The block candidate progressive to the presidential elections of the Republic of Ireland, Catherine Connollyis the virtual winner of the elections held this Friday and whose official results will be known in the next few hours.
The provisional data of the vote count gives the leftist a large majority and the candidate of the centre-right alliance formed by Fiana Fáil and Fine Gael, Heather Humphreysyeah ha admitted his defeat and congratulated his rival for his victory.
Connolly, attorney for 68 yearshas earned the support of generations younger to succeed the outgoing president, the labor veteran Michael D. Higginsafter two terms that began in 2011 and that have led him to break the usual neutrality of the position by positioning himself on international issues such as the situation in the Gaza Strip or the war in Ukraine.
Although in the Catholic country the president has a limited and practically symbolic role, Connolly’s ideological profile, the fact that she will be the third woman to assume the position and the support of Sinn Féin have aroused special polarization among voters.
Leftist in character, His critical tone towards NATO, the United States and the European Union in the past has earned him a reputation as a radical among the electorate of older ages or more conservative positions.
Although she was running as an independent candidate, she is supported by the progressive bloc, whose core is the nationalist party. Sinn Feinformer political arm of the now inactive IRA and leader of the opposition in the last legislature.
Image of a polling station in Dublin during the elections held this Friday.
Reuters
The housing, cost of living or migration crisis They will be some of the aspects that most worry the Irish, who are very disenchanted politically.
Almost half of the electorate (3.6 million people) declared that they did not feel represented by any of the presidential candidates and in the last election, participation was 44%.
The participation figures and support for each of the candidates will be announced in the next few hours at Dublin Castle, but the first count gives Connolly 63% of the support, ahead of the 29% of the candidate Heather Humphreys and the 7% accumulated by the former Gaelic football figure Jim Gavin.
Left turn
Born in Galway in 1957, Connolly began her political career in the Labor Party, but left in 2007.
As an independent, she won her first seat in 2016 and became the first female deputy speaker of the Dáil (Lower House) of the Irish Parliament.
This earned him the support of the progressive bloc, an alliance where Sinn Féin, the second force in the last general elections, is the main party.
Image of the merchandising in support of Connolly’s candidacy.
Reuters
The Republic of Ireland has never had a left-led Executive and in recent years the centre-right bipartisan coalition formed by Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil has held power.
Connolly’s victory is explained as a symptom of the rejection of bipartisanship and a turn to the left by young Irish people.
Fine Gael’s Christian Democrat candidate, Heather Humphreys, congratulated Connolly early in the afternoon and assured that she is going to be “everyone’s president.”
The winner also shared a message thanking her for the support and saying she was “delighted” by the results.