Ireland’s uneven recovery was the focus in the election in which voters punished the government for years of austerity despite warnings that political instability might damage a nascent recovery.
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Carmelite Sisters prepare to cast their vote in North Dublin, Ireland, Friday, Feb. 26, 2016.
Sinn Fein’s Mary Lou McDonald celebrates after being elected TD for Dublin Central at the election count centre at the RDS in Dublin, Ireland.
Early indications suggest a widespread disaffection with mainstream parties and austerity mirroring a movement across Europe, including Spain, Portugal and Greece, where parliaments have been crippled by the voter schism.
(Brian Lawless/PA via AP).
Adams helped deliver 1990s IRA cease-fires that allowed Sinn Fein to become increasingly palatable to northern Catholics, who have made the party their dominant representative in a Northern Ireland coalition government with Protestant leaders.
Sinn Fein’s hope of becoming Ireland’s main opposition looked like being frustrated yesterday as the country’s two main parties Fine Gael and Fianna Fail appeared to continue ruling out forming a coalition following an inconclusive general election result.
But that party, founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, was torn in two in 1922 amid civil war following Ireland’s acceptance of a treaty with Britain that offered autonomy, not full independence.
A parliamentary majority requires at least 79 lawmakers, although stable Irish governments typically require a larger cushion of support.
“I think Fianna Fail in particular are going to struggle to do this, I think Fine Gael certainly don’t want to do this”, said Mark Mortell, a senior Fine Gael strategist.
Most governments since have been lead by DeValera’s Fianna Fail, with the rest under Fine Gael, founded by supporters of Collins. “But it will take time”.
“In policy it would actually be the easiest coalition to run, it would be very stable”.
Martin said he meant to nominate himself, not Kenny, to be elected prime minister when the new parliament convenes March 10. A caretaker government likely led by Kenny will rule until a governing coalition with a Dail majority is found. In the past, that has taken weeks, even 82 days on one occasion.
Among the coalition’s biggest casualties were Alex White, Labour’s outgoing minister for communications, energy and natural resources, and Alan Shatter, the former Fine Gael justice minister, who were both defeated in Dublin Rathdown.
It shows support for Labour at 7.1 per cent, Fianna Fail at 21.1 per cent and Sinn Fein at 16 per cent. With Labour in line for 7.1 percent of the ballot, the parties would fall well short of the 41-42 percent they identified as needed for re-election.
The poll involved face-to-face surveys of 4,283 people who had just voted in all 40 constituencies. However, the greatest paradox of this election, if the two exit polls reflect the 1st preference voting patterns, is the comeback of Fianna Fail.
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Both Prime Minister Enda Kenny’s centre-right Fine Gael and its Labour junior partner lost support, as many voters in the eurozone country complained they had not felt the benefits of economic growth.
