, where he awaits trial on money-laundering charges. Mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor may also have to set aside his grandiose political ambitions, after a woman last month won a civil rape case against him.
The final result of the election should be declared over the coming days.
